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View Full Version : Kenmore side-by-side fridge/freezer ice maker


cmomm83
Jan 12, 2009, 08:34 PM
15 yr old side-by-side fridge/freezer ice machine quit----have water to door but none in ice maker mold---wire is down---no noises/no nothing---old man on fixed income wants to save a $ if possible---what to check nefore the repair service is called?--thanks

Flying Blue Eagle
Jan 13, 2009, 09:08 PM
Cmomm83 - Check in the back of the ice maker where the water filler tube is < LOOK for ice frozen around the tube < IF there is - take a hair dryer and melt it away,MOVEING THE HAIR DRYER IN A SWINGING MOTION< NOT IN A STILL POSITION :: IF this don't help then it more then likely is the water valve on the back bottom THATY IS INOPPERTIVE AND WILL HAVE TO BE REPLACED ; I have found this more then I can count :: Good luck and I hope the hair dryer works first: Good day and GOD BLESS :: F.B.E.

jmulla
Jan 16, 2009, 10:17 PM
Hi:

I have the same problem with a Sub-Zero 510, freezer on bottom, icemaker in freezer. I took the icemaker apart and sure enough the inlet tube had ice in it. I melted it with a hairdryer as suggested and put everything back together.

The icemaker made two trays of ice and then quit again. Now I just hear the water inlet valve "humming" when it is trying to send water to the icemaker.

So today, (line is now frozen), I pulled out the water inlet valve. Confirmed that water supply going in is good. I pulled the plastic line that goes to the icemaker and waited. When the valve came on, water flowed nicely from the output port (although it only flowed for about 5 seconds - is that enough to fill the tray? Or did it quick sooner than normal because nothing was coming into the tray?) When the valve shut off, I didn't notice any dripping.

Do you think the valve is still bad? I guess it doesn't take much of a drip to keep water entering the line in the freezer and eventually freezing up.

Flying Blue Eagle
Jan 17, 2009, 04:54 PM
COMOMM83 - Most of the time when this was the cause ,I found that there was a kink,twist,or the line was being compressed by a clamp or something, or the water pressure was very low and just barly running in so slow it froze at the inlet tube the last thing I weould find that the water inlet valve was weak and would do the same thing ,water just would so slow it frioze before it got out of the tube :: Check the tubing out
And you may have to change the water inlet valve OH 1 OTHER thing That I found as the cause once;; IT had been just cold enough to just barly freeze the water in the line running under the house ,NOT fully froze ,just enough to cause the water to just barly move in the line:: I hope this helps the both of you ,Good luck and GOD BLESS;; F.B.E.

jmulla
Jan 17, 2009, 06:33 PM
FBE:

Thanks for all the GREAT suggestions. I will be replacing the valve in a few days and then thawing out the line again. I don't think the line outside the freezer is frozen because I have a full basement under the fridge and it is warm living temp, not a crawl space. Kink in the line would be difficult, since the fridge is built in and HUGE. But I will jiggle the line when I install the valve just to be sure. Another thing that someone suggested it to make sure that the spot of the feed line into the icemaker has a proper bend downwards. I guess you want it to drain after the valve closes, right?

More later... hopefully good news!