Kitchenaid Free Standing Ice Machine

[joinerd]

So our under counter ice machine has been great until two weeks ago.  The unit fills with water, but the pump never engages, so water isn't circulated over the freeze plate to make ice.  Does anyone have an idea where to start testing?  I disassembled and was able to spin the pump with my fingers, but when reassembled, turned on, when water fills tank, only a click is heard and pump never starts.  Our unit is a model KUIV18NNMM0.  Any help is greatly appreciated.      

[Hiroshi]

You should test for voltage to the pump motor: begin by inspecting the plastic pump plug for corrosion( common in a moist area like this), If the wires are showing any green residue- clean the contact surfaces or hardwire around the plug.  Then, meter for 120VAC across the blue and white leads... If you hear the 'click' of the board relay, but get no voltage, I would remove the main board a look for a burnt solder joint at the pump relay. If you get 120vAC to the pump motor windings with no movement, replace the pump.

Part number: WP2217220

[joinerd]

Thank you very much.  I unplugged pump and inserted probes into blue and white.  Turned ice maker on - water filled and when I heard a click, the meter jumped to 115.6.  I'm guessing this means the board is good, the pump is bad and I need to get a replacement ordered ASAP.

[Hiroshi]

Boo ya!  Nice work

[joinerd]

replaced unit and all seemed great for a while.  Sometimes the unit makes ice and sometimes it doesn't.  However, pump always works.  I've also noticed the cutter doesn't do the best job.  Am I looking at replacing the control board?  any advice on what/how to test?   

[Hiroshi]

Clean it with the approved fluid to keep the evaporator plate and circulation parts nice and clean... Part number: 4396808

 

A common problem is a broken wire on the cutting grid, this will cause the upper or lower level of the grid not to heat-up and it will take and agonizingly long time for the ice to pass through the grid... If you touch the wires of the grid, they should feel warm to the touch. Removing it is pretty easy for a visual inspection.

Edited February 27, 2017 by Hiroshi

[joinerd]

So the unit isn't making ice because the evaporator plate is dirty?  I cleaned it back in January (do January and July) with the white bottle of Kitchenaide icemachine cleaner.   The pump fills water to the resoivor and then circulates water over the plate.  

[Hiroshi]

Is the evaporator plate getting cold enough? If not, is the compressor running?

[joinerd]

Here's what's interesting - the unit has been unplugged for several days.  Plug it back in and it works for a couple of days.  The ice bin never gets full, but it does make ice.  When it quits, I don't feel any heat coming off the compressor through the bottom vents.  Any other ideas?

[Hiroshi]

How much ice does it make in the two day period it runs for? These generally take a few days to have a full bin and it is constantly melting, especially when you start them up after being at room temp.

Sounds like the control board is struggling... test the evaporator and bin thermistors, and if they check good, I would replace the main control board.

@70 degrees F the thermistors should read  10,280 - 12,564 ohm's resistance

[joinerd]

Thank you very much for the help.  Can you share where to find as well as best way to test the evaporator and bin thermistors?  Also may as well include link to the control board.  Living without our ice machine is not fun.  

[joinerd]

Thank you very much for the help.  Can you share where to find as well as best way to test the evaporator and bin thermistors?  Also may as well include link to the control board.  Living without our ice machine is not fun.  

[Hiroshi]

The bin thermistor is a rod mounted along the right side of the ice bin itself. The evaporator thermistor is about 1.5 inches long and is clipped to the refrigerant tubing under the "cold plate" where the ice sheets are formed...

 

Part number: WP2304016

Edited March 15, 2017 by Hiroshi

[Hiroshi]

On 3/7/2017 at 4:52 PM, Hiroshi said:

@70 degrees F the thermistors should read  10,280 - 12,564 ohm's resistance

you need a multi-meter to test the resistance of the thermistors, just poke one probe into each of the two connector openings and compare ( be sure you don't bend the metal and create a poor connection issue)... the two parts are of different shape, but should have the same resistance if they are allowed to sit together at room temp.