Does the icemaker have to be plugged in to freezer in order for solenoid to get water to it

the water solenoid valve for the water dispenser is separate from the icemaker water supply solenoid valve . get to the icemaker water supply solenoid and test it if it works alright . unplug the fridge from wall outlet do not close water supply valve. disconnect water tube connection on the water discharge side of the icemaker water supply solenoid valve . pull - out power supply connection of the solenoid coil . connect solenoid valve directly to wall outlet. a faint click should be audible and water should come out from where the tube was removed -- from the water supply discharge side. if no water is coming out with the solenoid plug in , then the solenoid is faulty. but if water comes while solenoid is powered -on , check the position of the icemaker lever. if it is on off position icemaker timer won't activate icemaker water supply valve..move icemaker lever to on and check for water pouring into the icemaker tray' if no water comes out . change the icemaker timer. thanks.

icemaker wont work in fridge. the buzzing sound might be the water solenoid operating and waiting for water level sensor to be happy. solenoid will make a loud harsh buzz check water supply to back of freezer and see if there is a lever on icemaker you can lift up to turn off.

Follow the water source line on the back of the refrigerator to the shutoffvalve on the water supply. Turn the shutoff valve counterclockwise to open itfully. Inspect the water source line for kinks. Straighten the line to removekinks.Confirm water flows to solenoid one end. And also check freezer door is closed as it will sense solenoid to open to water flow into ice maker. Sometimes, water flow might be plugged by frosting. Check freezer setting temp 5 degree. Thanks.

Before suspecting the solenoid water valve, check the inlet tube, where the water enters the freezer. Sometimes this tube gets blocked with ice. From the back of the refrig, you can disconnect the water line where it goes into the back wall of the freezer and you should be able to blow air through it. (having the freezer door open while attempting this will prevent any back pressure build up) If you can not blow through it, it is plugged with ice. Melt the ice with a hair blower from the inside of the freezer. Ice blockage can result from water seepage past the water valve (generally requires replacement of the solenoid water valve) or the fill tube extention may be too long, resulting in the tube touching the end of the fill cup on the icemaker, which results in a build up of ice and blockage in the fill tube. (this only requires cutting the fill tube a bit shorter, so it does not touch the end of the icemaker's fill cup)


If you were able to blow through the tube, you have either a bad solenoid water valve, or the icemaker is not giving it power (generally only 6 seconds of power near the end of the cycle) which would mean a new icemaker, as replacement icemaker parts are not available.

the water that enters the ice maker is controled by a thing called a solenoid valve (electricaly operated) the" water in door system" is a manual operated valve.. typicaly when the ejector rolls around to put the ice in the tray the solenoid opens lets water in then closes could be solenoid / wireing or controler
good luck

First check the temperature in the freezer to make sure it is 8 degrees Fahrenheit or lower. If the freezer is too warm, the ice maker won't cycle properly.

If the temperature is ok then the ice maker mold thermostat needs to be replaced. And yes you can replace just the thermostat.

cheek the condenser fan.if its opration is not correct.

I just resolved an issue with my kenmore elite side by side refrigerator icemaker (model 106).
It was expensive because I took the long road to fixing the unit myself.

My problem: No water going up to the freezer water dispenser into the icemaker but the water in front of the door working just fine.

-first thing i tried was the simplest. The Internet is clogged with this miracle fix of using a hair dryer to melt the frozen water line going to the dispenser output. This is highly unlikely for our model since the water line is protected within the refrigerator frame.

-2nd thing I replaced my water filter (thinking that there wasn't enough water pressure to trigger the solenoid valve. $40, and still no luck.

-3rd thing was I tested for voltage going to the solenoid. No voltage going to solenoid, so I wasted $30 for a new solenoid.....still no water.

-4th thing was I ordered a new IR sensor and receiver (since the reciever end is where the relay that sends the voltage to the solenoid to turn on and allow water to go up to the dispenser).
My IR sender and receiver appeared to be working flakey.
Installed, still no water. $58 BUCKS ON EBAY (EVERYWHERE ELSE $100+)

-I finally removed the freezer front little white door, I TURNED OFF THE FREEZER SWITCH SO NO VOLTAGE WAS PRESENT, removed the release latch underneath the freezer unit and disconnected, and removed the freezer unit to inspect it further.
When I removed the protective white cover that covers the mechanical wheel, I had a few parts come flying out of it. Turns out that the wheel accessories were damaged. THERE ARE NO REPAIRABLE PARTS ON THE FREEZER UNIT. I FOUND ONE ON EBAY FOR $39 BUCKS + $9 SHIPPING! $48 BUCKS, SWAPPED THE HARNESS AND BOTTOM COVER, AND IN 20 MINUTES, I WAS BACK IN BUSINESS. STARTED MAKING ICE IN ABOUT A HALF HOUR!!!!!

when in doubt, replace the freezer unit for $48 bucks! 7 out of 10 times it will fix your problems. All techs replace the IR set at the same time too which will set you back another $58 bucks.
Good luck! ;)

Yes, the short tube that goes from the back of the refrigerator to the icemaker can freeze up solid preventing any more water to pass thru. this is caused by a bad water valve that is slowly leaking water to the icemaker.

Is the icemaker arm in the up position, which is the off position, as simple as it sounds this may be the problem.

Sgt 48