FRIDGE ICEMAKER HOW IT WORKS - TOTAL DIAGNOSTIC GUIDE

[@Thomasappliance]

Thanks for watching, Let me know if you have attempted this video on your ice maker, and weather it helped at all. Hit that like button if you liked the video, or it was helpful for you also. Have a great day!!

[@justgoaz]

Awesome, I had already pulled it all apart and fixed a broken circuit, but it still wasn't working. After watching your video though, I was able to know for sure that the heater was going bad also, so thanks!

[@Thomasappliance]

@@justgoaz thanks for watching, and I'm glad you got it fixed!!

[@tammiehavens7480]

Video very helpful in troubleshooting my Whirlpool ice maker thanks again.

[@Thomasappliance]

@@tammiehavens7480 thanks for watching, I'm glad the video helped you out.

[@bencbloom]

Thanks for this in-depth ice maker troubleshooting video - very helpful, led me to pinpoint the failure of mine to a bad motor.

[@DavidCastillo-kg2pd]

Greg great Job on explaining how to troubleshoot ice maker. So far your the only one who has shown how to do this. I learned a couple things I wasn’t aware of. I’m honing to check my refrigerator now. Thanks again. David

[@Thomasappliance]

Glad it helped, thanks for watching

[@adrianashby4353]

Thank you brother. I usually wouldn't comment on anything but you're awesome in your effort and explanation. Keep up the good work.

[@Thomasappliance]

Thank you so.much for the feedback, thanks for watching!!

[@GuillermoGutierrez-c4y]

Greg Greetings, question does the plastic screw have any adjustment?

[@Thomasappliance]

Thanks for watching, yes the water adjustment screw does move, I talked about it in the video briefly, will definitely want to see what I say, it's a very fine adjustment.

[@jerrypeevey]

Thank You !!!!! I just installed a new ice maker for my Mother and it was doing nothing. I watched 30 install and trouble shooting videos and waited and waited. Now I got the whole kit which included new water valve , box , lever , everything. I would probably be knee deep in water trying to change the water valve if you had not explained the internal thermostat. I had washed the tray out with very hot water before I installed it so that may have made it take a little longer to get going. Your video gave me the patience to wait and now it seems to be working. It is full of water now and my fingers are crossed that it will just work fine now. Thanks again.

[@Thomasappliance]

Thanks for watching Jerry P., thats awesome hopefully it stays running, good job!

[@jerrypeevey]

@@Thomasappliance Yeah it's putting out ice now ! Mom is happy LOL all that matters.

[@Thomasappliance]

@@jerrypeevey thats great

[@cameronbremer4564]

i took off the front cover and saw the same discoloration/burn on the main power line. so i replaced the entire unit, jump started it and it worked!… for a couple cycles. then it stopped working again. i pulled the cover off the new unit and the same electrical burn had happened in the same spot? what could be causing this?

[@Thomasappliance]

Thanks for watching cameronbremer, when it comes to electrical systems, anything could cause that to happen. Whether a wire is shorted, or the house wiring is causing an over current situation.

[@RayDuncan-k3q]

Thanks so much for making this video! My only regret is not finding it sooner! My ice maker is getting too much water, creating a layer of ice on top of cubes. This must occur after dumping the cubes, as they are free immediately after dumping. Another video on here explained it may be the inlet valve and/or the filter assembly. Then another pointed to the defrost thermostat. After replacing all these at considerable expense and no fix, I found your video. My next step is to adjust the amount of water into the area. Hope it works! Thanks again!

[@Thomasappliance]

Thanks for watching ni4cx6gc5h, yep sounds like an adjustment is needed, let me know how it goes. You got this!

[@kraftzion]

Thanks for the video! Helped me diagnose mine. You could get it to cycle by t to h, but wouldn't intiate the water valve. L to v would run the valve though. What I found was 1 of the contacts that extend through to the slides on the back of the big gear was broken. Ordered a new ice maker.

[@Thomasappliance]

Thanks for watching kraftzion, and yes thats the case with these things either the contact arms break or weld themselves shut. Good job!

[@imadbedros715]

Thank you for the great video. I liked you didn’t rush your talking so one can understand and able to follow your reasoning. I’d like to suggest to you explore more troubleshooting the inlet water valve to the ice maker. Also you mentioned regarding the feeding pipe frozen but didn’t explore troubleshooting it. I have a frozen pipe that feeds the ice maker. What’s the cause?

[@imadbedros715]

Thank you Greg Thomas

[@Thomasappliance]

Thanks for watching imadbedros, your very welcome, that was one of my first videos so I was panicking a little that it was way too long do some things got cut. I just came out with a video on a ge fridge where I just diagnose the water system. With the frozen pipe it's very difficult because these ice makers go in hundreds of different fridges, which all have different fill systems, some actually have in tube heaters you can buy for this issue.

[@markconfer9111]

Thanks for the great video. I have a Kitchenaid KSR225ILWHo2 Side by Side which is about 20 years old. The ice had just stopped. I have to remove the unit to try the jumper test and the motor did not turn. Taking the entire unit to my bench, I discovered the motor resistance was 4400 Ohm not 8000 so I assumed this was the issue. There were no other issues I could see or test results bad. I replaced the entire section 106626640 using part Supco IMM8366. ($25 Amazon). The new motor had resistance 8200 Ohm. I was stumped when I hooked up the new unit and jumpered the HT I still could not get it to turn. My unit has in LED ice level and this tested fine. I held both switches and the unit would not turn. As a last effort I just installed the unit, hooked everything up and to my amazement it started producing ice in about 20 min. I am very happy of course with the repair but am stumped on why this worked. I was ready to take the unit out and start the entire diagnostic test using the board but didn't need to do this. Maybe a video on how to do this for us non expert home repairers. Thanks again for the great video and taking time for us repair wannabes!

[@Thomasappliance]

Thanks for watching Mark Confer, thats great you got it going. Sometimes I find after everything is installed I have to reset the whole system, usually i do this by unplugging the fridge for a couple min and plugging back in. I dont know why this works but it seems to reset everything and then everything works as it should.

