Icemaker Problem - Any Refrigerator Repair Techs in the House?

[LLBeanJ]

I'm in need for some help with the ice maker in our fridge. It stopped making ice about a month ago and after trying several things to fix it, I'm out of ideas and need to call for reinforcements.

Now, I'm a pretty handy guy and can generally troubleshoot and fix most things with a little Google-foo and YouTube guidance, but this issue has me scratching my head. Before I throw in the towel and schedule a service tech, I thought I'd run it past the collective wisdom on HBT to see if maybe I've missed anything.

The fridge is a 4 year old Whirlpool French Door style, model GZ25FSRXYY5, with the ice maker located up in the top left of the refrigerator compartment. About 2 years ago, it stopped making ice and after some web searching, I determined that that ice maker had failed. $40 later and a new ice maker, we were back in business. When the issue resurfaced again last month, I assumed it to be the same problem, so I ordered and installed a new ice maker, but still no ice.

At any rate, here's what I've done so far...

1) Replaced ice maker
2) Replaced dual-inlet water valve
3) Replaced main control board (when this didn't fix the issue, I put the old board back in and sent the new one back for a refund)
4) Did some troubleshooting on the new ice maker unit (put a volt meter on test leads L-N and found no voltage - S/B 110V) and determined it to be defective. Had it replaced under warranty and still no ice. While I was waiting for the replacement, I put the original ice maker back in and confirmed 110V between the L-N leads.
5) Replaced the dual inlet water valve (again! - thought maybe I got a bad one of those because when the ice maker would call for water, the valve made a very loud (as in not at all normal) buzzing sound. The new replacement valve does not make this abnormally loud sound).
6) Verified water fill tube is clear of ice/obstructions
7) I am getting water from the door dispenser, so I know the water supply is good. Pressure seems fine.
8) Water filter was replaced in August, so it should be good. Removed it anyway to let the water bypass the filter, but still no ice.
9) Verified ice maker compartment is maintaining temp @ 0°-10°F.

I can hear the ice maker go through its harvest cycle and cube dump (too bad there are no cubes to dump!) and call for water for about 7 seconds, however no water flows to the ice maker.

Any ideas? I honestly don't know what else is left to check/replace. Any help here is greatly appreciated.

 

[IslandLizard]

Sounds like there's no water going into the icemaker. Could be a stuck/non operating solenoid/valve or a blocked or frozen supply line/tubing.

 

[LLBeanJ]

I've checked the supply line multiple times and verified that it is clear. I've replaced the solenoid valve (twice!). I suppose I could still have a bad one, but I'm skeptical. I guess I can attempt to put 110V to the contacts and see if it opens. Maybe I'll try that tonight.

 

[IslandLizard]

I've checked the supply line multiple times and verified that it is clear. I've replaced the solenoid valve (twice!). I suppose I could still have a bad one, but I'm skeptical. I guess I can attempt to put 110V to the contacts and see if it opens. Maybe I'll try that tonight.

Sounds like a fairly easy test. Maybe the wiring to the solenoid is bad.
Until you get water in that cube tray there's not much else that's going to happen. I was going to suggest pouring water in the tray, but it may not start the icecube cycle.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

May seem obvious, but did you check that the on/off switch is working?

 

[LLBeanJ]

Sounds like a fairly easy test. Maybe the wiring to the solenoid is bad.
Until you get water in that cube tray there's not much else that's going to happen. I was going to suggest pouring water in the tray, but it may not start the icecube cycle.

Yeah, I agree. The lack of water is the issue, just don't know what's causing it. I'll rig up a test lead tonight and see if the valve opens and lets water pass. If it does, then I'll move down the line to try to figure out why the ice maker isn't supplying the necessary voltage to the valve, assuming that's where the process leads me. Thanks.

 

[LLBeanJ]

May seem obvious, but did you check that the on/off switch is working?

