Author Topic: GETTING WATER OUT OF ICE MAKER ON SHUTDOWN  (Read 15464 times)

LEAH DRAPER

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GETTING WATER OUT OF ICE MAKER ON SHUTDOWN
« on: June 07, 2011, 11:53:53 PM »
I am not traveling for a few weeks/months and after emptying the ice maker of cubes I want also to remove the water left in the tray where the cubes are made/frozen.  Does anyone have any ingenious way to get that water out rather than just letting it evaporate?  I really don't want the residue left from evaporation in there.

Guys maybe your wife has a trick or even the guys.
« Last Edit: June 08, 2011, 05:52:10 AM by 14 »

Gerald Farris

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Re: GETTING WATER OUT OF ICE MAKER ON SHUTDOWN
« Reply #1 on: June 08, 2011, 03:48:13 PM »
Leah,
In your original question, you wanted to know how to empty the water that sets in the tray where the ice is made. That is easy, you just turn off the water supply, either with a valve or cut off all water pressure and wait until the icemaker cycles and makes another tray of ice before you turn off the icemaker (if Uline) or refrigerator.

Most coaches have a valve in the line going to the icemaker that you can turn off when you break camp on the last morning and there will be no water in the icemaker tray when you get home. That valve can be behind the refrigerator or in the basement close to the icemaker filter in most cases.

If you want to empty the water line going to the icemaker and it's internal valve, that is a lot more complicated and I would not recommend going to that much trouble to store the coach in the summer. It is a lot easier to just discard the first tray or batch of ice that is made.

Gerald

Richard And Babs Ames

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Re: GETTING WATER OUT OF ICE MAKER ON SHUTDOWN
« Reply #2 on: June 08, 2011, 05:48:40 PM »
Ours is behind the referigerator in the plastic line. If you do not have one it can easily be added using push on connectors. Our line uses 1/4 inch ones. We have an RV refer with an easily accessable back vented panel.

Keith Oliver

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Re: GETTING WATER OUT OF ICE MAKER ON SHUTDOWN
« Reply #3 on: June 09, 2011, 02:49:09 PM »
Discovered the  "box" and the ice maker valve.  The valve seems to be one that you turn to line up with the 1/4" line to open  across it to close, or is it?  I "opened" last evening, but by this morning there was no water in the ice maker.  So this morning I put more pressure on the valve, and sure enough I got another 1/2 turn out of it.  If it is a screw type, it sure doesn't have much travel.  But alas, still no water in the ice maker.  I'll check it again after work.

Joel Ashley

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Re: GETTING WATER OUT OF ICE MAKER ON SHUTDOWN
« Reply #4 on: June 09, 2011, 10:46:17 PM »
Yes, the valve handles in the box follow standard procedure and need to be in line with their hoses to be "on", and perpendicular (90 degrees) to them to be "off".  A quarter turn is all that is needed.

If you open the outside access door behind the refrigerator, Keith, you may be able to locate the icemaker's on/off solenoid.  If it's like mine, it will have a 1/4" line going in one side of it, and one coming out.  When the icemaker cycles and calls for water to fill the tray, a switch activates the solenoid's valve, allowing water to flow into the icemaker itself.  

You could pull off the hose from the "in" side of the solenoid with your fingers, aim it to the ground, have the Mrs. turn on the water pump, and see if water flows out.  If it does, you're okay from the water pump up to that point.  Turn off the pump.  Replace that hose.  If you have the refer/icemaker manual that shows you how to force an ice cycle, follow the instructions (with persistance, you may be able to find those instructions on the refer manufacturer's website online).  Remove the line on the solenoid's "out" side, aim it to the ground, turn on the pump again, and force an ice cycle to turn on the solenoid.  If water flows, then the solenoid valve is okay, and you should get water in the ice maker when the outlet hose is reattached.  But if the solenoid valve isn't getting an electric signal from the icemaker, then something is haywire electrically.  

Keep in mind, the icemaker side of the refrigerator requires AC to run, not 12v. DC.  And our refer won't run off the inverter either - it draws too much juice;  you're either on gas, generator, or plugged in.  The icemaker won't work if you are just on gas - it needs 110v AC.  And it has a seperate cord that needs plugging into an outlet in addition to the refer's cord;  check that both are in their outlets behind the outside refer access door.  

Also, the solenoid may have heat tape around it to help prevent wintertime freezing of the valve;  if that ever failed, your solenoid may be damaged from freezing and need replacing.  I usually take extra steps to drain and blow out the solenoid and attendant lines when winterizing, just in case.  But some pump RV antifreeze into the icemaker instead.

Hope there is something in all this that helps.

-Joel
« Last Edit: June 09, 2011, 10:57:53 PM by 77 »
Joel and Lee Rae Ashley
Clackamas, Oregon
36.9 ft. 2006 Monterey Ventura IV, aka"Monty Rae"
C9 400HP Cat