[@silviuconstantin6481]

Best presentation on ice makers I was able to find, thank you!

[@Thomasappliance]

Thanks for watching silviuconstantin, I'm glad it could help you. Was there anything I missed?

[@bobevol]

Thanks for the tips. Mine just stopped making ice, pulled ice maker and the fill cup was frozen. Defrosted that, put back ice maker but still no ice. Watched your video and the jumper portion appeared to fix my problem. Removed jumper Mine has a black housing with one wire coming into it that plugs into the portion that was jumpered. Motor turned and water filled ice tray. Hopefully it will continue to work!

[@Thomasappliance]

Thanks for watching Bob Love, hopefully it stays going for you!

[@russellbloodworth4079]

Thank you so much! I was able to diagnose my ice maker and only need a new arm. Once I removed the modulator and turned the arm holder it began working…. So I don’t need a whole new ice maker. Keep up the great work!

[@Thomasappliance]

That's awesome, good job diagnosing.

[@joeperkins5720]

Totally awesome video on ice maker you help me troubleshoot my ice maker on my Whirlpool identical ice maker turns out I'm going to have to get a new ice maker I guess but thank you so much for your video

[@joeperkins5720]

😭

[@bigallis1]

Great detailed video Greg. Thank's for doing it. When I checked the resistance values they were way lower than they should have been. New ice maker on order!

[@Thomasappliance]

your very welcome!

[@hootinouts]

Than you Greg. Your presentation here is excellent. Actually, it is very calming with your voice and nice background music. I just replaced the Whirlpool icemaker in my Kenmore fridge and I couldn't resist dissecting the old one to learn about what makes it tick. What led me here is the new one is not working and I am trying to learn as much as I can to troubleshoot the reason. The water valve works as I disconnected it from the fridge and jumped it with 120V. The solenoid actuated and the icemaker water tray filled. I am at a loss as to why it is still not working.

[@Thomasappliance]

Thanks for watching hootinouts, do you have 120v between l and n on the icemaker head?

[@JaymeVanAuken]

Thank you Greg, second time pulling the ice maker after seeing your video I decided I needed to inspect contact points under the cover and wala there it was. Over time moisture caused the heater terminal in the inside of the cover to arch and burn eventually causing it to😀 short and stop working. You Did a nice job of identifying ALL the test points on the exterior cover. Again thank you, everything got a good inspection and cleaning also. Jayme

[@Thomasappliance]

I'm glad you got it figured out. And thanks for watching Monty Piethon!

[@binbanpro1098]

Bro, y lo arreglaste, de mi igual se cortocircuito, me podés explicar más a profundidad, con el conector de la cubierta te refieres al módulo, a la resistencia?

[@ramonperera6218]

Thanks for answering so fast,,,,but the one I am changing is the main board on the back. I have the sticker with NO CODE number. That's whay I am looking for what to do now. I watched a video where the technician does not reprogram the unit after replacing the main board, so I am confused if I have to do it or not. Please let me know. Thanks again, Ramon, Miami

[@Thomasappliance]

Mist fridges don't need you to program anything if its the back board

[@ramonperera6218]

That is a very good news. This unit only has the back board plus the control panels in front, maybe that's why there is no CODE NUMBER on the sticker. You can't imagine how much I do appreciate your answer. As I said before, you are GREAT Greg. you are more than helping us. You deserve our respect and consideration. I will continue following you wherever you go. Thanks and have a great day. Ramon.@@Thomasappliance

[@Thomasappliance]

@ramonperera6218 thank you for those kind words. I'm glad I can help!

[@sevenity2677]

Ok so I have been trying to relate to is to test individual components. Many videos out there on just testing of the points with out taking it apart. I needed to know how they get the values on certain individual parts. Thank you and thank you for taking the time👍🏼

[@Thomasappliance]

Thanks for the great feedback!! And you are welcome

[@cadetw46]

Great tips! Had a frozen fill tube. Jumpered ice maker to rotate it and it refiled.

[@Thomasappliance]

Some fridges there is a fill tube heater kit to make sure that won't happen

[@Jamz1726]

Can I stick a insulated jump wire into the L and H to check if my heater works or does it have to be done with this device?

[@Thomasappliance]

The wire will bypass the heater, so it might get a little warm but I would wait until the arms are just about down to feel for heat. Be careful it is pretty hot.

[@stevezelev7008]

My Whirlpool fridge stopped dispensing water and ice. After all kinds of searching it was the filter. The pin on the end of the filter (water inlet/outlet end) was too long. IT works the bypass(?). Anyway, I trimmed off 1/16 of an inch and solved my problem. On another video people where c/o the same thing and someone said trimming the pin worked for him and it worked for me......after going through a whole lot of other items. Loads of people are having problems with the filters fitting properly. Good luck and thanks for all the suggestions.

[@Thomasappliance]

Thanks for watching Steve zelev. I haven't heard of that fix but I'm going to look into it because that sounds interesting.

[@jessicasaunders3327]

Thank you for the thorough diagnosis possibilities. I think you helped us fix our ice maker based off different senerios you gave.

[@Thomasappliance]

Thank you for watching Jessica Saunders, and I'm glad I could help.

[@cecilgibbs6817]

GE PROFILE auger replacement Icemaker

[@cecilgibbs6817]

GE Profile Auger replacement

[@cecilgibbs6817]

By r be

[@Thomasappliance]

@@cecilgibbs6817 thats a good idea for a video, ill try and find one I can work on.

[@deaniespikes2643]

What would be the cause of no voltage at L and N? We've purchased a new ice maker, thinking that the old one was bad, but we have no power coming in to the unit. Is there an inline fuse somewhere? Thanks!

[@Thomasappliance]

Thanks for watching deaniespikes, make sure you check for voltage there with the door switch held closed, if no power at l and n I would checkbto see if there is power to the icemaker.