I'm pretty sure it is. There are two, actually. There's the ice sensor arm that is manually raised to stop ice production when the ice bucket is full and there's a function in the control panel to shut off the ice maker. I can hear the ice maker run through its harvest cycle, so I know it's getting power and turned on.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

I'm pretty sure it is. There are two, actually. There's the ice sensor arm that is manually raised to stop ice production when the ice bucket is full and there's a function in the control panel to shut off the ice maker. I can hear the ice maker run through its harvest cycle, so I know it's getting power and turned on.

Once had a failed switch on the arm, took a while to trace it down.

 

[BeerMakesPeopleHappy]

I've been lurking here for quite a while, but had to sign up when I saw this thread.

I worked in the industry for 12 years, and I have to say you've done a great job thinking through all the logical steps in diagnosing this.

Were you able to solve this already? Based on the info provided, if you are receiving 110 volts at the fill solenoid during the short fill cycle, and you've confirmed the line is not plugged in any way (bypassing the filter is good), then it will be a faulty solenoid. If the solenoid is not receiving voltage during the fill, then the problem lies either in the ice maker contacts, or the wiring harness is faulty. One other possibility is the bypass valve at the filter. I have seen them fail, and not allow water through but I believe you'd lose the water dispenser as well.

Hope that helps! Ice makers are high maintenance and generally a PITA, but super convenient.

 

[sfrisby]

Ok. I had to double check to see if I wrote this OP myself! I am going through this EXACT thing!!! Ironically, I have a tech in my kitchen working on it this very moment. Maybe this is your issue, but he explained that my fridge has 2 double inlet valves. One inside the door and a second on the back side where the water line enters the fridge. I'm guessing that is the valve you replaced. I know we aren't talking the same brand, but in mine, the 2nd valve is located inside the door on the water dispenser side. Remove any removable shelves and you may find a couple of screw covers remove them and unscrew to access the panel. Good luck!

 

[LLBeanJ]

I've been lurking here for quite a while, but had to sign up when I saw this thread.

I worked in the industry for 12 years, and I have to say you've done a great job thinking through all the logical steps in diagnosing this.

Were you able to solve this already? Based on the info provided, if you are receiving 110 volts at the fill solenoid during the short fill cycle, and you've confirmed the line is not plugged in any way (bypassing the filter is good), then it will be a faulty solenoid. If the solenoid is not receiving voltage during the fill, then the problem lies either in the ice maker contacts, or the wiring harness is faulty. One other possibility is the bypass valve at the filter. I have seen them fail, and not allow water through but I believe you'd lose the water dispenser as well.

Hope that helps! Ice makers are high maintenance and generally a PITA, but super convenient.

No, not solved yet. I have done some additional troubleshooting, which has me really scratching my head (not that I wasn't doing that already).

Since my last post I have done the following:

- Using a multimeter, I measured the voltage from the ice maker and confirmed that it is sending 110V to the water valve during its call for water.

- I directly applied 110V to the ice maker side of the dual inlet water valve while it was installed in the fridge and could hear the solenoid buzz, but no water flowed to the ice maker.

- I then pulled the dual inlet water valve from the fridge and hooked it up to a pressurized corny keg of water, applied 110V to the terminals and it opened and released a solid stream of water into a bucket. I did this to both sides, the ice maker side and the water dispenser side and both appeared to operate normally. I also tested my old valve and found that it also works fine.

- I pulled the ice maker fill tube from the fridge and checked for ice buildup. It looked like it had frozen over since the last time I verified it was clear, so I ran hot water thru it and confirmed that I could blow air thru it, then reinstalled it and waited for the ice maker to call for water, which took about 15-20 minutes. At that time, like before, I could hear the solenoid on the valve open, but no water flowed from the valve to the ice maker. I supposed it's possible that it had already frozen itself solid again, so...

- ... I ordered a new fill tube since I'm running out of things to replace. I don't know, maybe there is something wrong with it that causes it to become too easily obstructed with ice. Maybe because the old one was still wet from clearing it out at the sink with hot water, the water inside froze back up while I was waiting for the ice maker to make its water call. Who knows? Unfortunately, we're right in the middle of having our wood floors in the kitchen redone, so the fridge is currently sitting in our dining room and not connected to a water supply. This weekend I will install the new (and dry!) fill tube and test it. I sure hope it fixes the problem because I have no idea what to try next.

