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Posted on Nov 29, 2009
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Icemaker not making ice. Water supply is good, turned on icemaker; solenoid resistance is 338 Ohms. Can't blow through plastic water supply tube at back of refrigerator. Supply valve screen had some coppersulphate on supply side, but certainly not enough to block - maybe blockage inside box? Plastic supply tube is clear. What to do?

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  • Master 1,218 Answers
  • Posted on Nov 29, 2009
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Good day,
First, measuring the coil Resistance doesn't work. A valve can measure fine, but refuse to open.
First, shut the water off to the house at the meter. remove the line from the valve, put the line into a bucket, and have someone turn the water valve on full for a 15 second or so count. The water must come out and strongly.
Unlike an automatic washer, the ice maker is a time fill. 7 seconds period.
Second, it is not unusual for the file tube that runs from the back of the machine and into the back of the ice maker to ice up.
Common problem, and is caused by the water valve on the back rear of the machine to leak slowly on the off cycle. Water valve must be replaced with new.
Remove the ice maker to inspect that fill tube. If iced, thaw out.
Beware of hair dryers. Too much heat can cause serious problems if plastic and/or vinyl parts get melted.
I don't recommend heat. A pain, but unplug the machine for 12 hours with the freezer door open.

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2answers

I have a kenmore side by side mod 10657577790. icemaker appears to cycle but does not produce ice. i suspect water not filling tray. we lost water in the whole house for 24 hours and i think thats when the...

Hello;

My name is Peter. I am a retired field service refrigeration technician.

First, If your water dispenser is working, is the water flow strong?
If not, when you lost your water supply, the water supply valve may have become plugged.
You need a water supply of 65 PSI to fill the ice maker.

1.) Check the water pressure - With a measuring cup - run the water from your water dispenser. You should get 15 ounces of water in 8 seconds. If not then you have a plugged water supply valve.

2.) Ice maker frozen fill tube - At times the ice maker fill tube can freeze up. Inspect the fill tube and defrost with a hair dryer.

3.) Start Jump the ice maker - You will need a short piece of 16 gage wire or so, approximately 4" long, with 1.2" striped bare wire at each end.
a.) There is a plastic cover on the front of your ice maker. The cover just pops off. With a butter knife pop off the front cover.
You will see the Control Module.

25604602-imv3tze4snahc4os1l3biiwf-2-0.jpg b.) In the lower left hand corner, you will see two holes 'T' & 'H'.
While holding the freezer door switch in, insert the jumper into these holes. After 8 seconds remove the jumper still holding the light switch in.
Is there vibration?
Is the gap in the center of the gear broken?

You may have a burned out circuit or motor, or broken gearing.
25604602-imv3tze4snahc4os1l3biiwf-2-2.jpg This component is replaceable. You need to remove three face screws.
P/N: Substitution: W10190935 Cost: $110.00 (Sears)
A New Ice Maker P/N Part #: 4317943 Cost: $110.00.

Suggestion: Go into eBay, plug in the part number. You can get a new ice maker for $40.00.

4.) Bad ice maker solenoid valve. In the back lower right hand corner you have a dual solenoid valve. The smaller diameter tubing is your ice maker.

25604602-imv3tze4snahc4os1l3biiwf-2-5.jpg Substitution: 2188542 Cost: $67.00
Check the solenoid valve: Unplug the refrigerator. Disconnect the contacts on the green solenoid. Set you multi-meter to the lowest Ohms. You should get a reading across the two contacts of '0' if the solenoid is good.

0helpful
3answers

Kitchenaid Superba Ice Maker quit

If you add some water there, yourself. It should make some ice for you, untill the water runs out.

Try this
http://www.acmehowto.com/howto/appliance/icemaker/diagicemaker.php

tip

How to repair an ice-maker of a refrigerator

An icemaker receives water through a small, 1/4-inch water supply line that runs from the refrigerator to a water pipe, where it is connected by a tap valve. The water supply line enters a valve in the refrigerator that is controlled by an electric solenoid that sends water through a fill tube into a mechanized icemaker assembly. There, the water freezes and is dumped into an ice bin. When the bin is full, the ice lifts a bail wire that turns off the icemaker. If the water’s route is blocked or the solenoid doesn’t work—or if the bail wire is lifted—the icemaker won’t make ice. (Also note that your home’s water pressure must be strong enough to serve an icemaker.)
Here are a few steps you can take to get your icemaker working (be sure the bail wire above the ice tray is in the down position):
1) If the icemaker doesn’t make ice but you can see the arm swing into motion and you hear a buzz for about 10 seconds after it is finished, the water valve is asking for water that isn’t arriving. This means the valve and the solenoid are probably okay, but the water supply is not. Be sure the water supply line isn’t kinked behind or beneath the refrigerator (1/4-inch copper tubing is much better than plastic fill line).
2) Check to see if something has caused ice to back up around the mechanism—this can cause the fill tube to freeze, blocking the mechanism. When ice cubes are small and seem to be getting smaller, it generally indicates a frozen fill tube.
3) Check the water line that enters the back of the freezer for a blockage. Find the water shut-off valve behind the refrigerator or under the sink, turn it off, unscrew the copper line from the back of the refrigerator, put the copper line in a bucket, turn on the valve, and see if pressurized water pours out.
4) Check the tap valve; a bad tap valve may cause the problem where the icemaker’s supply tube connects to the water pipe. If necessary, replace the inlet valve and the tap valve. For the tap valve, use the type that requires you to drill a 1/4-inch hole (as opposed to the “self-piercing” type). You can do this yourself, or call a repairperson or plumber to install an inline water filter when replacing the valve.
5) The water line attaches to a solenoid at the back of the refrigerator and then travels to the icemaker. The solenoid may be defective or may not be receiving power. You can try removing the sediment screen inside the solenoid and flushing it with water to clean it, and at the same time you can inspect any seals or diaphragms to ensure that they are sound. Unplug the refrigerator first. Unless you’re skilled at home repairs, this job is better left in the hands of an appliance repairperson.
on Sep 02, 2010 • Refrigerators
0helpful
1answer

