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    vonal's Avatar
    vonal Posts: 3, Reputation: 1
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    #221

    Nov 26, 2010, 11:26 AM
    Quote Originally Posted by vonal View Post
    My water Dispenser was not working but the ice was fine. I tried the hersey bottle and tubing to defrost the ice blockage but on my model there is a little plastic piece inside and it would not fit. So I just defrosted it. The weed cutter line worked but was a pain, every two hours it would freeze up and I was pulling that darn string. I defrosted it one more time then did this below.

    I went to OSH got a sheet of insulation pad (the foil type that helps keep pipes from freezing up in the winter.)
    Cut it into two 10"x 10" sheets, then put some heavy duty velcro inside the now dry back part of the freezer. Joined the two sheets up with more velcro and stuck it on back side of the freezer door. IT WORKED!!!! four days now no freeze up. I am a little scared to pull the weed line out, but will do so in a couple more days.
    Its been close to 3 years now and no freeze up.. The original insulation pad with velcro is still working. If you defrost and apply when dry.
    This works.. 100%
    MFEIII's Avatar
    MFEIII Posts: 2, Reputation: 1
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    #222

    Dec 7, 2010, 06:33 PM
    To unfreeze the water dispenser line, I rigged up this contraption. Unfroze the line with the freezer door closed in less than 60 seconds and cost me $3.00.

    To make it, you will need:
    - Thin clear plastic tubing (I bought mine in Home Depot for $3 – it is Power Care Fuel Line 3/32” I.D. by 3/16” O.D. by 2 feet long, and is by the lawn mower & string trimmer accessories section in the store).
    - A clean, empty Hershey's Chocolate syrup squeeze bottle
    - Some electrical tape

    Take the flip cap off the Hershey's bottle, and feed one end of the plastic tubing through the opening in the flip cap on the Hershey's bottle, in the direction heading out of the bottle. It will be a little bit loose fit, so wrap 3-4 turns of electrical tape around the other end of the plastic tubing and pull it into the opening on the underside of the flip cap on the Hershey's bottle, should be snug and leak-proof now.
    (You could also use a Heinz ketchup bottle 32 oz – the new one that stands up on the cap – it is a perfect fit for the plastic tubing, no need to tape it up)

    Now, fill the Hershey's bottle with hot water, put the cap on, and insert the end of the plastic tubing into the water dispenser outlet on the front of the fridge, keep inserting until it hits the ice plug. On my fridge the ice plug was about 4 inches inside the dispenser tube. Squeeze the bottle gently, and keep a cup or small pot under the water dispenser to catch the drips. Push the plastic tubing further in every 5 seconds or so, and before you know if the ice in the dispenser line is gone. Start to finish for my fridge was about 40 seconds.

    Then run the water dispenser for a few minutes to flush it out.

    That was the good news. The bad news is the line froze up again in 5 hours, so I did this again and put the trimmer line is as advised above!

    Is it worth complaining to GE about this? I am going to anyway, but will they do anything to fix the icing problem without charge?

    Thanks,
    Mike
    I followed this approach and it worked great. I might clarify that the Power Care Fuel Line is in the lawn mower section of Home Depot, where the trimmer wire is for a permanent approach.
    One twist I did on Mike's.. . Rather than emptying out a perfectly good bottle of Hershey's syrup, I drilled a 3/16" hole in the cap of a water bottle and fed the line thu the cap. Water tight and worked beautifully.
    Love these clever fixes!
    Matt
    bustedfrige's Avatar
    bustedfrige Posts: 15, Reputation: 1
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    #223

    Dec 14, 2010, 05:21 AM
    This is a common problem with GE refrigerators. My waterline froze as well so I purchased the $30 part and fixed it in 15 minutes. I noticed a lot of people having the same issue so I detailed the symptoms, part and fix on by blog. Read about it here.
    Handee's Avatar
    Handee Posts: 10, Reputation: 1
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    #224