 

[LLBeanJ]

Ok. I had to double check to see if I wrote this OP myself! I am going through this EXACT thing!!! Ironically, I have a tech in my kitchen working on it this very moment. Maybe this is your issue, but he explained that my fridge has 2 double inlet valves. One inside the door and a second on the back side where the water line enters the fridge. I'm guessing that is the valve you replaced. I know we aren't talking the same brand, but in mine, the 2nd valve is located inside the door on the water dispenser side. Remove any removable shelves and you may find a couple of screw covers remove them and unscrew to access the panel. Good luck!

Yes, the valve I've replaced (twice!) and have been troubleshooting is the dual inlet valve that is inside the fridge compartment. It receives source water and flows it to both the water dispenser on the door and to the ice maker. I figured the upstream valve at the back of the fridge where the water supply initially comes in (assuming there actually is one there) must be okay since my water dispenser on the door works fine, which tells me that water is making it to that downstream dual valve with no issues.

To everyone who has responded: Thanks, I appreciate all the suggestions/ideas.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

Yes, the valve I've replaced (twice!) and have been troubleshooting is the dual inlet valve that is inside the fridge compartment. It receives source water and flows it to both the water dispenser on the door and to the ice maker. I figured the upstream valve at the back of the fridge where the water supply initially comes in (assuming there actually is one there) must be okay since my water dispenser on the door works fine, which tells me that water is making it to that downstream dual valve with no issues.

To everyone who has responded: Thanks, I appreciate all the suggestions/ideas.

Assume nothing. If it is a dual solenoid valve it could be that one solenoid has failed while the other is working just fine. If you have not looked, you will not know.

I know mine does. It periodically tops off the internal chilled water tank. Totally different sound and duration than when it fill the ice trays.

 

[LLBeanJ]

Assume nothing. If it is a dual solenoid valve it could be that one solenoid has failed while the other is working just fine. If you have not looked, you will not know.

I know mine does. It periodically tops off the internal chilled water tank. Totally different sound and duration than when it fill the ice trays.

The valve I was referring to that I am assuming to be okay (haven't actually tested it) is a single solenoid valve, aka the primary inlet valve. There is only one set of terminals and it feeds water downstream to the dual solenoid inlet valve that directly feeds the ice maker and water dispenser.

If the new fill tube doesn't fix my problem, I will focus on both valves next.

 

[BeerMakesPeopleHappy]

Definitely a head-scratcher. If the solenoids test okay(you'd know if it was the main solenoid as nothing will have water), then there's got to be a restriction in the line somewhere. Another thing to look for might be a kinked line after it branches off to the ice supply line.

 

[JONNYROTTEN]

I had no ice a while back And the fridge was making noise. The problem was the cooling fan for the fridge was on the fritz. Trying to remember but I think if the cooling fan isn't moving enough air the shoot for the water going to the ice maker on the inside of the fridge freezes up and blocks the water resulting in no ice. I changed the fan (easy) and took a hair dryer to the water shoot.Even after I melted the visible ice I still had no water flow. I used a hanger while blowing the hair dryer up the shoot till water started to drain. It took like 15 minutes to finally unblock the unseen ice up the shoot. Havent had an issue since...The fans are the weak link in a fridge.

Cooling fan is the wrong name,evaporator fan maybe?? I took all the food out and unscrewed the back panel on the inside of fridge and the fan will be right in front of you...simple unclip the old wiring harness one and clip on the new one..15 minute job once the back is off.

 

[LLBeanJ]

Definitely a head-scratcher. If the solenoids test okay(you'd know if it was the main solenoid as nothing will have water), then there's got to be a restriction in the line somewhere. Another thing to look for might be a kinked line after it branches off to the ice supply line.

