How to Fix Stuff

[hittman]

Ok, repair experts. I have a new problem. We have a whirlpool side by side refrigerator with the ice maker built into the door. It suddenly started making these tiny little ice cubes instead of normal ones. We can run with or without a water filter and have been running without one for a long time. I checked the hose last night and made sure it wasn't kinked or anything. The water dispenser works like normal so I'm pretty sure it's getting enough water pressure. Any suggestions on things I can check myself? It's about nine years old and I kind of doubt it would be worth getting a repair guy out for it. If I have to do that then I probably should just get a new refrigerator. Also, the auger motor that dispenses the ice quit working a while back.

 

[Bronze]

Ok, repair experts. I have a new problem. We have a whirlpool side by side refrigerator with the ice maker built into the door. It suddenly started making these tiny little ice cubes instead of normal ones. We can run with or without a water filter and have been running without one for a long time. I checked the hose last night and made sure it wasn't kinked or anything. The water dispenser works like normal so I'm pretty sure it's getting enough water pressure. Any suggestions on things I can check myself? It's about nine years old and I kind of doubt it would be worth getting a repair guy out for it. If I have to do that then I probably should just get a new refrigerator. Also, the auger motor that dispenses the ice quit working a while back.

Well, you checked what I would have checked. About the only other thing I can think of off the top of my head is you can adjust the amount of water that goes in your cube tray. Most, if not all, fridges have an adjustment screw buried in the guts of the ice maker. You'd have to find yours and fiddle with it. The obvious question is why would that adjustment suddenly get out of whack. Answer: Beats me!

 

[hittman]

The entire ice maker is built into the door and I have no idea how to get into it. Yes, it makes no sense why it would suddenly do this. I'm not sure if the fill valve is in the door also or if its somewhere in the back.

Well, you checked what I would have checked. About the only other thing I can think of off the top of my head is you can adjust the amount of water that goes in your cube tray. Most, if not all, fridges have an adjustment screw buried in the guts of the ice maker. You'd have to find yours and fiddle with it. The obvious question is why would that adjustment suddenly get out of whack. Answer: Beats me!

 

[Bronze]

The entire ice maker is built into the door and I have no idea how to get into it. Yes, it makes no sense why it would suddenly do this. I'm not sure if the fill valve is in the door also or if its somewhere in the back.

Yeah, punch your model into one of those online parts joints and get the blueprints for it. Appliance Part Pros is one place.

 

[hittman]

I did manage to get the cover off the inside of the door so I could see the ice maker and nothing was frozen up. I still don't know why it's making tiny ice cubes. I called a repair place and they said for about $90, they will come and give a repair estimate after doing diagnostics.

 

[zoiDman]

I did manage to get the cover off the inside of the door so I could see the ice maker and nothing was frozen up. I still don't know why it's making tiny ice cubes. I called a repair place and they said for about $90, they will come and give a repair estimate after doing diagnostics.

Before I spent any Money on a having someone come out or a Replacement Ice Maker, I would Turn Off the Ice Maker and let it sit overnight.

My Ice Maker sometimes gets Wacked and the Wire Lever that detects the Level of the Ice in the Ice Bin gets out of Sync. Powering it Off and letting everything Thaw overnight seems to Reset it back to Normal.

 

[hittman]

Before I spent any Money on a having someone come out or a Replacement Ice Maker, I would Turn Off the Ice Maker and let it sit overnight.

My Ice Maker sometimes gets Wacked and the Wire Lever that detects the Level of the Ice in the Ice Bin gets out of Sync. Powering it Off and letting everything Thaw overnight seems to Reset it back to Normal.

Thanks for the advice. The whole unit is built into the door on our fridge. I could pull the ice bucket out of the door so it doesn't try to make ice but don't know if it would do any good.

 

[CMD-Ky]

I did manage to get the cover off the inside of the door so I could see the ice maker and nothing was frozen up. I still don't know why it's making tiny ice cubes. I called a repair place and they said for about $90, they will come and give a repair estimate after doing diagnostics.