The ice maker isn't working

Hello there,
You should first try to see if water is getting into the ice maker that is to be used to make ice. That is controlled by the water inlet vale. Also check if the tube that passes water into the ice maker is not clogged with dirt.
You need to run a check on your water inlet valve and the defrost thermostat.
Your icemaker's water inlet valve could be filled with ice. If it is, simply thaw the its water tube with a hair dryer to remove the blockage. Be careful to not melt any plastic parts with the blow dryer. An icemaker's water inlet valve has a filtering screen to block minerals and other debris from entering into your ice cubes. It is possible that the water inlet valve's screen is blocked, and not allowing any water through to make ice. Clean out any built up debris you find. You should be able to pop the screen out of place with a screwdriver and then put it back in place with the screwdriver again once it is cleaned. Alternatively, the water inlet valve itself may have become defective. You will have to test it. If the test proves the valve is defective, replace it. .Before you begin to test your icemaker's water inlet valve, make sure you disconnect the appliance's power supply.
  1. Locate your icemaker's water inlet valve, it is typically located behind a refrigerator. Gently pull your refrigerator away from the wall. You may want to place scraps of carpet, of some other soft material below the fridge to prevent damage to the floor. Turn of the water valve's water supply by closing the shut-off valve in the waterline leading to the water valve. Remove the lower access panel on the back of the refrigerator using a screwdriver or a nut driver.
  2. Place a container under the valve to catch any water that may spill from the water valve and its fill tube. Remove the water valve's fill tubing. Loosen the flare nut on the brass fitting that is found on the inlet side of the water valve. You can use a wrench to loosen the flare nut.
  3. Your water inlet valve is held in place on your refrigerator by means of a metal bracket. Use a screwdriver or a nut driver to remove the screw that holds the water valve's bracket to the refrigerator cabinet. Gently pull the water valve out of the cabinet, and remove the tube from the outlet port.
  4. There are two wires connecting to the terminals of your water inlet valve. If yours is a double solenoid water valve, it will have four wires. Be sure to label each wire so that you know where to reconnect them later. Firmly grasp the metal connector of the wires in order to remove the wires. You may need to use a pair of needle-nosed pliers. Do not pull on the wires themselves.
  5. Set your multi-tester to the R X 1 ohms setting to test for continuity. Place each of the multi-tester's leads on a terminal. Your multi-tester should display a reading between 200 and 500 ohms. Closely examine your water inlet valve. The exact ohm resistance rating you should test for may be marked on the valve.
If the test you conduct with your icemaker water inlet valve does not produce these results, then you should replace the component.
To test you defrost thermostat http://www.fixya.com/support/r10513592-test_defrost_thermostat To replace it: http://www.fixya.com/support/r10513650-replace_defrost_thermostat
If both have been tested and you found out the problem is not from either of them, then i will advice you replace the ice maker mechanism.

Hope this helped. All the best Elect_Comp
0helpful
1answer

The ice maker does no work

Hello,

Unplug the refrigerator.
Remove the icemaker's front cover by unscrewing or prying it off as needed (refer to the owner's manual for specifics).
Remove the ice bin, shelves, and vertical partition.
Remove remaining screws, disconnect the icemaker wires from the harness connector or socket, and remove the unit from the freezer.
Remove the back access panel (see Fixing a Refrigerator) and any fasteners that hold the inlet valve to the refrigerator.
Service the water inlet valve:

Turn off the water supply at the saddle valve on the pipe.
Disconnect the inlet valve from the refrigerator (see above).
Unscrew the tubes from the valve, letting excess water drain into a bowl.
Unplug the wires from the valve.
Use a multimeter on RX10 (resistance times 10) to probe both terminals on the valve solenoid. An infinite reading means the valve solenoid is bad; a reading of 1,000 ohms or less means it is probably good.
Remove the plate and filter screen from the water inlet. Wash a clogged screen with a toothbrush under running water. Replace the screen if it is rusted or damaged.

