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Welcome to
the August 2007 edition of the RepairClinic.com newsletter. We're in the
dog days of summer and we're going through a lot of ice cubes. How about
you? If your icemaker is on the fritz, don't worry. We have the parts
and instructions you need to cool things off in a hurry.
This month,
we're putting the spotlight on Roy T. of Joplin, Missouri. He didn't have
a meltdown when his icemaker broke. Instead, he got busy, determined to
save it from the landfill.
Retired
Engineer Roy T. Saves Appliance from "Icy Death"
Roy T. Joplin, Missouri
"We
live in such a throwaway society, and that goes for appliances as
well," says Roy T. "I've made it my mission to do everything
I can to repair something rather than just get rid of it."
Roy, a retired chemical engineer, had his chance to put his credo
to the test when the icemaker on his four-year-old refrigerator
recently acted up. "It quit making ice cubes, yet continued
to make a humming sound as if it were operating correctly,"
says Roy. "My attitude is if it worked once, it will work again."
In the case of his misbehaving icemaker, however, he almost had
to eat those words.
|
What
he fixed:
 |
Icemaker |
What
led him to RepairClinic.com: Google search using
keywords; ice maker repair.
How he diagnosed the problem:
He relied on the online schematics and diagrams.
How he fixed the icemaker :
|
Unplugged
the refrigerator |
|
Removed
the icemaker |
|
Installed
the new gear |
|
Replaced
icemaker |
|
Plugged
refrigerator back into outlet |
Parts
needed:
|
Gear
($2.29) |
Tools
used:
Screwdriver |
|
"I'm
pretty handy so I got out my screwdriver and removed the icemaker,"
says Roy. "I could clearly see that the main plastic gear was broken.
The problem was that I couldn't find the part I needed. A couple of places
I called went so far as to tell me I had to completely replace my icemaker,
because parts weren't available. I almost believed them, but just couldn't
stomach the thought of throwing it away and spending $150 on a new icemaker!."
Roy decided to search for help online. He typed "ice maker repair"
in his search engine and discovered RepairClinic.com. In just three clicks,
he found the part he needed. "After studying an 'exploded view' of
the inner workings of the icemaker, I could clearly see the problem was
definitely the gear. I could also see that if I fixed it myself, I'd save
a bundle of money."
The gear
was priced at under $3, a nearly $150 savings over a new icemaker. Plus,
the part was delivered right to Roy's front door. "I had my icemaker
up and running again in a total of five minutes," says Roy. "I'm
so glad that I didn't give up. I will definitely be back to RepairClinic.com.
It's definitely worth trying to fix your appliances yourself rather than
tossing them in the dump."
Great job
Roy - we're glad we could help. Now, here are some handy tips for troubleshooting
your own ice maker.
No
Ice - Try these Troubleshooting Tips
Ice Maker
Not Making Ice can
be caused by a variety of things that are all relatively easy to check
and fix. Roy found his ice maker had a broken gear, here are some other
things to check.
|
First
make sure that the ice maker is turned on, look for the wire that
looks like a coat hanger, along one side of the appliance. If the
wire is raised - it is in the off position - lower the arm to switch
it back on. |
|
Next
check to make sure there is water in the ice cube tray. If water is
not getting to the ice cube tray pull out the refrigerator and look
at the water supply line to make sure it is not pinched or crimped.
If you're getting water to the appliance you might have a failed water
control module or a defective water fill valve. These parts can be
ordered and replaced with help from the RepairGuru. |
|
If
there is water in the tray but it isn't freezing, the temperature
setting might not be cold enough. Freezer temperatures should be set
between 0 and 5° Fahrenheit. |
|
If
the temperature of the freezer is too cold the water inlet tube that
provides water to the ice cube tray might freeze over. This can be
thawed with a hair dryer, start on a low setting to avoid cracking
or breaking any plastic parts by heating them up too quickly. Once
thawed adjust the thermostat a little warmer to avoid re-freezing
the inlet tube. |
|
Another
culprit for lack of ice is a blocked/plugged in-line water filter.
These need to be changed twice a year, sometimes more often with high
water usage rates. |
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