[@deaniespikes2643]

@@Thomasappliance I finally tested each wire of the 4-pin cable for continuity. The black wire, the one with the thermal fuse embedded in it, had no continuity. I replaced the cable, and it now works fine!

[@ayoubhasanzadeh4851]

Hi there, excelent explaining. I did all that in my whirlpool french type fridge. Everything inculuding water valve is good. The only problem is that water is not coming in ice maker. By the way when filling manually and test with jump wire ice maker works good. Therefore kindly tell how to make water come to ice maker.

[@Thomasappliance]

First thing to check is when you jump it to run a cycle does the water valve do anything when it should be filling?

[@joerichmar6041]

Hey man, thank you so much for sharing your knowledge! I'm used to the little metal set screw, so 10:40 for anyone looking for the water fill screw....

[@Thomasappliance]

Thanks for watching Joerichmar, and I'm glad the video could help you out.

[@joerichmar6041]

@@Thomasappliance Maybe you'll know the answer to this. So the water flow is slow on my Kenmore elite side-by-side. Its probably the filter. If I just remove the filter, will the ice make and dispenser still work? I lost the filter cap, but can still remove the filter.

[@Thomasappliance]

@@joerichmar6041 if you take the filter out the water shouldn't work, to either. You have to have a bypass cap or filter in place.

[@watdahel]

Is the time for harvesting the ice controlled by a timer or does it measure temperature to see if ice is solid and ready?

[@Thomasappliance]

When the thermostat is cold enough it tells the motor to run which turns on the heater

[@binbanpro1098]

Una pregunta si hubo un corto, y se recalentaron los csbles de fase y neutro, cual es el moivo de la falla, y que podria estar mal?

[@Thomasappliance]

When it comes to overheating it can be as simple as a loose connection, if the thermostat shorted out and wasn't working properly the heater could stay on, the ice maker or fridge could of had a surge and blew wires.

[@handydaddy4232]

Great video! My ice maker that is identical to yours works except the shut off arm would go up and stay up until I manually pull it down. What should I check for?

[@Thomasappliance]

The cam on the inside of the dial is supposed to let the arm fall down, I would make sure there isn't anything stuck in the head of the assembly.

[@fsrodeo81]

Hi I have a U line icemaker and for some reason the ice is sticking to the tray not allowing the arm to turn, I ve tested the resistance and gave me 330 ohms, how do I know if is good or not? Thank you

[@Thomasappliance]

I'm not sure what spec is on those but 330 ohms should be fine, is the tray inside chipping or dirty from built up calcium?

[@fsrodeo81]

@Thomasappliance yes the tray itself was chipping away and build up calcium, I sanded all off and apply epoxy paint special for food, just to cover the whole tray and prevent it from sticking, I ll see if it works, thank you

[@Thomasappliance]

@fsrodeo81 no problem, hopefully that works, ive never tried it myself

[@dentistmomchef]

Holy Smoke! Your video is so thorough that I just got a part-time gig repairing ice makers at a high-end appliance store! Lol. I am going to check your other videos! It's a euphoric feeling to know how to troubleshoot problems! Very informative! Mine made the ice, but it's not dumping them. It's the heater, but I tested it. It's around 73...so good. If I reset it manually and it rotates the dial, the arms move down and dump the ice. So...what's next?

[@Thomasappliance]

Thanks for watching dentistmomchef, lol thank you. I would check the mold, a lot of them were known to peel, when it looses its slipperyness the ice dont seem to want to come out.

[@dtork47]

Very helpful, now I can start troubleshooting!

[@Thomasappliance]

Glad I could help! Thanks for watching!!

[@awblenko]

Nice video Greg - thank you. This confirms that my ice maker mechanism is working properly. My problem seems to be ice build up in the fill tube (mine doesn't have a funnel). This has happened several times and it results in water running down the insides of the refrigerator and out onto the floor. Any ideas what could cause the fill tube to become blocked with ice? I'm wondering if the fill valve might not be closing completely, thereby allowing a trickle to flow constantly.

[@Thomasappliance]

Thanks for watching, and yes that is usually the issue, the water valve doesn't fully close or over fills the ice mold.

[@awblenko]

@@Thomasappliance Thanks for the reply.

[@alducks1]

what is the effect on the heater operation if the test indicates 92 ohms? my icemaker will make and eject ice one time after resetting using the TH jumper, refills tray, but then won't eject again. any suggestions?

[@Thomasappliance]

It manually turns on the heater, the heater turning on starts the cycle, so next time it needs to eject the heater is not turning on. So either the heater, or thermostat, or possibly wiring is the issue.

[@happydog68]

Thanks for your video Greg. I have a question about the input voltage. It measures zero on my icemaker. Is there a fuse inline for this input voltage. I seem to remember that there is an inline fuse in the 120 volt wiring harness. Can you let me know if there is. Thanks, Dave K

[@Thomasappliance]

Thanks for watching David Kling, some icemakers do in the incoming wiring and some don't, it would just depend on the year and model of the ice maker.

[@michaelgonzales6630]

Great video. Very detailed. Thanks for taking the time to produce it. The music in the background was distracting to me however. I had to keep rewatching it to understand what you were saying.

[@Thomasappliance]

Thank you for the feedback, it is greatly appreciated. Thanks for watching!!

[@kevindunn8185]

Try using Closed Captions.

[@golfgodd1]

Hello Greg. Question. My ice maker is identical to this one. what it's started to do is Freeze up I guess. If you leave it in the on position it cycles normally. If you turn it off or goes w/o cycling for awhile, say the bin is full , when it cycles again, it struggles very hard to push the ice out. The motor just sits there and creaks as it trys to push out the ice. I actually had to defrost w/ a hair dryer to get it going the last time. Heater ohms ck fine. Thoughts ? Thanks.

[@Thomasappliance]

Thanks for watching Monteric!, the mold that the water sits in can build up with calcium causing it to stick, or the mold can peel which I've seen too. Both would cause the heater to not be as affective also.

[@dglasgo1]

Greg- thanks! You have no idea how helpful your video has been! In these cases, do you replace just the tray, the heater or whole icemaker? Thanks again!