    Dec 15, 2010, 12:19 AM
    Quote Originally Posted by bustedfrige View Post
    This is a common problem with GE refrigerators. My waterline froze as well so I purchased the $30 part and fixed it in 15 minutes. I noticed a lot of people having the same issue so I detailed the symptoms, part and fix on by blog. Read about it here.
    Thanks for making this simple for everybody! I put my heater in about 16 months ago and it has not failed yet!
    For anyone else who is reading this thread:
    Take the time to read back through this thread and you will see that if you have a GE fridge with this "no water" symptom, chances are ALMOST 100% (yes, almost everytime) that your line is freezing in the door! Testing, (with the door CLOSED!) by disconnecting the coupling under the door will quickly confirm it. It seems that people would rather invent new ways to correct this problem than use the fix that is available! I can't understand why they don't want their fridge to work correctly without a MacGyver type fix! Wouldn't they want to not have to insulate the door, build hot water intravenous bottles, be sticking wire up the tube or keeping a hair dryer handy? Since I did mine, I have assisted or worked with 6 friends and relatives to install this heater and not only has it worked every time, but only one person has given in and paid for it! When you call GE, you have to be forceful and sound knowledgeable about the problem and after they "disavow any knowledge of the problem", they will finally give in and send it to you for free! (or in my case, a tech showed up at my door and left it with me to install) Everyone I've spoken to who has installed this "heater fix" and doesn't sock the freezer setting up past 5 or 6, has had a temperature of 0 to -5 degrees in the freezer and NO water problem. I've also put my Amprobe on the wires and have NO discernable current reading! If there actually is a teeny more current being used, it's worth it!
    If I've sparked your interest, you can also page back through this thread and find step by step instructions on diagnosing and fixing the problem. Plus, if you have to pay for the heater, the part has now come down in price quite a bit. If you have to install it yourself, read the instructions CAREFULLY and you can do it!
    Good luck everybody!
    jannys's Avatar
    jannys Posts: 3, Reputation: 1
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    #225

    Dec 21, 2010, 01:37 PM
    I had the same problem (line freeze) and after reading all of the above, emptied my freezer, turned it off, then used a hair dryer quickly, turned off the freezer, and it worked again. BUT... A FEW HRS LATER AFTER EVERYTHING WAS BACK, I WENT TO GET WATER AND WHEN I TOOK MY GLASS OUT, THE WATER WOULD NOT TURN OFF!!
    ANYONE EXPERIENCE THIS?? ANY HINTS?
    gderem's Avatar
    gderem Posts: 1, Reputation: 1
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    #226

    Dec 29, 2010, 10:12 AM
    I had the issue most of you here have posted about. Several days ago the water dispenser just quit working. I went to the store and got a new water filter, but didn't fix it. I googled my model number and found this page. I tried the hair dryer trick. I did it on low, but my wife's hair dryer doesn't have a low heat option just low flow.

    Fixed the water part, but now I have 2 new issues. The Ice dispenser flap which used to work just fine now doesn't open or shut very well, sometimes it opens just a touch but that's it. Second issue is that for ice or water it only works if I push in at the top just under the water tube REALLY HARD. That's the only way to engage it now. Used to work pretty well. Not sure how a little heat for a few minutes could break it but something happened. So be careful if you try the hair dryer trick.
    jannys's Avatar
    jannys Posts: 3, Reputation: 1
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    #227

    Dec 29, 2010, 02:51 PM
    [quote=jannys;2639978]i had the same problem (line freeze) and after reading all of the above, emptied my freezer, turned it off, then used a hair dryer quickly, turned off the freezer, and it worked again. But... a few hrs later after everything was back, i went to get water and when i took my glass out, the water would not turn off!!
    Problem solved: because i changed the water filter a day or so before that, you must run 2-3 quarts of water through the dispenser before the water will finally stop flowing. The technician told me that after i talked to him again. They should tell you "because there is now air in the lines, when you change your water filter, you will have a problem with water shut off until you run a lot of water through. - i just kep a large jug there and it gradually would stop then start, and finally stop when the dispenser wasn't pushed in.
    jannys's Avatar
    jannys Posts: 3, Reputation: 1
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    #228

    Dec 29, 2010, 02:54 PM
    Quote Originally Posted by sboku View Post
    I have a GE side-by-side refridgerator with a ice maker and water dispenser. In the last 3-4 months the water dispenser shuts off intermittently, but comes back to life on its own. I have changed the water filter as well as cleaned the water line, but haven't been able to identify the problem. The ice maker works fine.
    Any thoughts?
    Thanks
    Did you run 2-3 quarts of water through your water dispenser, as my technician told me you have to do when you change the filter? This worked for me when I had continuous water flow and it wouldn't turn off.
    shrage1's Avatar
    shrage1 Posts: 1, Reputation: 1
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    #229

    Jan 2, 2011, 01:33 PM
    This is very simple to fix. Just take a hairdryer near the door and it will defrost. The problem is likely in the door. Just take a hairblower behind where the water comes out for 5 minutes and you should be able to able to defrost it.
    ESS79's Avatar
    ESS79 Posts: 1, Reputation: 1
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    #230

    Jan 3, 2011, 08:18 AM
    Just wanted to thank everyone for all the information here.

    I called GE this morning and, after being transferred to Consumer Relations (1-800-386-1215) and explaining the problem, the very nice CSR told me they are going to send the part to me. I didn't have to complain or threaten them with anything. I wonder if that means they have finally given in to the fact that this information is out there and they have little choice in the matter.

    That said my water still isn't flowing. I don't know if the water heater kit is going to fix the problem or just prevent it from happening again. I don't want to take the hair drier to it after reading some of the mishaps above. Maybe I'll go the tube + hot water + squirt bottle route.

    Thanks again, all!

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