Hope this helpout, Good luck

0helpful
1answer

Replace ice maker still not making ice, it still dispenses water

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.
0helpful
1answer

The ice maker stopped working what could be wrong

Here are a few steps you can take to get your icemaker working (be sure the bail wire above the ice tray is in the down position):

1) If the icemaker doesn't make ice but you can see the arm swing into motion and you hear a buzz for about 10 seconds after it is finished, the water valve is asking for water that isn't arriving. This means the valve and the solenoid are probably okay, but the water supply is not. Be sure the water supply line isn't kinked behind or beneath the refrigerator (1/4-inch copper tubing is much better than plastic fill line).

2) Check to see if something has caused ice to back up around the mechanism—this can cause the fill tube to freeze, blocking the mechanism. When ice cubes are small and seem to be getting smaller, it generally indicates a frozen fill tube.

3) Check the water line that enters the back of the freezer for a blockage. Find the water shut-off valve behind the refrigerator or under the sink, turn it off, unscrew the copper line from the back of the refrigerator, put the copper line in a bucket, turn on the valve, and see if pressurized water pours out.

4) Check the tap valve; a bad tap valve may cause the problem where the icemaker's supply tube connects to the water pipe. If necessary, replace the inlet valve and the tap valve. For the tap valve, use the type that requires you to drill a 1/4-inch hole (as opposed to the "self-piercing" type). You can do this yourself, or call a repairperson or plumber to install an inline water filter when replacing the valve.

NOTE: The water line attaches to a solenoid at the back of the refrigerator, and then travels to the icemaker. The solenoid may be defective or may not be receiving power. You can try removing the sediment screen inside the solenoid and flushing it with water to clean it; be sure to inspect any seals or diaphrams. Unplug the refrigerator first.
0helpful
1answer

Not making ice; ice appears to be stuck in maker

Hello,

If I got the issue correct your whirlpool refrigerator is not making ice. I would request you to please do the following steps to resolve the issue.

Disassemble an icemaker:
  1. Unplug the refrigerator.
  2. Remove the icemaker's front cover by unscrewing or prying it off as needed (refer to the owner's manual for specifics).
  3. Remove the ice bin, shelves, and vertical partition.
  4. Remove remaining screws, disconnect the icemaker wires from the harness connector or socket, and remove the unit from the freezer.
  5. Remove the back access panel (see Fixing a Refrigerator) and any fasteners that hold the inlet valve to the refrigerator.
Service the water inlet valve:
  1. Turn off the water supply at the saddle valve on the pipe.
  2. Disconnect the inlet valve from the refrigerator (see above).
  3. Unscrew the tubes from the valve, letting excess water drain into a bowl.
  4. Unplug the wires from the valve.
  5. Use a multimeter on RX10 (resistance times 10) to probe both terminals on the valve solenoid. An infinite reading means the valve solenoid is bad; a reading of 1,000 ohms or less means it is probably good.
  6. Remove the plate and filter screen from the water inlet. Wash a clogged screen with a toothbrush under running water. Replace the screen if it is rusted or damaged.
Hope this would resolve the issue:

God Bless.

0helpful
1answer

The ice maker is not working. No water is running to it.

Hello,

If I got the issue correct the ice maker is not working and no water runs into the ice maker. Please try the following steps so that the issue could be resolved.

Disassemble an icemaker:
  1. Unplug the refrigerator.
  2. Remove the icemaker's front cover by unscrewing or prying it off as needed (refer to the owner's manual for specifics).
  3. Remove the ice bin, shelves, and vertical partition.
  4. Remove remaining screws, disconnect the icemaker wires from the harness connector or socket, and remove the unit from the freezer.
  5. Remove the back access panel (see Fixing a Refrigerator) and any fasteners that hold the inlet valve to the refrigerator.
Service the water inlet valve:
  1. Turn off the water supply at the saddle valve on the pipe.
  2. Disconnect the inlet valve from the refrigerator (see above).
  3. Unscrew the tubes from the valve, letting excess water drain into a bowl.
  4. Unplug the wires from the valve.
  5. Use a multimeter on RX10 (resistance times 10) to probe both terminals on the valve solenoid. An infinite reading means the valve solenoid is bad; a reading of 1,000 ohms or less means it is probably good.
  6. Remove the plate and filter screen from the water inlet. Wash a clogged screen with a toothbrush under running water. Replace the screen if it is rusted or damaged.
Hope this resolution would fix the issue.

God Bless

0helpful
1answer

I have a kenmore 106.52603100 side by side refridgerator. A few days ago we found water in front of the unit on the floor, it appeared to have come from the ice maker and it is now not working, no water is...

First thing to check is if the water inlet tube is blocked with ice or not. Often this is the case and people have their icemakers replaced with no luck. It the tube is not frozen with ice, then check the arm that turns your icemaker on and off. this should be in the down position. There may be a reset button on the front of the icemaker.
There is one solenoid that control water to the icemaker and a different one that supplies water to the dispenser. Often the Ice solenoid will quit. If you are good with an electronics meter, you can test the resistance across each solenoid....they should each measure the same. If one reads open or much less then the water supply valve is bad.
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