[@mostlikelywedoitservices6926]

Word to the wise. Replace the whole unit. The tray coating wears and pits. If power is at the head and you jump to make it cycle and it does not. Replace the unit. Very informative video.

[@Thomasappliance]

Thanks for watching Most Likely We Do It Services, and yes you are quite right on that one.

[@stephenhood2948]

So if the motor is running, the ice removal fingers are turning, the freezer is cold enough?? My GFs ice maker isn't working. I have already replaced the water valve and checked the water tube for being frozen, still no ice. I'm thinking the ice maker itself is bad. Could a bad control module cause no water flow to the ice maker?? The ice maker works in every way but water flowing to it. I can pour water into the tray and it will make ice. Any help you can provide would be greatly appreciated. Great video!! Iven tried to watch some other ice maker videos, yours is by far the most info filled.

[@Thomasappliance]

Thanks for watching stephenhood, a board can cause issues with an ice maker but thats not usually the case. I would put the icemaker into harvest and climb behind the fridge and when the ice maker should be calling for water check for power to the valve.

[@stephenhood2948]

@@Thomasappliance Thank you for the reply. Your video does explain where the board needs to be to send a water valve signal. When I get over her place I will watch it again and see where it needs to be to signal the water valve. Thanks again!!!

[@Thomasappliance]

@@stephenhood2948 no problem, hope you can figure it out.

[@davidv7275]

My ice maker had visible white powder and cooper deterioration where one of the pins from main unit plugs into the power connection on the ice maker module. I wire brushed cleaned, used needle nose pliers to reposition slightly the remaining cooper to make contact with pin when two parts are put back together. 24 hours later ice tray is filled and it's working fine so far.

[@Thomasappliance]

That's awesome good job

[@dand7056]

I made an attempt to do what u did. It did start spinning the arm and filling with water. I'll know tomorrow morning if it worked.

[@Thomasappliance]

Thanks for watching dand, hopefully it works out!! Let me know

[@dand7056]

@@Thomasappliance it got stuck on an ice cube but yeah it worked. I used a piece of copper washer and bent it to shape and soldered it in

[@Thomasappliance]

@@dand7056 sounds like the heater isn't coming on properly

[@rickymundy8663]

I have same type of ice maker. Mine is making ice but not as much as it should. Any ideas. Thank you for a great tutorial

[@Thomasappliance]

It sounds like maybe it's not getting enough water so possibly a faulty water valve. Or if the cubes are fine but it doesn't make ice fast enough, the temp in freezer could be not cold enough.

[@johnharris9370]

Why does the tube feeding the ice maker freeze? It's happened on mine many times. I've replaced the ice maker and the ice maker water valve.

[@Thomasappliance]

Thanks for watching johnharris, some fridges have made heaters on the incoming fill tube that you can get. Most of the other ones its just poor design.

[@hamidkashi7778]

Hi Greg mine does not have all these testing point (L,M,H...etc..). but some pins sticking out the head. are these pins correspond to L,M etc.... and I dont get 120 volt to the water valve.. any sugesstions ?

[@Thomasappliance]

whats the model number of the fridge it came out of?

[@hamidkashi7778]

@@Thomasappliance its from under counter U Line ice maker not the Frig.

[@Thomasappliance]

@@hamidkashi7778 I'm not sure about the one you have but I think I've seen ones like that and the only testing you can do is through the electrical system and a schematic.

[@DouglasIsbell-tw8qc]

Hi, When I put the 2 wires into the two holes in the ice maker to test if the arms work, a humming noise comes from behind the fridge Why ?

[@Thomasappliance]

Thanks for watching user-ddss7dz4y, are you putting the leads into T and H? If there is humming from behind fridge it would mean the water valve is activating. Is the icemaker filling?

[@jerrybryan9576]

mine is a Kenmore Pro built in not sure about the electrical, it doesn't have a plug that I can see. and I can't pull the end off to see the gear.

[@Thomasappliance]

Thanks for watching Jerry Bryan, what was happening with the ice maker?

[@shawnvanderdoes9823]

Do you have a recommendation on a replacement unit?

[@Thomasappliance]

The ice maker used depends on the fridge model number. there's hundreds of different icemakers. Just use your model number to figure out which one is used

[@johnhowell5969]

Hello Greg I agree with the comments I see great video. I have a whirlpool domestic refrigerator with ice maker in my RV. The units has worked great for two years up until I went to winterize it a couple days ago and now the water valve does not seem to be filling/opening. My question is does this thermostat that will not let the icemaker work until it gets down to 0 interrupt power to the test terminal L? I was not getting 110v at L but I was reading something like 58v. I am using a good fluke meter.

[@Thomasappliance]

Thanks for watching John Howell! I would check at the wiring coming into ice maker if there is 120v there then the icemaker inside has resistance and will need to be changed, if you get the same voltage you had before you know the board that supplies power to the ice maker is bad.

[@robertsackreiter9794]

@@Thomasappliance

[@shaneh1050]

Ok so my Amana side by side black fridge I got back in 17 decided to not make ice I noticed been working fine... Well I watched vid and did the jump wire deal and it worked like it should heard the ice drop and refill... I think last night it did it on its own but not sure... Figured there'd be some ice in it after work tonite and didn't look like anything was added... So what's going on now ?

[@Thomasappliance]

Thanks for watching shaneh, putting the jumper wire in bypasses the heater, the ice maker will need to be replaced because most ice makers don't come in pieces.

[@lolobong]

Hello, the icemaker lever stays up, I have to lower it manually, do you know why it does that, or what can I do?

[@Thomasappliance]

If it is raised thats how you shut it off and it will stay like that, until you lower the arm manually to turn it back on. Thanks for watching Daniel Rodriguez.