That is almost humorous.

 

[zoiDman]

Thanks for the advice. The whole unit is built into the door on our fridge. I could pull the ice bucket out of the door so it doesn't try to make ice but don't know if it would do any good.

Mine has a Wire Arm that goes up and Down as the Ice Bin fills or empties. And that tells the Ice maker to Make More Ice when it is Down. And Stop making Ice when it is Up.

But the Arm can get out of Wack. That is whey they tell you to Never Push or Move the Arm.

Give the Overnight Power Off a try. And when you Turn on the Ice Maker the next day, have a 16oz Ball Peen Hammer in the other hand.

Nothing screams "You Better Get Right and Fly Straight" to a mechanical device than holding one of these in your Hand.

 

[hittman]

Mine has a Wire Arm that goes up and Down as the Ice Bin fills or empties. And that tells the Ice maker to Make More Ice when it is Down. And Stop making Ice when it is Up.

But the Arm can get out of Wack. That is whey they tell you to Never Push or Move the Arm.

Give the Overnight Power Off a try. And when you Turn on the Ice Maker the next day, have a 16oz Ball Peen Hammer in the other hand.

Nothing screams "You Better Get Right and Fly Straight" to a mechanical device than holding one of these in your Hand.

Our last fridge had an ice maker like you're talking about. This one doesn't have an arm. The maker is inside the top of the freezer door and the ice bucket is underneath that in the door also. There's a light beam sensor on either side of the bucket to let it know when the bucket is full.

 

[zoiDman]

Our last fridge had an ice maker like you're talking about. This one doesn't have an arm. The maker is inside the top of the freezer door and the ice bucket is underneath that in the door also. There's a light beam sensor on either side of the bucket to let it know when the bucket is full.

Gotcha.

I would still try the Power Off/Overnight Thaw. It can't hurt anything. And maybe a Power Off Reset will get Ice back in your Drinks?

And Don't forget the Ball Peen Hammer.

 

[CMD-Ky]

Our last fridge had an ice maker like you're talking about. This one doesn't have an arm. The maker is inside the top of the freezer door and the ice bucket is underneath that in the door also. There's a light beam sensor on either side of the bucket to let it know when the bucket is full.

More conveniences, more stuff to go wrong. We avoided the door ice maker but ours quit working any way. If we are feelin flush, we will buy a bag of ice, if not then we have four trays to fill and crack.

 

[hittman]

I was talking about it with a couple guys at work today and both of them said their ice makers didn't work either. The old school one in our old fridge worked flawlessly for several years. This one we had to have repaired under warranty once and the auger motor went out about six months ago after almost eight years of working fine.

 

[Bronze]

Many icemakers can also be rebooted. Yes, rebooted. Mine wigged out once and I learned how to reboot it and it worked fine. No idea if or how a whirlpool reboots.

 

[hittman]

I read something also about diagnostic tests through the display but don’t know how to do it or what the codes mean.

 

[AstroTurf]

I read something also about diagnostic tests through the display but don’t know how to do it or what the codes mean.

youtube is your friend...

 

[zoiDman]

I read something also about diagnostic tests through the display but don’t know how to do it or what the codes mean.

If you can Find the Part Number of the Ice Maker, try Google it for "Reset" or "Small Cubes".

You might also try some of these Techniques...

How to Reset Whirlpool Ice Makers Easily.

 

[Bronze]

See what your manual says. You know, that thing that came with your fridge that tells you what to do if it screws up.

 

[hittman]

youtube is your friend...

I’ve been on YouTube a lot already without much luck

 

[hittman]

See what your manual says. You know, that thing that came with your fridge that tells you what to do if it screws up.

It doesn’t say much. I need a service manual. I can read schematics. I do electrical/ electronic repairs. I just am not familiar with all the parts and operations of this. I’ve never had to work on one before.