Looks Like I'll be Refrigerator Shopping

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remember that "Good Ol Sears" is made by Whirlpool, for which my ice maker in my Whirlpool reminds of the whirlpool in a porcelain device I also have. You would think if you drop >$1500 on fridge that the ice maker would not clog evertime you crush ice. If i need another fridge i may drop the cash to get a Viking.
 
Steve it could be the solenoid that controls the water flow. If it is leaking by, you won't find an external leak.

This is a very possible cause. The solenoid is very easy to access and to replace.
Pull out the fridge and see the water line. This water line goes directly to this solenoid valve.
Check here for the leak. While it pulled out check the plastic line that runs from the solenoid to the back of the freezer compartment.
Check each connection and the plastic water lines themselves.
If water is leaking on the floor, it will be accessible from the outside of the fridge.
Water bypassing (leaking by) this valve will over fill the ice maker inside the freezer and overflow into the freezer.
There is an adjustment for ice cube size. If its overfilling inside the freezer, it might just be overflowing the tray. This is easily corrected .
So is the water leaking from the inside or the outside?

As far as top freezer vs bottom freezer I am not so sure what to think.
Cold air settles and therefore it seems the top freezer would be more efficient. The fridge does use cold air from the freezer to cool the fridge.

But its the fridge part we use the most and not having to do a squat to get to my vegetable bins would be nice.
My wife wanted the bottom freezer with French doors last time we shopped for a fridge. I overruled her and we got the top freezer.
Its going strong now for 17 years with no issue other than the ice maker which I repaired with the help of YouTube. (There is a video for most any job around the house).
My fridge makes more ice than the manual says it will make. I can get a full ice bucket in less than 24 hours. Really full.
We must have an ice maker.
 
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I bought a used fridge from a very nice place, many moons ago. The guy who owned it always pulled out the ice makers out of any fridges that had them before selling. He was tired of the complaints, because ice makers break so easily.

Roll_Bones, I have seen documentaries that say a top freezer is a dumb idea. Heat rises, so it heats up the freezer (not much, but measurably). The drawer freezer at the bottom doesn't "lose as much cold" when opened as the door at the top. The cold air tends to settle in a drawer and fall out of the freezer with a door.
 
After reading these comments, I had to go check the manufacturer of my fridge ;) It's a Maytag. I really like it - we've had no issues since it was installed with our kitchen remodel seven years ago. We have an ice maker in the freezer, but no ice/water dispenser in the door. The salesman said that's the number one problem with fridges - it's another piece of machinery that can break down, and it takes up a lot of space inside the fridge.

Laurie, when we remodeled our kitchen, we ended up getting four different makes of appliances - fridge, range, microwave and dishwasher. They're all black, so they blend in together, and we just wanted to get the ones that matched our needs, not each other ;)

Although if I could do it again, I wouldn't get the Fisher & Paykel dish drawer. It's not deep enough for some of our plates and you can't wash platters or sheet pans in it. OTOH, you can wash more often because you can fill one drawer faster; that works for us since there's only the two of us.
 
My current fridge is a Maytag. The problem areas are the ice maker and interior lights.

After replacing the ice maker two times, I took it out and use ice cube trays that I fill manually. I'm getting tired of that too.

The lights in the fridge are up front and are partially in the path of tall items. They have plastic shields that get knocked off. They dislodge from the cabinet and hang down. I have to keep re-installing them.
 
My current fridge is a Maytag. The problem areas are the ice maker and interior lights.

After replacing the ice maker two times, I took it out and use ice cube trays that I fill manually. I'm getting tired of that too.

The lights in the fridge are up front and are partially in the path of tall items. They have plastic shields that get knocked off. They dislodge from the cabinet and hang down. I have to keep re-installing them.

I have no issues with the ice maker. The lights and control panel are front and center in my fridge, too, but it's tall enough, and the shelf is set, so that I can put shorter items there, like jams and jellies, cream cheese, Better than Bouillon, etc. And it's only in the middle - on the left side, it's taller. The shields have never come off of mine. I don't really notice it. Your fridge is twice as old as mine, so it seems they've made some improvements.
 
That sounds right.

This morning I was going to go shopping for the fridge W/O SO because she has work. She's also booked Saturday morning. After all, it's MY kitchen and we already agreed on the style. Color and size are predetermined by other appliances and space available. She corrected that misconception quickly and we will be shopping together when she gets back from her appointment.

That's actually fine with me because she provides a different perspective.
 
I hear ya. Mine's about the same age. Lately, the ice maker has developed a slow leak that requires periodic cleanup. If we go out of town for a few days I usually come back to a little puddle on the floor. I'll be darned if I can find the leak, though.