[@lolobong]

@@Thomasappliance I'll explain it to you, it makes ice but when the cycle ends the lever stays up it doesn't go down so it continues making ice I have to go and lower it I don't know if you understand

[@lolobong]

the mechanism of the lever when the ice comes out goes up and stays up it does not come back and go down automatically thanks

[@Thomasappliance]

@@lolobong ok I see, I would check and make sure the arm is in the head properly, if it is then there is a piece in the head that while turning lets it fall back down. So you might have to take apart the head and see if its fixable or is something broken inside.

[@davidlyles2737]

Where is thermostat that starts motor? Enjoyed video everything seems to be working but motor doesn’t start can turn by hand makes ice. Thanks

[@Thomasappliance]

Thanks for watching davidlyles2737, its inside the head but it more or less tells you weather its cold enough for the ice maker to make ice, if it makes ice then it is working fine. You can test between L and M and the resistance should be between 4400 and 8800 ohms.

[@ramonperera6218]

Is it cold enough to produce ice ? As I told you, I need to replace the digital system in a WHIRPOOL for an analog one and was worried about how to keep the ice maker producing ice without any refrigerant gas pipe going into its system. So, that means that the only thing I have to worry about is to have the voltage, and the water....am I right ? Thanks for your fast response, I will be waiting again for this question. Thanks and I am following you to get all your great explanations. Ramon Perera, Miami

[@Thomasappliance]

I'm not sure I completely understand, what digital system are you replacing for a analog one? The ice maker won't run if it's not cold enough in the freezer, hopefully that's what your asking.

[@ramonperera6218]

@@Thomasappliance Thanks again for responding....I am trying to convert a digital WHIRLPOOL WRF555SDFZ08 to analog, because the board has failed more than once, and you know they are expensive.. This model has the freezer in the bottom part and the ice maker on the upper part of the machine...so it is difficult for me to understand that only the cold air from the bottom will make the ice maker to work. Understand that I am new in this field and always thought there was a gas pipe going to the ice maker. To have this clear will allow me to start the whole system, including the ice maker just by having 120 volts and not using any low voltages from the digital board. The same if the motors in the dispenser work with 120, it would be just a matter of changing connections. I know maybe it is not the best thing to do, but I do not want to spend any more money in a very sofisticated system. What I need is to have cold water and ice. Thanks for your patience and understanding. Continue being GREAT, Greg....Love what you are doing for us.

[@nelsonrodriguez7101]

Hi, good job explaining how the ice maker works...I believe you forgot to mention is to make sure the fridge is level, or water might spill into the bucket.

[@Thomasappliance]

Yes, you are right. There's so many things that can affect an ice maker or fridge in general.

[@pmscalisi]

Can you actuate the water valve from the V test point on the front of the head? My refrigerator is a Maytag about 10 years old. I’ve never replaced the ice maker. Good video!

[@Thomasappliance]

Thanks for watching pmscalisi, I'm not 100% sure, I wouldn't try it personally. I activate a cycle, wait for the end when it should be activating the valve and see if there is 120v to water valve when it's calling for water.

[@pmscalisi]

@@Thomasappliance okay, thanks!

[@Thomasappliance]

@@pmscalisi no problem at all

[@EdZachek]

I was having trouble with the water fill valve. while trying to test this I lost power to the ice maker. Any ideas?

[@Thomasappliance]

Thanks for watching lw3ou1ur4y, testing the water valve, even shorting out the water valve should have no affect on the ice maker.

[@lolobong]

Greetings, there is a button that is used to control the thermostat, why does mine stay halfway when it is going to remove the ice?

[@Thomasappliance]

Thanks for watching lolobong, usually if ice doesn't fully eject it can be because the mold isn't clean or it is chipping the nice smooth finish off, so the ice sticks. The heater may not be heating enough. The cubes might be too big also because too much water came into the mold.

[@lolobong]

Is there a way to lower the amount of water and thanks for answering

[@Thomasappliance]

@lolobong at 10:40 in the video I talk about that. Np at all, hope you can get it fixed up.

[@enjiegrows8531]

couldnt thank you enough... my motor was working but it read 50ish ohms. i didnt believe it so i took three mm's out... turns out it was @ 55ish ohms. ordering a new unit, wish me luck!

[@Thomasappliance]

Thanks for watching Enjie Grows, glad you could diagnose it, good job!

[@DaKine96791]

Hello I just replaced my unit. I was able to fill and cycle by jumping T and H. Issue is that the unit never drops the ice. Water sits frozen in the mold. Not sure what to check next?

[@Thomasappliance]

If the water sits frozen in the mold the thermostat or the heater is to blame on the icemaker. Thanks for watching DaKine

[@DaKine96791]

Thank you

[@Thomasappliance]

No problem at all

[@stephenbuchholz3079]

I replaced my unit because the lining of the old unit was deteriorated and peeling and a powder formed.

[@stephenbuchholz3079]

When checking resistance do you need to unplug the unit?

[@ramonperera6218]

Isn't there any refrigerant tube getting into the ice maker , like in the Samsung system ? Thanks for responding,,,,,Ramon Perera, Miami.

[@Thomasappliance]

Thanks for watching ramonperera, most fridges there is a fan that blows cold air towards or around the icemaker. The evaporator fan is usually used.

[@ramonperera6218]

Hi GReg! Here again asking for help. If I change the board on my WHIRLPOOL WRF555SDFZ would I need to reporgramm it or not ? I watched a video about this but talking about a CODE to do it that should be in the label,,,,but my machine has not such a code, so I don't know what to do. Pleas, if you have some idea regarding this subject let me know please. Thanks in advance, Ramon from Miami.

[@Thomasappliance]

If you are changing the jazz board, which is the one right in your face when you open the door, yes you have to program the board. The code will be written on the model and serial number sticker.

[@ubiVR]

Ho, Hanks for video. My icemaker not go out completely the ice. Ti make ice, Hot for go out, move on the ice…but not compketely. The finger stop when the ice are up still. So the ice is, for 50% immerse in the new water. What’s the problem? The finger that non work completely, how i can do ?

[@Thomasappliance]

Thanks for watching Ubi UbiVR, the ice maker could have a build up of calcium causing everything to stick or slow down. I would take the ice maker out and give it a good cleaning. Run through test cycle and see if it goes through like it should.

