1. Home
  2. Home Repair
  3. Icemaker not working - tried everything

Icemaker not working - tried everything

We have a Sears side by side Fridge/Freezer, the model with the water/ice dispenser in the door. Suddenly, the ice maker has completely stopped. I'm stumped, after trying the following:

  1. First thought it might be a faulty water valve... it is the dual kind for supplying water to both the icemaker and the door. I unplugged both leads to the water valves, and then jumped the door harness to the valve for the icemaker. Pressed the in-the-door water button, and water flowed freely out the fridge Icemaker tube. Assume this to mean the valve is working, and the water line is not frozen.

  1. Just to be sure the water line was not frozen, unplugged the fridge for several hours, and let it thaw out. Manually verified I could blow air thru the line.

  2. Thought maybe the fridge was not cold enough... plugged in, turned up the freezer dial, and waited a day. Although I have not tested the temp, everything inside is very cold, ice cream is very hard, etc. Seems crispy cold enough.

  1. Next thought was a faulty Icemaker module. It is the newer kind with the test probe holes. I tested out holes L and N, and verified I am getting 110v to the unit. Based on other Google research, I jumpered holes T and H to attempt to initiate a harvest cycle, but nothing happens at all. The unit does not move, or even make a sound. I made sure the Icemaker switch (on the side of the freezer) was in the ON position, and that the little Icemaker door sensor (I/M does not have a bail wire) was closed. This led me to think it was a faulty module.

  2. Ran to the Sears parts house, .99 later,installed a new module. Have waited an hour, and the ice maker still has not moved,,, the rake arms stay in the 2pm resting position.

As this point I'm frazzled, and am out of ideas. Anyone else have any ideas on what the problem could be, or what tests I might try. Any thoughts or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks, and Merry Christmas to everyone.

Reply to
Kevin Potter
Loading thread data ...

I know you said that you let the line thaw, but how did you verify it? My Kenmore side-by-side froze up just beneath the freezer door where the waterline enters the freezer. I swear, it took me over an hour with a blow drier to thaw it out. Several hours at room temperature, like you said, probably wouldn't do it.

Reply to
C.J.

I know you dont want to hear this but did you check to make sure the bar is down to tell it to make ice?

Reply to
Whiskywolf

This is Turtle.

i have learned one thing about ice maker in refrigerators and that is Don't work on them. When you have trouble out of them and you determine that the valve is good. replace the whole ice maker and be done with it. I'm taking it that this module that you speak of is the relay board for it and not the whole ice maker. I have worked on them for many a year with a big S and just came to this replacing them is the last 20 years.

Now ice makers are designed to operate about 3 to 5 years and then replace it. They have now all plastic gears and rubber bearings and they just don't hold up like steel or metal of the old days.

Now here is what i think here. You have a stuck freeze terminator / Cycle temperature start button or a stuck plastic gear chipped and makes it jam. Either one of these makes it hard to fix with hope to be operating good 1 years from now.

TURTLE

Reply to
TURTLE

i dont have a sears, but a whirlpool, side by side.. there is an electric eye that might be getting blocked by moisture or frozen ice that is blocking it( the path of the eye might be blocked... this is what happens when you have a full amount of ice in the thing so it stops making ice so it will not overfill.....

Reply to
jim

I had a moment like this. Changed an ice maker in a nice huge, home. Really smelled of money there. I got a call from the wife th enext day, she hardly speaks English. Nice gal.

I went back out adn find she "lifted the wire to tell it to make ice". I spent some time vacuuming coils, and it dumped the first batch of ice while I was there.

Reply to
alt-hvac Moderated

Give the new icemaker at least overnight. And discard the first several batches of ice cubes -- they often taste like plastic.

Like the other guy said, the wire has to be "down".

Reply to
alt-hvac Moderated

Meaning, you robbed em blind.. This has no relavance to your answer Chris.

and like the honest guy you are, you didnt charge a thing did you? If you did, you are a crook.

Reply to
CBhvac

Read the OP - 'bail' = 'bar'

Reply to
PhotoMan

This is Turtle.

Kind of Like the old gal did you ?

Stormy you should have checked the box out before putting the ice maker in it and not find it clogged up after you come back , well unless you kind a liked the gal. That smell of money will get a fellow everytime.

TURTLE

Reply to
TURTLE

Hi,

"The" model??...there are more thna one, model#?

formatting link

Stopped dead with no movement, noises anything? Or still going through the mostions but not filling?

Icemaker mines often freeze in the fill spout or freezer area.

formatting link

It should get below 15ºF in the freezer to cycle the icemaker to operate.

Or no power to the unit, blown thermal fuse, loose/broken wire, bad thermostat ( inside the icemaker ).

formatting link

Happy holiday to you too!! :)

jeff.

Appliance Repair Aid

formatting link

Reply to
jeff

I did look under the fridge when I came out to look at the ice maker. The coils were lightly dusty, but not enough to make it run warm. The ice maker was broken for some reason (it was most of a year ago).

When she called back, the only thing I could think was maybe it was running a bit warm, account of the dust. I went back figuring that was the only thing that coulda gone wrong, dusty coils.

Surprise -- the wire was up. I had the time to work, while I was waiting for ice. So, I decided to use the time to vacuum it out.

Reply to
alt-hvac Moderated

Thanks to everyone who answered. It appears the problem has been fixed. After installing the new control module, and waiting overnight, the Icemaker is now producing ice. It just must have needed time to acclimate once being reinstalled. One note, though, just for future readers... this ice maker does not have the bar that needs lifting or pushing down as some folks suggested to check. It instead has a little photo-electric eye on one side of freezer, that is blocked by a small small popout door when the freezer door is open. During the testing I did make sure the eye was clear of frost, etc and that nothing was blocking it during the testing. This might be something of a reminder to future folks diagnosing a similar problem. All in all, it appears it must have been a bad module, and I just needed to wait awhile longer after installing the new module for things to start working.

Thanks to everyone in the group for providing some great information!

Reply to
Kevin Potter

This is Turtle.

When i seen the problem as the wire being up and she told me it was what she had done. I would not be waiting for nothing and tell her hey if it does not work call me. Zoom to 10 other places that the wire ain't up on. I still say you liked the old gal.

TURTLE

Reply to
TURTLE

Carful, friend. You'll start rumors. "Stormy likes women! News flash! Read all about it! Stormy likes women!"

Reply to
alt-hvac Moderated

Use ice trays

easier and cheaper

hahah

Jane

Reply to
Jane

Il be damed I was sure Stormy was a Sheep boy BaaaaaBaaaaaaaa

Reply to
m Ransley

HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.