# Icemaker Woes **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 9, 2010, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/icemaker-woes/549650 "2010-08-09T00:38:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2010, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/icemaker-woes/549650/1 "2010-08-09T00:38:26Z")
It looks like my icemaker is toast. No new ice after I emp[tied it out a few days ago. I even tried ‘priming’ its cells with water. It starts to freeze then it’s water again, freeze, water. WTF? ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2010, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/icemaker-woes/549650/2 "2010-08-09T03:20:20Z")
The intake line may be freezing over. You could try blowing a hair dryer up and down the tube in the back of the fridge. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2010, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/icemaker-woes/549650/3 "2010-08-10T03:22:21Z")
Are you saying that the thing is not producing ice, but is instead perpetually freezing and thawing the same batch of water? The timer and/or the ice ejector motor is kaput. Just be glad that the thing is either sensing the mold is full and not letting in more water, or that the timer is not triggering the fill valve, or you’d have stalagmites of ice. The good news is that ice makers are usually pretty easy to swap- maybe three screws and an electrical plug. The bad news is they may or may not be cheap, depending on your particular fridge. Probably in the range of $100-200. Easiest place to look for a replacement is [www.SearsPartsDirect.com](http://www.SearsPartsDirect.com) ---
**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2010, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/icemaker-woes/549650/4 "2010-08-10T04:28:16Z")
> [@gotpasswords](#): > > Are you saying that the thing is not producing ice, but is instead perpetually freezing and thawing the same batch of water? Yup > [@](#): > > The timer and/or the ice ejector motor is kaput. Just be glad that the thing is either sensing the mold is full and not letting in more water, or that the timer is not triggering the fill valve, or you’d have stalagmites of ice. > > The good news is that ice makers are usually pretty easy to swap- maybe three screws and an electrical plug. The bad news is they may or may not be cheap, depending on your particular fridge. Probably in the range of $100-200. That makes sense. Can I be pretty sure it’s that and not the valve? ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2010, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/icemaker-woes/549650/5 "2010-08-10T05:28:41Z")
> [@DanBlather](#): > > It looks like my icemaker is toast. If your icemaker is making toast, yeah I’d say you got some real serious problems 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![crazyjoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f14d63/32.png) [@crazyjoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crazyjoe)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2010, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/icemaker-woes/549650/6 "2010-08-10T14:27:57Z")
I’m not sure why this is a problem with the icemaker itself and not the freezer. If the water keeps melting, doesn’t that suggest a problem with the freezer itself? ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2010, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/icemaker-woes/549650/7 "2010-08-10T15:45:06Z")
Just a quick hijack… I don’t have an icemaker, so use ice trays, etc. I’d like some sort of tool or device to easily and reliably turn ice cubes into crushed ice without having it fly all over the kitchen. Anybody have any ideas? My blender isn’t strong enough to do the job - it crushes most, but always leaves a few big chunks. In fact, what I want to do is to crush it to a uniform size BEFORE putting it in the blender. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2010, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/icemaker-woes/549650/8 "2010-08-10T15:52:15Z")
[QUOTE=DanBlather] That makes sense. Can I be pretty sure it’s that and not the valve? [/QUOTE] [QUOTE=crazyjoe] I’m not sure why this is a problem with the icemaker itself and not the freezer. If the water keeps melting, doesn’t that suggest a problem with the freezer itself? [/QUOTE] If the valve was not opening, then the mold would be empty. Other “differential diagnosis” items that would cause an empty ice mold are: Water shutoff valve closed, water filter clogged, water line kinked or clogged with sediment (common if the house has steel water pipes) or the ice maker is turned off. As for the melting - ice makers have internal mold heaters that melt the outer layer of the ice so it can be ejected from the mold. If the heater is staying on too long, or the ice is not vacating, it can completely melt the ice. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2010, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/icemaker-woes/549650/9 "2010-08-10T16:15:38Z")
> [@BrotherCadfael](#): > > Just a quick hijack… > > I don’t have an icemaker, so use ice trays, etc. I’d like some sort of tool or device to easily and reliably turn ice cubes into crushed ice without having it fly all over the kitchen. Anybody have any ideas? [Shop away!](http://icecrusher.org/) ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2010, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/icemaker-woes/549650/10 "2010-08-10T18:37:25Z")
> [@BrotherCadfael](#): > > Just a quick hijack… > > I don’t have an icemaker, so use ice trays, etc. I’d like some sort of tool or device to easily and reliably turn ice cubes into crushed ice without having it fly all over the kitchen. Anybody have any ideas? > > My blender isn’t strong enough to do the job - it crushes most, but always leaves a few big chunks. In fact, what I want to do is to crush it to a uniform size BEFORE putting it in the blender. You could crunch them up with your teeth. :D:o:eek:☹ ---
**Author:** ![crazyjoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f14d63/32.png) [@crazyjoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crazyjoe)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2010, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/icemaker-woes/549650/11 "2010-08-10T19:39:42Z")
> [@gotpasswords](#): > > If the valve was not opening, then the mold would be empty. Other “differential diagnosis” items that would cause an empty ice mold are: Water shutoff valve closed, water filter clogged, water line kinked or clogged with sediment (common if the house has steel water pipes) or the ice maker is turned off. You forgot one other, and that’s the solenoid dealio in the back of the fridge that controls the water inlet. Sometimes that goes bad. Maybe that’s part of the valve, I am not sure, but I had to replace mine a while back.