Kashrus Kurrents Winter 2008

Q: My freezer has an ice making machine, which has an arm that rises as ice is produced and lowers when ice is removed. I generally turn the machine off before Shabbos by lifting the arm until it is fully raised. If I forget to do this, can I remove ice on Shabbos from the ice maker?

A: There are various types of ice maker machines available, and they do not all work in the same way.  However, many of the commonly available models employ the following mechanism.  The ice making process begins when the ice maker signals the water valve to open, and a specified amount of water then flows into the ice mold.  When the thermostat senses that the water has frozen into ice, it signals that the heating coil under the ice maker should start to heat up, thereby loosening the ice cubes from the mold surface.  The ejector gear then rotates the ejector blades.  As the blades revolve, they scoop the ice cubes up and out of the mold and push them out of the icemaker into a collection bin.  A shut-off arm extends from the ice maker over the collection bin.  During each ice making cycle, the arm rises up and then drops back down after the new ice is dumped into the collection bin.  As ice accumulates in the bin, it prevents the arm from dropping back down.  When the arm is high enough, the ice maker shuts off and no more ice is made until the ice level in the bin drops.  The arm can be manually raised further to the indent position, in which the arm remains raised and the ice maker does not operate.

CLICK HERE to view diagram.

A person who would like to remove ice from the collection bin on Shabbos should raise the arm to the indent position before Shabbos.  If one did not do so, we would have to consider the position of the arm before deciding whether or not one can take ice on Shabbos.   

If the collection bin was filled with ice so that the arm was raised and the ice maker had shut off, then raising the arm to the indent position would not involve any melochoh and could be performed on Shabbos.  However, the arm should be considered to be muktza and should not be moved directly with one’s hand.¹ It should be raised through tiltul min hatzad, lifting it with another implement, for example placing a spoon under the arm to raise it with the spoon.² As mentioned, this can only be done if the ice maker had already shut off, which can be difficult to ascertain.

If the bin was not filled with ice and the ice maker had not shut off, then removing any ice will lower the arm, thereby causing the ice maker to stay on longer.  This will cause the heating coil to cycle on and off additional times during the course of Shabbos.  Rabbi Heinemann, shlit”a, is of the opinion that one should not do this on Shabbos.³ One possible solution would be to prop up the arm in such a way that it would not move when ice was removed from the bin.

However, in the above scenario, it is also possible that the ice maker would have continued to produce ice until the end of Shabbos, even if no ice had been removed.  In this case, removing any ice only causes the ice machine to stay on longer after Shabbos.  Therefore, removing the ice and further lowering the arm does not cause any greater melochoh to be performed on Shabbos.  If one knows for certain that this is the case, then it would be permissible to remove ice on Shabbos.⁴ The new ice that the ice machine would continue to make on Shabbos would not be muktza and could be used on Shabbos.⁵

The above is true for the ice maker described.  However, there are other ice makers which have different mechanisms, for example an electronic eye which determines the amount of ice in the collection tray.  Alternative mechanisms would, of course, have different rules for Shabbos usage.  Ensuring that the arm of an ice maker is in the indent position before Shabbos would avoid all these concerns.

Q: I recently purchased a new hot water heater which has an electronic ignition system.  Can I use hot water in my house on Yom Tov?

A: There are various types of hot water heaters.  In order to answer the question, we have to consider both tank and tankless hot water heaters.  In a tank heater, hot water is stored in a tank and some of that water exits the tank whenever the hot water faucet is opened.  The water which has left the tank is replaced with cold water.  When the thermostat in the tank registers the drop in temperature, the heating system begins to heat the water in the tank.  The heating system might have a standing pilot light, or it might use an electronic ignition.

A tank heater that has a pilot light can be used on Yom Tov.¹ In these heaters, the pilot light always stays on.  This pilot light in turn ignites another flame which heats the tank with the incoming water.  On Yom Tov, one is allowed to light a fire from a pre-existing flame in order to heat the water.² Therefore, this type of heater can be used for any Yom Tov need.³

A tank heater that uses electronic ignition can also be used on Yom Tov.    In this type of heater there is no continuous flame, and the electronic system ignites a new fire when needed.  Since one is forbidden to create fire on Yom Tov,⁴ one might assume that it would therefore be forbidden to open the faucet.  However, there are two reasons why one is in fact allowed to open the hot water faucet on Yom Tov.

First, the heater goes on intermittently in any case to ensure that the water in the tank stays hot.  Therefore, it may already be on when the faucet is opened.⁵ Second, even if the heater was not previously turned on, opening the faucet does not immediately activate the heater.  The thermostat will register the temperature drop only after new water enters and cools the existing water in the tank.  This, in turn, will cause the heater to start.  Therefore, opening the faucet will indirectly activate the ignition.⁶ For these reasons, it is permissible to use such a heater on Yom Tov.

However, there are some heaters which do not have a tank.  In these heaters, no hot water is stored.  Rather, opening the hot water faucet causes cold water to circulate through hot coils which heat the water as it travels to the faucet.  In such a system, there is no time delay and the heating system goes on as soon as the faucet is opened.  Once again, this system might have a standing pilot light or it might use electronic ignition. 

In the case of a tankless water heater with electronic ignition, as soon as one opens the hot water faucet a heating source is immediately ignited electronically.  For example, the manufacturers of the Paloma Tankless Water Heater write in their promotional literature, “When you turn on the tap in your bathroom, it’s as if you turned the key of your ignition system on your car.”   Since one cannot start a car on Yom Tov, Rabbi Heinemann, shlita, likewise feels that this type of heater cannot be used on Yom Tov. 

As stated above, a system with a pilot light can be used on Yom Tov.  Therefore, a tankless heater with a pilot light would be usable on Yom Tov.  However, some tankless water heaters with a pilot light also have a ventilation fan which switches on every time one opens the faucet.  Rabbi Heinemann feels that this type of heater cannot be used on Yom Tov. Possibly, a system could be devised whereby one could leave the fan on for Yom Tov, or one could arrange to have the fan go on and off at pre-set intermittent intervals.

Tankless water heaters are increasingly popular, as they are said to be more energy efficient.  Since people often do not know which type of heater they have, they should be aware of this issue.

From freezers to heaters and everything in between, halachic queries on all topics can be addressed to The Institute of Halacha at STAR-K. Phone: (410) 484-4110 Ext. 238