Yeah, that's what I was thinking and why I decided to replace the water line that goes from the valve to the ice maker. The old one seems okay, but I don't know. I've pulled it completely out of the fridge and put it back in 3 or 4 times now, so maybe after all that it has something going on with it that is causing some sort of obstruction.

What's really interesting, though, is that after all this and the troubleshooting I've done to the components, I'm pretty sure that both the original ice maker and original dual water valve were okay. New replacements for both are in the fridge now, but I don't think there was anything wrong with the old ones, which leads me to believe that maybe the issue all along has been some sort of obstruction in the ice maker water fill tube.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

Yeah, that's what I was thinking and why I decided to replace the water line that goes from the valve to the ice maker. The old one seems okay, but I don't know. I've pulled it completely out of the fridge and put it back in 3 or 4 times now, so maybe after all that it has something going on with it that is causing some sort of obstruction.

What's really interesting, though, is that after all this and the troubleshooting I've done to the components, I'm pretty sure that both the original ice maker and original dual water valve were okay. New replacements for both are in the fridge now, but I don't think there was anything wrong with the old ones, which leads me to believe that maybe the issue all along has been some sort of obstruction in the ice maker water fill tube.

It is always the last thing you replace that actually fixes the problem.

 

[LLBeanJ]

It is always the last thing you replace that actually fixes the problem.

Ain't that the truth!!!

 

[LLBeanJ]

Update: Issue resolved!!!

I don't use ice myself, so I was fine letting this go for 2+ years. The women in the family, however, not so much, and having finally reached their limit with making ice the old fashioned way gave me an ultimatum... either fix the motherf#$%#*g ice maker or buy a new fridge. Now, I like the fridge we have and can't see trading it off for another and being the cheap-ass that I am, rather than get a new fridge for something as stupid as a non-functioning icemaker that certainly must be repairable, I opted to hoist the white flag and call in a professional (note: this would be the second time for this issue; the first tech that came in could not figure out the problem, either). So, anyway, I called a different appliance repair outfit in town and the tech promptly tracked it down to a faulty diode in the main power cord. After swapping the cord for a new one, we're back in the ice cube business!

 

[Still Brewn]

I had to look and see why an almost 3 year old thread was popping up. All that for a 15 cent electrical part.
My first guess was going to be a lime buildup in the water fill nozzle. I would have been wrong but I didn't read the whole thread.
https://www.appliancepartspros.com/frigidaire-diode-kit-5303918287-ap3220736.html
Part without replacing the whole wiring harness.

 

[LLBeanJ]

I had to look and see why an almost 3 year old thread was popping up. All that for a 15 cent electrical part.
My first guess was going to be a lime buildup in the water fill nozzle. I would have been wrong but I didn't read the whole thread.
https://www.appliancepartspros.com/frigidaire-diode-kit-5303918287-ap3220736.html
Part without replacing the whole wiring harness.

Thanks for the link. If I'd known there was a diode I'd have replaced it along with everything else I replaced during this exercise. Oh well, now I know. Next time the fridge stops making ice, and I know there will be a next time, at least I won't be stumped by a diode.

 

[IslandLizard]

I had to look and see why an almost 3 year old thread was popping up. All that for a 15 cent electrical part.
My first guess was going to be a lime buildup in the water fill nozzle. I would have been wrong but I didn't read the whole thread.
https://www.appliancepartspros.com/frigidaire-diode-kit-5303918287-ap3220736.html
Part without replacing the whole wiring harness.

Makes me wonder what kind of diode that is. $30, yowsers!

Thanks for the link. If I'd known there was a diode I'd have replaced it along with everything else I replaced during this exercise. Oh well, now I know. Next time the fridge stops making ice, and I know there will be a next time, at least I won't be stumped by a diode.

Well done!
But, what we need to go through! That's a true shame.

I had to replace a faulty NTC in the fridge half of my 2010 side by side Samsung, within 3 years of service. I think it was $7, picked up at a local appliance parts center, came complete, with pigtail and plug.

I actually ran that fridge for a few months by hot rigging it with 2 spare parallel STC-1000 probes, giving me the same resistance value.
Then on its next routine service* I replaced it with the real part.

