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View Full Version : Kenmore fridge model970 ice maker not making ice


bill49
Jun 9, 2012, 09:26 AM
3 year old kenmore fridge model 970, icemaker in freezer just stopped working,
Water getting to fridge but not to icemaker
Bill

drtom4444
Jun 10, 2012, 08:54 AM
The first thing you want to do is to clean the coils under the unit so it can cool down to the temp necessary to make ice (and keep from burning up compressor). Remove front kick plate and pull out drain pan to clean it, then pull unit out from wall and unplug it. Remove the rear cover and you should be able to see the condenser coils and fan. Spray the fan blades and the coils down with a good de-greasing cleaner like Simple Green, 409, or something similar. Wash off with sprayer on water hose with light spray and vacuum up with wet-vac. It may seem extreme, but it's the best way because just vacuuming will not remove greasy dirt that has built up for three years. I have done it that way for 35 years and it works very well. Replace the rear cover and drain pan before plugging back in because the rear cover affects the way air is routed over the condenser. Make sure the rear cover is clean, especially if it has vent holes for air. Put a thermometer in freezer and wait for 24 hours and see if it makes ice. If it does not, write back and I will walk you through any other steps you may need to take, but this will most likely cure your problem because the icemaker must get below 0 degrees to initiate the harvest cycle. Once the button thermostat starts the cycle a heater comes on on the bottom of the icemaker tray to release the ice and a cam trips a micro-switch to bring in water and it waits to start another cycle. If the freezer is not quite cold enough due to dirt it will never harvest and the compressor will then burn up. Here are some manuals that may help: https://dl.dropbox.com/u/8010163/Whirlpool%20Refrigerators.zip
Whirlpool makes most of the Kenmore refrigerators.