Copied from the Plumbing Section:
My ice maker stopped working. I found the water line (upper right) tube was frozen. I wrapped a hot towel around it for 10 minutes and that worked. Now I can hear water filling the ice maker (I think), but still no ice - after 10 hours...
If I need to pull the ice maker - what's the best way. I assume I'll need to shut off the water line first. Pretty easy job?
Any other ideas?
Amana side-by-side (about 5/6 years old)

Update: Haven't heard any water 'filling' the ice maker in the last 12 hours. The ice maker is still running (teeth and metal bar are rotating). The rubber water line still appears unfrozen/unclogged.

Excellent post! Love the picture! This failure has nothing to do with the ice maker itself. Chances are, the "rubber water line" (fill tube) is still frozen. The tube in this unit is quite long, half of which is inaccessible unless it's removed. I usually use a steamer to thaw the ice in the tube, or you could use a hair dryer. You can pull out the rubber and aluminum extension tubes (fill tube consists of 3 tubes) from the inside and clean out in the sink, but the remaining tube must be removed from the backside of the refrig. Once the tube is reassembled, there are 2 possibilities for this failure. First, if the waterline that brings water to the refrig is connected to the house plumbing with a self-pierce saddle valve, that needs to be replaced with a drill out valve or a stop. Self-pierce valves should never be used for ice makers because they don't allow enough volume for the water valve to close and seal properly. Eventually, every SPV will fail, which begs why they ever get used in the first place. The normal procedure is to replace the saddle valve, clear the fill tube of ice, and let the unit work. If the tube freezes again, then the water valve on the back of the unit needs to be replaced. If you have questions on how to identify a self-pierce valve, you could post a question back on the plumbing page. If you don't have this type of saddle valve, then just thaw the tube and replace the water valve on the refrig. If you get me the model number and manufacturing number off the data plate on the ceiling in the refrig, I can get you a part number for the valve. You should raise the bail arm on the ice maker to stop it until you're ready for it to run, since it can lead to floor damage.

I'll try the 'hair dryer test' to see if the line is frozen - deeper in. Here are a couple more pictures 1) water line tapped from the basement 2) water line into the fridge 3) serial information...

You won't have to worry about the valve downstairs. That's a stop, and the fact you have one is great. I just found out that your refrigerator has filtered water. How long has it been since you changed the filter? If the filter has restricted itself internally, that can cause the whole thing. If you just changed it, or you have it bypassed, then it is definitely a water valve issue. Most refrigerators only have 1 valve, but due to the filtered water, yours has two. It could be either valve not sealing properly, but I would start with the primary one (the one the waterline attaches to). That part number is R0000242. The part number for the secondary valve, should you need it is 12544101. You can get both new and end this cherade or do them one at a time, giving a week or two between to see if it freezes again.

Ran the Hair dryer and got the ice maker working again. Short term solution. Water filter was changed out about 2 months ago - done every 6-8 months. Can this be related to the fact we have VERY slow drinking water pressure? It's been like that for years.

What do you mean by "drinking water pressure"? Are you referring to the pressure throughout your house, or something else?

I meant the drinking water from the fridge. It's always been low.

Well, the filter will slow it down some, but that's about it. All of the tubing in the refrig is a minimum of 1/4 od tubing. Which, obviously, is the same size as the incoming line. I see the splice between the 3/8 and 1/4 lines after the shutoff. Is it possible the solder may have partially restriced the joint? Anything that reduces the volume that the tubing can carry can and will cause frozen fill tubes and low water volume out the door. As a reference, you could bypass the filter with the bypass plug and then run water out the door to see how much you get then. The water filter should slow it down between 25 to 40% (I would guess).

Quote:

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Originally Posted by jp1216

I meant the drinking water from the fridge. It's always been low.

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Well, it depends what your definition of "low pressure" is. I mean, you can't exactly expect kitchen-sink-style pressure from a little 1/8" copper pipe, can you?

Try this test: take a container of a given size - say, a pint or a quart - and use a stopwatch to test how long it takes to fill the container. Then post back here with the container size and the time it took, and we'll do the calculations.

Cheers,
Moishe

What calculations would those be?

I guess once your reach Page 2 - It auto copies the first post...
My test shows 32 seconds for one pint. It gets slower as the filter ages.

I'm unaware of the calculations that PalmMP3 is referring to. I know different manufacturers use different flow washers in their water valves, so I would think that information would be necessary for any calculations, but I haven't ever seen any information like that in any technical manuals to date. I would agree that water volume would decrease as filter life is exhausted, but the rate of decrease would depend on what is in your water and how frequently you use the ice and water features. I would say that 32 seconds to fill 2 cups of water does seem quite slow. Amana has made some changes to the valves in recent years, so you will probably see some improvement in dispenser volume after you replace the valves.

Well, the ice maker appears to be working fine now. Should I leave it alone? Also, where can I pick up a water filter bypass? I think we prefer it better off the tap...

You certainly can leave it for a while if you want. That won't break anything later anyway. I would certainly leave it for a while after you bypass the filter. If you can't find the bypass that came with it, you can have one ordered for you from a local servicer, or by calling the Amana customer service number (found on the data tag) and asking for part number R0000009. Unfortunately, this part will probably cost you around $40.00, because the bypass only comes as an assembly with a new filter head. You can just take the bypass off and put it on the head assembly in your refrig. It's not intended to happen this way, they intended for people who need a new filter head to get a new bypass. It is possible that they have created a part number for just the bypass, but you would have to get it from the customer service people. Good luck, and let me know if you have any more questions.

Hi,
My Maytag icemaker did the same thing. The blow dryer was a temp fix, but I eventually had to replace a part called the saddle valve. ( It was 5 or 6 years old when it happened also). If the icemaker worked fine in previous years at the same location, it's probably not water pressure.
Good Luck,
-Kae

jp1216 already posted a picture of his waterline connection, and we have already cleared it as the culprit. I'd like to put it in writing for all to see, that this isn't a Maytag condition, it's an ice maker condition. This can (and eventually will) happen to everyone with a self-pierce saddle valve, regardless of the brand or age of refrigerator. The style of valve that should connect all waterlines is pictured on page 1 of this thread, but not necessarily always the solution. Many times, I must continue past the saddle valve to resolve the situation, even after the SPV has been there for over 10 years. These are non-testable components, so I usually start with the cheapest and go from there. Cheers.

Ouch, did I offend you in some kind of way applguy? Just stating what happened in my situation.

In addition, I would like to rephrase the last sentence in my first post.
It was brought to my attention via PM that even though the amount of water pressure coming into my ice maker was not my problem, it however does not rule out the possibilities that water pressure could be the culprit for other malfunctioning ice makers.
-Kae