Architectural Designs

Fridgedaire refrigerator ice maker works intermittenly.?

My parents have a Fridgedaire refrigerator with an icemaker installed in it. Ice maker was an aftermarket kit installed after the unit was in place for a few years. A few weeks ago I went over to their house planning to move the fridge out, turn off the water and unhook the water supply line, water back on to see if line is plugged, etc. As I was moving 'stuff' out of the way in preparation to gain access in the back of the fridge when my father opened the freezer door to discover it had started making ice again. I was just over there again today and it has stopped making ice again. It has the cooling coils mounted on the rear of the cabinet which are pretty much sealed-up and my mom has cleaned them often. Although it made ice for a couple of weeks to a month, my dad says it doesn't keep ice cream as hard as it used to. He also says the fan seems to run a lot any more. Defrost cycle stuck on? Any appliance repair guys out there?

Public Comments

1. Although the freezer has coils on the back,make sure there's nothing stuck under the fridge,some defrost systems have a blower system that vents under the fridge on some models-especially since you mentioned moving stuff to get to the back. Make sure the products in the freezer are'nt blocking the full sensing arm on the ice maker,it has to move through the cycle.Also.if the freezers too full,the cold air won't circulate properly,soft ice cream.Sorry not a service guy,just experienced.
2. Our Kenmore frig did the same thing; I found that there was a blockage where the water comes into the freezer thing that makes ice. I turned off the frig and used my hair dryer on hot aimed back there and lo and behold it unclogged. I think it must have just frozen the water and clogged it up. Try it. Hope it helps
3. Another possibility is the auto defroster is starting to go bad. If the freezer coils ice up then the air will not circulate properly. Usually the thermostat & defroster are one unit. They are not really hard to replace just hard to get to. Most are in the rear of the freezer where you can remove a back panel. Open it & see if it is defrosting properly, if not thats the likely problem.
4. NOTE: The water line attaches to a solenoid at the back of the refrigerator, then travels to the icemaker. The solenoid may be defective or may not be receiving power. You can try removing the sediment screen inside the solenoid and flushing it with water to clean it; be sure to respect any seals or diaphragms. Again, be sure to unplug the refrigerator first. Unless you're skilled at home repairs, this job is better left in the hands of an appliance repairperson.