We got this refrigerator free as part of a rewards program from a company I used to work for, along with the stove and microwave oven. They're all the same brand (Kitchenaid) and from the same product line, so it's hard to retire one appliance without retiring them all.

So for now, I keep dealing with the drip until it gets to the point where frustration edges out inconvenience.
I thought my 5 year old 'fridge had had it when I found puddles of water on the floor until I traced the source to a blockage in the drain hole at the back. Got a piece of thin wire and gently poked around a bit, brought up a lump of gunge and all has been well since.
 
I did my research after I bought mine - so unlike me. The refrigerator reviews were not good, especially in reference to their service. We've been very pleased with the Bosch appliances we have (washer and dishwasher). I was happy with their spark plugs in my '71 VW, so I thought I'd give them a chance with the washer. :LOL: So happy we didn't even look much at other dishwashers when #1 died. Don't think they've been making 'fridges for long though, so I don't know how reliable they would be.

I hate my Bosch dishwasher. I had a new-ish cheap and cheerful Beko full-sized one at the other house but there wasn't room for it in the kitchen here so I thought I would go for high-end and bought a narrow Bosch. It's awful. It's supposed to hold 10 place settings. Yes, it probably does but even without plates, etc., it won't fit saucepans and mixing bowls because it doesn't have a removable plate rack which both my previous ones had, and there's no room for wine glasses even when the top basket is set on the low runners and the build quality is far inferior to the old Beko . I suppose I should have noticed this before I bought it but it doesn't wash very well either and I couldn't have known that.
 
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I bought a used fridge from a very nice place, many moons ago. The guy who owned it always pulled out the ice makers out of any fridges that had them before selling. He was tired of the complaints, because ice makers break so easily.

Roll_Bones, I have seen documentaries that say a top freezer is a dumb idea. Heat rises, so it heats up the freezer (not much, but measurably). The drawer freezer at the bottom doesn't "lose as much cold" when opened as the door at the top. The cold air tends to settle in a drawer and fall out of the freezer with a door.
And it's more efficient to have the part you use most often (ie the 'fridge) on top and the freezer which you open less frequently at the bottom.
 
I have a Kenmore portable dishwasher. It's the narrow size. It sounded like a good idea for just two people. We paid extra for it to be smaller. :wacko: It doesn't fit pots and pans very well. It's a nuisance. The best thing about it is that I use it as a movable island.
 
I thought my 5 year old 'fridge had had it when I found puddles of water on the floor until I traced the source to a blockage in the drain hole at the back. Got a piece of thin wire and gently poked around a bit, brought up a lump of gunge and all has been well since.

Thanks. I'll check that, as well as Craig's suggestion to inspect the solenoid.

I haven't even pulled it away from the wall yet. There is exactly 1/4 inch of space on each side where it fits tightly into its alcove, so I usually have to enlist the aid of the big guy who lives next door to wrestle it out.
 
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Steve. There are wheels on the back and if you are on a smooth surface, you may be able to pull it out yourself.
I can easily pull ours out myself.

There is no drain on our fridge that can be seen.
 
Steve. There are wheels on the back and if you are on a smooth surface, you may be able to pull it out yourself.
I can easily pull ours out myself.

There is no drain on our fridge that can be seen.

My Maytag is on rollers so it's easy to pull out of its slot for cleaning, etc.

QUESTION: This fridge used to have a working ice maker connected to the water supply with a coil of flexible copper tubing. When it failed for the last time, I disconnected the tubing from the fridge and just left it back there.
Will flushing it out with running water be adequate to clean it for ice cube making? The other end is still connected to the water supply.
 
Andy, where does the other end of that line connect? We have a wall-installed valve about 4 feet off the floor that runs the line to our icemaker. If we disconnect it from the fridge, the water drains out. Himself said if the line runs from the lower level and the water has stayed in the line he would blow the water out and sterilize it before reconnecting. If I had my choice I would just replace - copper or plastic, your choice.


...I haven't even pulled it away from the wall yet. There is exactly 1/4 inch of space on each side where it fits tightly into its alcove, so I usually have to enlist the aid of the big guy who lives next door to wrestle it out.
Steve, even I can pull my fridge out by myself because it's on wheels. I can't remember any refrigerator we've owned (since 1977) that didn't have wheels. Man up boy! ;) No offense :flowers:
 
...Himself said if the line runs from the lower level and the water has stayed in the line he would blow the water out and sterilize it before reconnecting. If I had my choice I would just replace - copper or plastic, your choice...

It runs up from the basement. I guess I'd better disconnect it and sterilize it. I'll look into what kind of line a new fridge takes before I do anything.

Thank your hubby for me.
 
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