The icemaker's valve is easy to inspect and test. First, gently pull the refrigerator away from the wall, and unplug it. Turn off the water supply to the icemaker by closing the shut-off valve in the copper waterline leading to the valve (
Fig. 1). Use a screwdriver or nutdriver to remove the rear lower access panel from the refrigerator's back.
Next, remove the fill tubing from the water valve. Use a wrench to loosen the flare nut on the brass fitting on the inlet side of the valve (above). Place a container under the valve to catch the small amount of water that will spill from the valve and tubing.
Now use a screwdriver or a nutdriver to remove the screw holding the valve's mounting bracket to the refrigerator cabinet (
Fig. 2). Pull the valve out of the compartment and remove the tube on the valve's outlet. Then, remove the solenoid's electrical contacts (
Fig. 3).
To test the solenoid valve, use a multimeter (also called a volt-ohm meter). Set the meter to the RX-100 scale. Touch the probes to each terminal on the solenoid coil (
Fig. 4). The meter should read in the range of 200 to 500 ohms.
If the meter needle does not move, the coil is bad. You may be able to purchase the coil separately from the valve. If not, you will need to replace the entire valve. An icemaker valve costs about $30 to $50 from the manufacturer or an
appliance parts distributor.
If the coil tests okay, the inlet filter is probably clogged. To clean the filter, first remove the large brass nut on the inlet side of the valve. Then gently pry the screen out with a small screwdriver. Clean the screen using an old toothbrush (
Fig. 5). Rinse the filter clean, reassemble the valve and install it.
Before installing the back panel on the refrigerator cabinet, test run the icemaker. Look for leaks, and tighten any leaky connections. If necessary, use Teflon tape or a similar product to ensure tight connections. Discard the first ice cubes that are produced because they are likely to have sediment in them.
To test the solenoid valve, use a multimeter (also called a volt-ohm meter). Set the meter to the RX-100 scale. Touch the probes to each terminal on the solenoid coil (
Fig. 4). The meter should read in the range of 200 to 500 ohms.
If the meter needle does not move, the coil is bad. You may be able to purchase the coil separately from the valve. If not, you will need to replace the entire valve. An icemaker valve costs about $30 to $50 from the manufacturer or an
appliance parts distributor.
If the coil tests okay, the inlet filter is probably clogged. To clean the filter, first remove the large brass nut on the inlet side of the valve. Then gently pry the screen out with a small screwdriver. Clean the screen using an old toothbrush (
Fig. 5). Rinse the filter clean, reassemble the valve and install it.