June 28, 2010

Ice Maker Parts and Advice

Posted in appliance parts, RepairClinic.com tagged , , , , , , , , , at 6:47 am by Liliana

Ice Maker

Ice Maker

The hot days of summer are here in earnest. Temperatures are high, humidity is steaming, and we all need something to cool us down.

Ice – it is such a beautiful word in summertime, isn’t it? If you have an ice maker, this is when you use it most.

If your ice maker is not working property, RepariClinic.com can help you diagnose the problem and find the right part to fix this essential summer helpmate.

Here are a few possible problems with your ice maker:

  • No ice – if your ice maker has completely stopped making ice, check items in this order:
    • It may be turned off. Look for the wire along the right side of the ice maker that looks a bit like a coat hanger. If the wire is in the raised position, the ice maker is turned off. If so, try one of these:
      • If your ice maker has a small red plastic lever, lower it to lower the wire.
      • If there’s no plastic lever, simply lower the wire.
  • Make sure that the temperature is 8 degrees Fahrenheit or lower. If the freezer is too warm, the ice maker won’t cycle properly and the ice maker fill tube may be blocked by ice. If this is the case, melt the ice by using a hair dryer; be very careful not to melt any plastic parts, though!
  • Replace the water shut-off valve or water-inlet valve, or both, if necessary. The ice maker head assembly may have broken parts. Look to see if the gears are broken. Check to see if the small plastic arms that rest against the ice rake are broken. If the ice maker head assembly is modular and you’ve found broken parts, you can just replace the entire thing.
  • Small ice cubes or too few of them – if your ice maker is producing ice poorly, you probably have a clogged water line, a defective water-inlet valve, or a defective ice maker mold thermostat that isn’t cycling properly. Check these:
    • The water line that’s attached to the back of the refrigerator. Make sure you have good water flow. If the flow is poor, you need to repair, clean, or replace the tubing or the shut-off valve that supplies the water.
    • The water-inlet valve. Replace it if it has failed.
    • Check the freezer temperature. If should be 8 degrees Fahrenheit or lower. If the freezer temperature is too low, the ice maker won’t cycle properly.
    • The ice maker mold thermostat. Make sure that it’s cycling properly.
    • Specks in the cubes  – if you find black or gray specks in your ice cubes, have a look at the ice cube tray. If the protective coating is peeling away, the most economical solution is to completely replace the ice maker.

Enjoy your summer with a cool, ice filled glass of lemonade!

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