[@kevinmcdonald2780]

Good job, you went through it all it’s awesome. Keep up the great work thank you.

[@Thomasappliance]

Thanks for the great feedback, I hope the video helped

[@hyper-1]

Thank you very much for the detailed video. Very helpful. Have a nice day, I'm a subscriber now.

[@Thomasappliance]

Thanks for watching genescarfone, and for the awesome feedback.

[@chrisa8541]

Thanks for the video! Question for you - my ice maker will run if I jumper it, but once it goes through the cycle, the fingers hit a spot where it just stops. Again, if I jumper it, it will work (motor turns the fingers, heater turns on and allows the ice to break from the mold and be moved, and the fingers make their way around and harvest the cubes. Then it fills with water, but the fingers stop and won't move again to harvest the ice unless I jumper it. Any idea what might be the issue?

[@Thomasappliance]

Thanks for watching Chris A, it sounds like either something electrically is wrong in the head or the thermostat isn't sensing as it should. There can also be an issue with the board that controls the ice maker but not usually the problem.

[@chrisa8541]

@@Thomasappliance I see. I'll buy a replacement ice maker and hopefully that will fix it!

[@Thomasappliance]

@@chrisa8541 it definitely should, good luck.

[@robertdawson2035]

My heater has a 106ohm resistance and it seems the frozen cubes stick in the tray. Is the heater shot or some contact not clean?

[@Thomasappliance]

Thanks for watching Robert Dawson, the heater resistance should be 72ohms almost always, if the number is that high its not within the 10% allowable fluctuation. The mold can also be peeling inside which doesn't let the cubes slide out easily. I would say you are probably going to have to change the whole ice maker assembly. You can also check between t and h, which should be a reading of 0 ohms if thermostat is closed, or infinite if the thermostat is open.

[@1dotele]

the water supply stem on the back looks corroded at the metal elbow connector does amazon sell those too?

[@Thomasappliance]

Thanks for watching jimidean corncracker, yes on most fridges the water valve and supply lines are on the back. You should be able to buy that piece, unless age is a factor.

[@1dotele]

@@Thomasappliance Thanks for the reply great video thumbs up subscribed

[@1dotele]

@@Thomasappliance I took the supply hose off and the tube that feeds water to the ice maker was frozen solid I just put it in a bucket of hot water and all is clear just waiting to see if that fixed it thanks again

[@Thomasappliance]

@@1dotele thats awesome, you don't see that often but it does happen.

[@johnfirebaugh7915]

please cover the diagnosis of the Thermal fuse that is in the Harness. I believe mine is blown. No power to the N neutral and L line terminals in my new Icemaker, nor the old one.

[@johnfirebaugh7915]

Greg. This was a really good diagnostic, and R&R video. Great work. As I said, please cover the Thermal fuse, in the Wire Harness. My new ice maker came without one, so had to use the original. The Thermal fuse was blown in the harness. I spliced in a temporary wire, to bypass the Thermal fuse, and the new ice maker works great, until the New Harness arrives.

[@Thomasappliance]

Thanks for watching John Firebaugh, I will definitely cover that in my next ice maker video. Hopefully your ice maker is working as it should now

[@iamiam1425]

Great informative video, thank you if I want to remove the ice maker and not replace it, do I need to seal the electric socket, or I can keep it exposed.

[@Thomasappliance]

Some have covers, and some don't. So don't worry about it if you don't have one. Thank you so much for watching, and the great feedback. Iam iam.

[@iamiam1425]

@@Thomasappliance Thank you again for your reply, I appreciate it.

[@Thomasappliance]

@@iamiam1425 I'm just glad I could help

[@nallidremylc]

Very helpful, my fridge stops producing ice every few weeks or so ice cubes get frozen to the arm and Jams it up. What could that be ?

[@Thomasappliance]

Sounds like its a little too cold in the ice maker section, or the mold has a coating on it and it is worn off, causing the ice to stick. Thanks for watching Dillan Clymer.

[@timeis420t]

Hey Greg, I replace my ice maker all the power is correct at all test points but it will not trigger an auto fill with water. I can manually fill it by jumping but it won’t do it automatic even after a full cycle of the motor

[@Thomasappliance]

Is the freezer cold enough to trigger a cycle? Did the new ice maker come with a new thermostat?

[@dewaynehanson3751]

What if i have no power to the ice maker?

[@Thomasappliance]

If you checked the wires going into the icemaker and have no voltage there, then you have to trace back power to usually a board.

[@CORYJOHNM]

Ours is just slow. Everything works but takes a couple of nights to build up a full tray. The freezer keeps everything frozen. Its making half or more sized cubes, is that effecting the thermostat on the tray? Another thing maybe the freezer thermostat needs to be colder.

[@Thomasappliance]

Yeah it sounds like it just needs to be a little cooler in the freezer. Thanks for watching coryjohnm

[@CORYJOHNM]

I just checked the freezer adjustment in the frig and its on max. Don't want to turn the fridge down more. Maybe the thermostat on ice maker is going bad.

[@Thomasappliance]

@@CORYJOHNM it very well could be, it's not the usual thing to go but very possible.

[@CORYJOHNM]

@@Thomasappliance Well how do I make it pump out ice. Its there a commercial unit that fits it? Why? Because we are shoppers for a company and we use lots of ice to keep customers food cold. If it made a full bin in over night there wouldn't be a problem.

[@FOCUS-777]

Hi Greg since last time I watched your video I took out my ice maker out, Kenmore model 106.58422700, I removed the cover off, the shot off arm then I looked for any corrosion did not see any then I removed the cam arms then aha moment happened 🤔 there were contactors with heavy arch buildups. Once I sanded them the contact surfaces it worked like a charm. Thanks again for your time and a great video.

[@Thomasappliance]

Focus 737 That is good to hear, thanks for watching again!!

[@sami4chicago]

Great details on trouble shooting, very nice video. Thanks man 👍👍

[@Thomasappliance]

Thanks for watching sami4chicago, thanks for thr kind words!

