9 replies to this topic

[IB4OU]

This fridge has the ice reservoir in the door. It makes ice fine so the reservoir stays full. The problem is that the motorized flapper/trap door that opens/closes to allow ice out of the reservoir and through the front of the freezer door seems to be failing. I think this trap door is not opening or properly allowing ice between the trap door and the reservoir to get stuck, melt, and then become a big glob that blocks ice from coming out. I constantly have to open the flapper and break the ice apart to clear it out and then it will work fine for a few hours.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[Budget Appliance Repair]

If you use only crushed ice you will see this problem quite a bit. I believe if you look at your owners manual it will tell you to make sure to alternate between using crushed and cubed ice and also to remove and empty the ice bucket and clean out any ice build up periodically.

In the crushed ice mode these units seem to crush the ice just a little to fine, (almost like snow cone ice), and it can build up in a snow pack in the opening of the ice crush area then freeze everything up.

Using cubed ice after crushed will help knock any build up of crushed/snow ice out of the ice chute area and help keep it cleared.

Edited by Budget Appliance Repair, 19 November 2011 - 06:02 AM.

[DurhamAppliance]

Yeah, I know your manual gave you that model number or you saw it on the side of the fridge door. But, in the future, you gonna have to stick your head inside the fridge and get the complete model number. I know, I know, it's a dirty job but someone's got to do it. In this case, it probably doesn't make a difference. But could cause a major problem in the future. Searching schematics with the info you provided yielded
(35) results found for model # gs6nbe

(11) results found for model # GF6NFE

that's 46 possible different types......that's more types than illustrated in this excerpt from the hit daytime drama "As the Appliantology World Turns"

Doctor: "The horror, the horror! Nurse, what happened?"
Nurse : "Well, I ordered the blood. I ordered blood type A"
Doctor: "But the patient is AB+!"
Nurse: "Yeah, A, AB, AB- ... it's in the same family. Don't tell me it makes a difference? Oh my Gaaaaawd!
Doctor: "Now your twin sister, who we all thought was you and we all thought died after her parachute didn't open but miraculously came back to life a year later, is now dead again. I, Dr. Iva Brightsmile, could have saved her.

Ominous Voice Over Person: "Was the death of Nurse Ratchet's sister accidental, or was it murder so Ratchet could inherit the Northland 72 inch fridge she coveted? Did Sensei Budget's advice work or could there have been a service bulletin that read 'use cubed ice after crushed ice EXCEPT for model GS6Nbexrao3 as doing so will cause complete and utter compressor meltdown'? Did Grasshopper have model GS6Nbexrao3? Stay tuned."

Edited by DurhamAppliance, 19 November 2011 - 08:24 AM.

[IB4OU]

Sorry, complete model # is GS6NBEXRL01. Dang Whirlpool for making me stick my head inside the fridge!

We rarely, if ever, use crushed ice. I'm almost positive this is a malfunction with the trap door (sorry I can't think of a better name for it) open mechanism. There are times when a glass is pressed against the pad to activate ice realease that this door will not even open even though the auger in the reservoir is working. That's when I have to open it manually and then break the glob of ice apart. It will then start working again. Then later in the day, the wife or kids will tell me it's not working again. Repeat cycle...

It seems that when the pad is pushed, the auger in the reservoir is activated and releases ice down to the trap door. Since the trap door isn't opening properly and the ice is no longer in the freezer it starts melting and turns into the large blob.

Thank you!

[Comstock_Services]

which part in this diagram looks like what you are calling the trap door?

[IB4OU]

I believe it's part # 6. I know for sure that it attaches to part # 7 and is opened and closed by the motor part # 5.

[Comstock_Services]

I'd remove the ice bucket on the door, clear out the ice chute, and in a semi dark room, shine a flash light down the ice chute, and observe from out side the door, if you can see the light from the flash light, then you have an air leak, causing the ice chute to freeze.

[IB4OU]

Do you know of any thing that would cause the door (part 6) or lever (part 7) to bind? If I remove the door and lever, the motor and cam (part 4) will turn to the open and closed positions normally. With the lever and door installed, it will open and close sometimes, but most of the time they will just remain in the closed position even though I can hear the motor trying to work.

I have cleaned out the chute and the pad that is on the backside of the door but it didn't seem to help. Also, I removed the cam and the door will open and close freely. I'm not sure where or how it's binding up.

I posted a couple of videos on youtube that might help show what I'm talking about. If you turn the sound up you can hear the motor trying to work. Sorry for the video orientation, It was my first upload.

Video with door installed:


Video with door removed:

[Comstock_Services]

it almost sounds like the motor gears are stripped out. There is not that much tension on the spring, for the chute door. From what I see it looks like the motor itself has failed internally. I would try a new motor, to see if that will resolve the opening problem.

As far as the ice chute getting frozen up, were you able to check the seal of the chute door?

[IB4OU]

There's not a spring at all for the chute door. From what I can tell it just relies on the motor to close the door tight enough so that the pad on the backside of the door seals with the plastic of the chute. I did shine a flashlight down the chute and there is a bit a light of shining through. So I'm thinking of getting a new door and motor unless you have any other suggestions.

Thank you very much for your help!