*Over time ice builds up behind the back panel and around its fan. The tell tale is every 6-8 months or so the fan will start making scraping noises and eventually stops running. After researching, from what I gather, there is no solution for it. I think the auto-defrost cycle may be a bit too short, or doesn't reach high up enough.
It's not a difficult task, just very, very inconvenient and time consuming. You need to unload the whole fridge side into another as the defrosting takes several hours, using a small space heater. Then prying the back panel off is a bit tricky too, and impossible without breaking things if it hasn't defrosted enough yet to set it loose. Hot glue puts the styrofoam back together.

On the upside, this is the lame excuse one needs to clean the inside of the fridge thoroughly. Good until next time!

 

[Still Brewn]

*Over time ice builds up behind the back panel and around its fan. The tell tale is every 6-8 months or so the fan will start making scraping noises and eventually stops running.

I think the auto-defrost cycle may be a bit too short, or doesn't reach high up enough.

Do you know where the defrost timer is?
If it is a newer fridge it may have a timer with a knob on it like one of these.
If it does just turn the knob until it starts the defrost cycle again instead of taking it apart will save you a bunch of time and running the risk of breaking parts.

 

[IslandLizard]

Do you know where the defrost timer is?
If it is a newer fridge it may have a timer with a knob on it like one of these.
If it does just turn the knob until it starts the defrost cycle again instead of taking it apart will save you a bunch of time and running the risk of breaking parts.

Thanks! Especially for all the pictures.

I wish it were that simple!
My older fermentation fridges and upright freezers do have the mechanical 'clocks' as you pictured above.
But these modern day, expensive fridges have electronic timers. There's a small motherboard under a hatch on the back of the fridge. I haven't found a schematic for it or an adjustment pot. It may well be programmed into the ROM/processor.

When I did the research I found people reporting $300+ for replacing such mobo, in addition to the hefty service charge. The warranty on these fridges is so skimpy, only 2-3 years. It's almost criminal, given these fridges are $1000+.

What I have been doing is invoking periodic 'manual defrost cycles' for the fridge side through the diagnostics menu. It seems to extend the time between my more extensive 'service calls' somewhat.

 

[Still Brewn]

Damn, too bad, it was worth a shot. I have a newer ish fridge 05-06 or there abouts with a mechanical timer. It is in the front behind the air grill in the front. It is recessed far enough back that you wouldn't see it unless you were looking for it. Got it free from my brother when the defrost quit working. Ended up only being the heating part of the cable came unplugged. Either an ice buildup forced it to come unplugged or it was never plugged in all the way when it was built.

 

[Still Brewn]

It never ceases to amaze me how I can have a refrigerator from the 50's in my basement that still worked perfectly at least until i got rid of it last year and has never been serviced other than cleaning but a fridge from two years ago need service constantly. I also have a fridge from 82 and one from 92 neither of them ever needs anything other than cleaning.

 

[IslandLizard]

It never ceases to amaze me how I can have a refrigerator from the 50's in my basement that still worked perfectly at least until i got rid of it last year and has never been serviced other than cleaning but a fridge from two years ago need service constantly. I also have a fridge from 82 and one from 92 neither of them ever needs anything other than cleaning.

Yeah, that's totally amazing! Simplicity and solid builds were key to their long life and successful operation without any service.

The world has changed rapidly, the all electronic age. Some fridges have built in websites and wifi access. We really need those, don't we?

Now electronics, refined systems and engineering will help with automation and more efficient operation. The automatic defrost was a real breakthrough. The automatic icemaker a nice useful gadget.

But why they can't (or won't) build these machines to last at least half a generation is beyond me. If consumer protection advocacy could enforce meaningful and long warranties things may change.

 

[Still Brewn]

What amazes me even more is that the Romans were able to build roads, buildings and bridges 2000 years ago that are still functional today yet we can't build any of these things that don't have cracks or some other damage within the first few years. Better yet, here locally we are paying something like $400,000 to remove and replace one city block of street, curbs and utilities.