[@dand7056]

I only have 99v at the wire harness at fridge. I get continuity on L and N to the bottom wires on ice maker harness but when I plug it in I get no voltage. Well 0.99v . I have the connection pushed all the way in. What could cause that?

[@Thomasappliance]

Thanks for watching dand, sounds like there could be a broken wire or possibly the board isn't providing 120v.

[@dand7056]

@Thomasappliance the board with the blinking red light? I had 99 v coming out the wire from side of freezer. Which is odd right? It should be 120 I think. The clock mechanism has no voltage and I have a new one and one I soldered. Both do not have power. But the wire has continuity which make me wonder how there is no power. Unless the connector is not making a good connection but it looks like it's all the way in. Would you think I should replace the whole ice machine.

[@Thomasappliance]

@dand7056 do you have a model number for your fridge, so I can see what we're dealing with.

[@dand7056]

Kitchen aide KSRA25FKSS00

[@Thomasappliance]

@@dand7056 there will be 120v when the icemaker is calling for power.

[@dbernstein7901]

Very good and helpful thanks

[@Thomasappliance]

Thanks for watching dbernstein, and I'm glad the video helped.

[@saeedhasanzadeh2]

Thank you for this great video! The ice maker in my refrigirator was not working when I moved in my apt and I didn't bother to fix then! Today, I decided to try to fix it, but no luck! This ice maker doesn't have those two holes to use the jumper wire. My guess is that there is power issue. Maybe the inlet valve? Please advise. The refrigirator model is: General Electric GTH18XCT2RWW

[@Thomasappliance]

On that model you can hold in the door switch and push the panel just on the bottom of the ice maker in 3 times and then let go of the door switch, this will force the unit into manual cycle. If it doesn't run you can check for power to ice maker. If there is power but it won't run you will have to replace ice maker. But before doing all that make sure there is no off switch somewhere that turns the ice maker off. Thanks for watching Saeed Hasanzadeh

[@gotchaplumber]

Does the metal arm cut of electricity to solenoid? Is solenoid 120v or low voltage? Great video!

[@Thomasappliance]

The metal arm is just a switch which will connect a path of electricity between power and neutral when the arm is down. The only solenoid in the system is the water valve, which is 120v.

[@RicardoMolina-b2k]

i'm not getting power, any ideas what it could be? When i first started thought it was the ice maker. ice was in the ice maker but never came thru cycle and falling out so i thought it was the ice maker. got a new one and nothing is happening. I checked the power and I'm not getting anything. water dispenser works fine and both side are cooling as required.

[@Thomasappliance]

Make sure when testing power the door switch is closed. Power comes from the board so I would trace the power back.

[@RicardoMolina-b2k]

@@Thomasappliance thanks yes had both in closed position. it started making ice after I left alone. all i did was lowered the temperature to freeze side thinking maybe it was not cold enough but it made ice for a while maybe 4 cycles and now stopped again. something is working intermittently

[@Thomasappliance]

@@RicardoMolina-b2k that's usually a board issue

[@RicardoMolina-b2k]

@@Thomasappliance like the main board or the ones behind the sensors?? in the freezer compartment

[@Thomasappliance]

@@RicardoMolina-b2k send me the model number

[@jamesrizzi7500]

I reattached my ice control arm after it popped off. Now Ice maker makes too much ice. Control arm moves when Ice is harvested, yet it does not stop making ice when the bin is full and control arm stops on top of ice pile. Also, If I put control arm into top position, I hear a click; nevertheless, the ice maker continues to make ice??? . Any fixes for this???

[@Thomasappliance]

Sounds like the switch in the head is not working, unfortunately most ice makers come as a whole unit.

[@carochang1]

Thank you for this thorough video. My issue is the over filling of the ice tray, and your description of the little turny thing has helped me to figure it out. Only thing is I had already turned that piece and was not keeping track of my rotations, so now I’ll have to watch and wait!

[@Thomasappliance]

Caroline Chang thanks for watching, I'm glad the video helped maybe even after the fact.

[@softmetals3702]

pretty clear thanks for this Greg big help

[@Thomasappliance]

Thanks for watching softmetals, and thanks for the great feedback!!

[@jimprior5700]

how do you get the cover off with unit installed?/

[@Thomasappliance]

Thanks for watching, I usually use a 90degree pick but a small flat screwdriver will work too.

[@slingshot909]

My heater checks ok, but it wont dump ice, what causes this? the thermostat in the ice maker?

[@Thomasappliance]

Does the motor try and turn?

[@slingshot909]

@@Thomasappliance yes

[@Thomasappliance]

@slingshot909 i would check the mold, sometimes they get chipped and peel inside, so the arms can't scrape them out because coating is gone.

[@astroluck1525]

Great video!! My voltage shows 97 volts. Even the jumper and the wiring plug to icemaker. I also replaced the control boards. Light was not coming on, it is now. Still the ice maker won't cycle. Any suggestions?

[@Thomasappliance]

That voltage is low, when jumping the ice maker does it do anything?

[@astroluck1525]

@@Thomasappliance I taped down the light switch and it ran through the cycle but no water. I guess the next thing would be to defrost the water supply, right? I tried a heat gun to blow hot air into the pipe for a few minutes but it didn't do much.

[@Thomasappliance]

@@astroluck1525 yeah it could be frozen inside the line or the water valve isn't coming on at all

[@MailmanJustin]

Did you ever solve the problem? I'm having the same issue now on a replacement install. Its reading 95v after the install, and remains non functioning when I put the jumpers in. Any help would be appreciated!

[@smitty2721]

Does the thermostat have to be closed in order for the motor to run when jumping T & H?

[@jerrybryan9576]

The red light on the power switch is on so I think there is power. I have it loose and the white end of the ice maker has a screw in it so I couldn't pull it off, and there doesn't seem to be a plug to disconnect the power.

[@Thomasappliance]

What kind of fridge is that on?

[@jay77081]

very informative. And well done .

