In this article we will discuss an ice machine in the refrigerator that does not produce ice. There are many things that will make a refrigerator ice free, however in this article I will focus on one specific thing that seems to challenge owners and technicians alike.
I cannot say how many times I have heard this, the water filler tube of my ice machine freezes. I have changed the valve but the problem persists. In fact, I saw on an appliance repair forum where a customer said that an appliance manufacturer sent a factory service technician to his home to change the valve because the tube was freezing. That didn't work, so they sent another tech in with a new valve and harness. Obviously, that didn't work because the valve wasn't defective, so the guessing game continued.
Let's talk about how the fill valve of an ice machine in the refrigerator really works, and then we can talk about what causes the fill tube to freeze. First of all, you should know that the water fill valves on household appliances need the house water pressure to remain closed. Think about it for a second. If the valves didn't use the house water pressure to stay closed and there was an electrical outage, the valve would spill water. An ice making water valve uses an electromagnetic coil to lift a plunger when electricity is applied to allow water to flow.
When the thermostat in the ice maker is convinced that the temperature in the mold will freeze the water, it completes the circuit to send electricity to the valve coil. It doesn't make much sense for the ice maker to ask for water if it's not cold enough to freeze it. Therefore, the mechanism inside the valve is kept closed by the pressure of the house water. When the house water pressure begins to drop and it is not enough to keep the valve closed, the valve may start releasing a small amount of water. That water begins to drip and drip into the fill tube. When it does, the fill tube begins to freeze. If it were a full flow of water, it would cause the ice maker to overflow. We've all seen the sink faucet leak after you shut it. No matter how far you turn the valve to the off position, the water still drips. When water slides out of a refrigerator valve dripping into an ice machine's fill tube, it always freezes.
Most of the time, when a valve doesn't sit properly and lets water pass in the off position, there is a water pressure issue related to the home. You may be able to have a valve that allows water to pass through the valve gate at full house water pressure, but that valve would have been in service for a long time or the water supply is extremely harsh or contaminated. This is a common problem when the ice maker's water supply line is connected to the home's water line with a piercing valve. The point where the needle makes a hole in the water line does not always make a full-size hole. This will reduce the amount of water / pressure that is passed by keeping the valve closed. We see this problem more in non-urban pressurized water supplies. Houses with pumps and reverse osmosis systems sometimes have low water pressure.
And by the way, I've seen this problem many times when people have a second home or a cabin that they only use periodically. To avoid a catastrophe, they shut off the main water supply to the cabin. Well, if that valve doesn't close completely, it will allow only a small amount of water to penetrate. That small amount of water is not enough to keep the water valves closed in the ice maker, washing machine, or dishwasher. Therefore, it is not uncommon to see any of these appliances fill with water when no one is home. If that happens at the refrigerator valve and they leave it running, the tube will freeze. You can easily avoid this problem by turning on the kitchen sink water taps when you turn off the main water supply. This will give an easy outlet for any water that seeps through the closed main water valve.
The best way to verify that you have enough water pressure for the refrigerator valve is to turn off the main water supply to the home. Do not close the piercing valve attached to the waterline going to the ice machine. This is because it can release any obstructions and you may not be able to diagnose the problem. Once the main water supply has shut off, disconnect the water from the ice maker water valve. Use a 5-gallon bucket or other large container and have someone re-open the main water supply. You can now control the amount of water pressure leaving the line. If it is low, you can work backwards to correct it.
