Whirlpool / KitchenAid Refridgerator Ice maker

[ehenry]

We have a Whirlpool 22 cubic foot standard no frills fridge. Freezer section is on top w/ice maker. The ice maker stopped making ice and hasn't made any ice for over 3 weeks. After listening to Mrs. EF gripe about no ice I set out to fix it. Did a little diggin on the web and for my type set up the only problems are the water valve/solenoid or the ice machine itself in the freezer. Did some testing and such that was reccomended and found no problems. The water tube was not frozen either. So I look on the web and find the whole ice maker, water valve/solenoid installation kit. Everything included...wireharness, plastic tubing and every thing for $80. Which is way better than anything I could find locally. Order it on thursday and its delivered to the house on Saturday. I break out the few tools its gonna take to remove the old and install the new. Open the freezer door and the damn thing is making ice again ! ! ! ! Remember now, it hasn't made any ice in over 3 weeks.

What gives?!?! Any of you Gurus care to share some wisdom on this ??

 

[NoKlu]

Re: Whirlpool / KitchenAid Refridgerator Ice maker

Too funny. I hate that when you scare something into working. At least you got all the parts if you need them later.

 

[ehenry]

Re: Whirlpool / KitchenAid Refridgerator Ice maker

I guess I either shamed it in to working or intimidated it one ! Who knows. I would like to know what was up with it.

 

[gstanton]

Re: Whirlpool / KitchenAid Refridgerator Ice maker

We have a GE Profile that had a similar problem. The ice maker would freeze up periodically. One repair guy said to open the door more often to warm up the insides. Seriously!

Another, much better, repair guy found a bad motor that opens/closes a flap that controls the air flow throughout the refrigerator. Problem solved.

Here's a site that has helped me do it myself. Dig around and find repair help.

http:www.partselect.com

 

[ScottinAZ]

Re: Whirlpool / KitchenAid Refridgerator Ice maker

could also be a marginal pin switch in the door. once these crap out, all kinds of interesting things happen

 

[arboldt]

Re: Whirlpool / KitchenAid Refridgerator Ice maker

We've had the problem periodically, but it's a simple fix.
When the refrigerator/freezer autodefrosts, sometimes a little water freezes where the actuator arm pivots down -- the metal wire arm that tells the ice maker when your bin is full or not, when to make more ice or not.

So when we find it's not making ice, we push the arm all the way up so it's out of the way (and turns the ice maker off), then chip off the ice that won't let it go down all the way. Once we've chipped off those ice layers, the arm pivots down all the way and it makes ice again.

I suspect that may be your problem, based on it suddenly starting to work again. Any chance you might have had the unit out and it defrosted?

 

[ehenry]

Re: Whirlpool / KitchenAid Refridgerator Ice maker

No, haven't had the unit out or anything like that. What I did find though and failed to mention earlier was that the condenser under the refridgerator was pretty much stopped up with fuzz bunnies and dust. I blew it and that may have had something to do with it. THere was nothing frozen in and around the pivot arm.

 

[Terry Vance]

Re: Whirlpool / KitchenAid Refridgerator Ice maker

In your testing did you unplug anything then plug it back in? I have had things start working after doing that. I think that sometimes a little corrosion may be the culprit and unplugging/plugging cleans it up so it can work again.

I would think the dust bunnies would have effected the entire operation of the fridge. Soft ice cream would be the indicator.

On your type ice maker I believe there is a series of test points in the front of the ice maker cover. If you jumped any of those you may have restarted it. I cannot remember off hand which ones do what but if you PM me I can send you some info.

In any regard I would return the ice maker you bought. Those things are simple to repair. It is either the water valve or the module on the ice maker and possible the door switch. Occasionally it can freeze the water supply line between where it enters the freezer and the ice maker. If that is the case a hair dryer works wonders.

Terry
Part time applicance repair man.

 

[wingless]

Re: Whirlpool / KitchenAid Refridgerator Ice maker

The first step is to purchase a recipe for ice.

There are many good ones available on eBay.

The automatic ice maker couldn't be a more simple design.

There is a motor that slowly turns a large gear wheel with switch cams for various functions.

The wheel sits parked at idle until the thermostat on the ice tray closes, due to the tray temperature dropping below 0?C.

If the bin is full of cubes, then the ice maker waits, poised to spring into action once cubes have been removed.

The thermostat starts the motor, that runs through one loop.

It lifts and lowers the bin full arm.

It ejects the cubes.

It refills the tray, warming the thermostat so the next cycle is delayed until frozen.


What can go wrong?

Inspect the tray to see if it is full or empty. If empty, then the water feed tube may be frozen, or the line kinked or clogged. If empty, fill the tray with water to see if it ejects the frozen cubes properly.

Is the freezer cold enough? Again, refer to the recipe.

Is the thermostat closing when frozen? Multimeter time.

Is the bin full switch working properly? Multimeter time again.

 

[ehenry]

Re: Whirlpool / KitchenAid Refridgerator Ice maker

#9 Today, 11:19 AM
wingless
Cadet
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 15

Re: Whirlpool / KitchenAid Refridgerator Ice maker

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The first step is to purchase a recipe for ice.


Purchase a recipe for ice ? ? I've never heard of such.

 

[ScottinAZ]

Re: Whirlpool / KitchenAid Refridgerator Ice maker

Ill give you one for free...

Aquire water and ice cube trays
place water in tray, and stick in freezer.
Wait 3 hrs

Enjoy ice

 

[wingless]

Re: Whirlpool / KitchenAid Refridgerator Ice maker

If you don't have ice, then you're not following the recipe.

That is, not filling the tray due to frozen or obstructed lines.

Or, not making ice, due to elevated temperature.

Or, not ejecting cubes, due to a bad thermostat, bad tray full subassembly, bad eject mechanism or bad cycle motor.

The icemaker is designed to follow the recipe automatically.

Ill give you one for free...

Aquire water and ice cube trays
place water in tray, and stick in freezer.
Wait 3 hrs

Enjoy ice

Remove frozen cubes from tray? Freezer cold?

You get what you pay for...

 

[Zeeter]

Re: Whirlpool / KitchenAid Refridgerator Ice maker

Relative humidity really effects these things. Not to mention how many open door freezer gazers you have in your family.
A defrost usually cures them.