Ice maker not working

[Drowned Rat]

Hi guys.

I've got a late 90's model Kenmore side by side and the ice maker just stopped working. The water dispenser has long since stopped working and the ice maker just stopped about a week ago. The little "tines" or whatever they are rotate and the shut off bar moves up and down like it's trying to make ice, but nothing comes out. What are the possible reasons?

Could the lines supplying water be frozen? Is there a solenoid valve that could have gone bad? Something else? I'm just trying to get an idea of where to start. Thanks!!

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Ice maker not working

In my home there is a significant mineral buildup from my well water. The supply line to my fridge is tiny...... I ended up replacing the supply line once and it gave me "normal" water flow in the dispenser.

Check the supply line.

 

[Solittle]

Re: Ice maker not working

Could be either a frozen line or the solinoid. You can defrost the line by using a hair dryer in the freezer compartment where the supply line comes in. The solinoid is at the bottom and at the back. I don't rmrmber how to teset it though.

 

[DJ]

Re: Ice maker not working

Could the lines supplying water be frozen? Is there a solenoid valve that could have gone bad? Something else? I'm just trying to get an idea of where to start. Thanks!!

DR, I know you're in AZ, so am I.

That's what happens to mine (freeze up), especially with the higher humidities, in the winter.

Turn the freezer off and let it defrost-overnight.

 

[Drowned Rat]

Re: Ice maker not working

Thanks for the fast replys!

Solittle, I tried your hairdryer idea (took the ice maker out first) and it worked great. The supply tube was frozen solid, never happened before. I got it cleared out and I can see that I got all the ice out. It still hasn't made any ice yet and no water came down the tube after I cleared the ice plug which I expected.

What triggers the solenoid to release water? I'm starting to think I have two problems.

BobVT, I'll try and look at the line but I can only see so much of it. It comes from a kitchen island and runs under the tile floor. Great. I hope that's not it.

Hi DJ, I had the thing turned off for sometime and I'm guessing that's when it froze up, because it never worked again after I turned it back on. Won't do that again.

Thanks again for the help.

 

[MikDee]

Re: Ice maker not working

Funny you should bring this up, I have the same exact problem.

 

[oops!]

Re: Ice maker not working

this is a very generic question and if it were a marine engine the responce would be ....more info...


however.....the part of the water line dissapears into the fridge...are sure you defrosted that part?

there is a wire ....looks like a coat hanger ...around the icemaker...if up...its off...you wont get nuthin....if down...read on......


to test the selinoid un screw the water in...line...be ready...youll get wet...

have a flower watering bucket right by you....and someone with their hand on the shutoff valve.....uasually under the sink...

if theres water going in to the selinoid...... reconnect and disconnect the out put line...and push the water dispencer.....the selinoid should open and water should come out.....again.......be prepaired to get wet.

if no water comes out....test (with your voltage meter) to see if the selinoid fires....also you will hear it fire...(click).....if it doesnt....either its toast...or the microswitch in your door...behind the water dispenser...is gone.....again use voltage meter to find out witch one is bad.

if it does...(click) ....the water line is frozen

this is a general test for the average fridge.....some systems are different...

to defrost your fridge.........there is a little ...white thing (or black) that takes a flathead screwdriver....(only turns one way)....somewhere on the fridge..........either on the back on the fridge....(bottom)....or in the fridge...under the top area by the cold control........its a sneaky little thing...they hide them everywhere....
that is the defrost timer.........turn it with a butter knife...or flathead...till you hear the compressor turn off.....leave it 20 mins.......wait till the compressor fires again......then wait another 10 mins...then turn it alll the way round till the compressor shuts off again...........then your totally defrosted.........(if your defrost system works).........

this is only to defrost the evaporator....to defrost the waterline...use a hair dryer like earlyer stated

read "questions about ge side by side fridge"...big bubba....the post by xcuseme....is exellent on how a fridge works...sxs or top mount..(regular fridge) or bottom mount.....they all work the same...



if you have more trouble please add to the thread....

ill help where i can...

oops

 

[MikDee]

Re: Ice maker not working

Ok, here's my issues, it's been annoying me for weeks now. Being as the same subject was brought up, I figured I'd ask as well. It's a late model Kenmore/Whirlpool, side, by side. My icemaker stopped working suddenly, but the water in the door still works fine? called my son who works for Sears appliance repair, (but lives 125 miles away!) he figured it was the icemaker itself, so I went to visit him, after a few wks. and took the icemaker with me, he replaced it with a new one (the whole front assembly), he showed me that the timer knob was broken, so I figured I had no more problems, then last week I put it back together, and it's still not working? called my son again, he said maybe the line's frozen? then said use the hair dryer trick, but I said suppose I try, and put some water in the icemaker first, and see if it cycles, he said, yes 2 shot glasses full, I said ok, and tried that,,, but, even though the water froze up in the icemaker, it still didn't kick out any ice? that was days ago, my son got called away on the phone, and he's hard to get ahold of, any help would be appreciated.

 

[ThumbPkr]

Re: Ice maker not working

I buy my parts online at repairclinic.com.
http://www.repairclinic.com/0001.asp
They are not that expensive and their cross reference database is very helpful in finding just the part that you need.Ron G

 

[Drowned Rat]

Re: Ice maker not working

Well, this morning I woke up to a tray full of ICE!! I used Solittle's method and I guess it took a while to reset or whatever, but it works great now.

Thanks so much for the help!