[@Thomasappliance]

Thank you for the great feedback, I hope it helped!

[@patriciamoore4983]

Greg my ice maker leaks inside the freezer. Any ideas

[@Thomasappliance]

Thanks for watching Patricia Moore, is it coming from the ice maker overflowing or from the back of the fridge?

[@deniseturk1463]

my icemakeers metal bar dowsnt want to fall all the way down??unless i take it out of the side..its a whirlpool

[@Thomasappliance]

Thanks for watching Denise Turk, if there isn't anything blocking it, it may be not fully in the icemaker or something on the ice maker head is broken or out of place.

[@kesha8403]

Where can i get the tools to troubleshoot such as Jumper wire and value check and tester etc anyone please share

[@Thomasappliance]

You can go to any hardware store, or order on Amazon.

[@donnadavis5046]

Hi Greg, we installed a brand new whirlpool ice maker yesterday and it’s not calling for the water. We double checked the location of the arm and the freezer temperature, but still no ice. Any suggestions? We don’t have a voltage meter.

[@Thomasappliance]

What happens when you force a cycle? Thanks for watching Donna Davis.

[@cypernut]

Same thing with me Greg, I installed the same icemaker yesterday and still no ice I did a forced cycle but no water coming in. Inside the refrigerator I have a water dispenser which will deliver water I have Jenn air does it have two water vavles

[@Thomasappliance]

@@cypernut Thanks for watching cypernut, can you hear the water valve come on when it should be calling for water? If you can I would make sure the fill line inside the freezer isn't frozen where it comes into the icemaker. If no sound is heard then I would force a cycle, get to the valve and see if there is power when it calls for water on the valve, if there is power when there should be power there the valve could be bad or the screen at the water line valve connection could be plugged.

[@donnadavis5046]

@@Thomasappliance I can’t get it to force cycle

[@cypernut]

@@Thomasappliance thank you for the reply. I will check those things you mentioned and I will get back to you to let you know how I made out.

[@darrylgoldstein8197]

You didn’t mention what looks like a ceramic piece on the black wire. It snaps into a clip on the mold. Would you happen to know what this does? Is it needed for ice production?

[@Thomasappliance]

in most cases that piece is a thermal fuse, which if the ice maker overheats for some reason it will blow. it is not self resetting. Thanks for watching Darryl Goldstein.

[@chesshead3943]

Great video, thank you!!!

[@Thomasappliance]

No problem at all, I hope it helped you out.

[@kevinskogg2179]

I have tried these steps and seem to still have a problem that is not covered. Heater resistance is 74, motor resistance 7800, voltage is good, and it filled. After fill & freeze, it stopped and clicks with the dial at about 7:00 or 8:00 position. This also happens with jumper in place, it gets stuck at about the seven and a half position and clicks. Any ideas?

[@Thomasappliance]

Sounds like a tooth/gear might be stripped in the head. Thanks for watching Kevin Skogg.

[@kevinskogg2179]

@@Thomasappliance That was it. I replaced the whole control module.

[@Thomasappliance]

@@kevinskogg2179 glad you got it fixed up, good job!!

[@williamjohnson1126]

Does one have to turn off water to remove ice maker?

[@Thomasappliance]

Thanks for watching William Johnson, no you don't have to turn off the water, once you unplug the ice maker it won't turn on the valve ever again, until the ice maker is plugged back in.

[@williamjohnson1126]

Thank you so much for your reply

[@lauraselby8403]

Mine is this exact model. The ice cube tray is full, the on/off arm is down, and the gear is trying to move but doesn't seem to be able to. It makes a sort of grinding/clicking noise. The heating element is heating as well. I can't figure out how to make the arm turn to empty the ice cube tray.

[@Thomasappliance]

Laura Selby sometimes the arm gets caught on the mold, the best way to see is to pull ice maker out melt the ice and see if anything is jamming it up. Thanks for watching!!

[@mikekessler6637]

Thank you so much very informative !!!!

[@Thomasappliance]

No problem, I hope it helps

[@benbessert3639]

Thanks Greg. I have a 20 year old Kitchenaid refer and the ice maker appears identical to the one in your video. Both the ice maker and water dispenser did not work. I disassembled the existing water inlet valve and determined that the valve was bad. I went ahead and replaced the water inlet valve. At this point my water dispenser is now fully functional, but the ice maker is still not filling with water. I took out the hair dryer and cleared out the frozen water line serving the ice maker. I put it all back together and expected the water to fill the ice tray. Unfortunately it did not. My hunch is that the water inlet valve switch within the control module is faulty. How would you suggest testing the water inlet valve switch to determine if it is indeed faulty? I have to assume that the water inlet valve is good based on the fact I only replaced a week ago.

[@Thomasappliance]

Thanks for watching Ben Bessert, first off is it a single valve system or one valve for ice maker and one for the water dispenser?, can you put the ice maker into a harvest?, if so then put ice maker into harvest, run around behind the fridge and test for power to the water valve, if no power the board or ice maker is bad, if there is power see if the water valve is actuating. If it is then the lines can be plugged or there is air in the system which on some fridges is very hard to get rid of.

[@Jamus1975]

I replaced mine with a new one bc it wasn't working. New one isn't either. However I'm getting line power to the unit. Tested at LN. Used jumper at TH and nothing happening. Not cycling. No water fill when jumping at LV either.

[@Thomasappliance]

If your getting power in but it still won't run the board is usually the issue. Power in is needed but power back to the board from the iceaker is needed also.

[@Jamus1975]

@@Thomasappliance what board are you describing ?

[@Thomasappliance]

@Jamus1975 depends which fridge you have, there is always a board that controls the icemaker.

[@Jamus1975]

@Thomasappliance I have a side by side Gd5shaxkb02, it has a little board with a sensor in the wall that reads through the ice bucket to the other side. I just figured if it's getting line voltage, the ice maker should cycle when I jump the T and H

[@Thomasappliance]

@Jamus1975 on those you also have to make sure you hold the sensor door that goes through the icemaker closed.