KUIC18NNTB2 Undercounter Ice Machine won't make Ice.

[aerovette99]

Hello.  I'm working on this Kitchen Aid Ice machine for a customer and I'm having a few issues.  Customer did cleaning, then no ice production.  After entering diagnostic mode, I concluded that the Evaporator thermister was bad, as was the water level sensor, as the ground wire was broken off.  All diagnostic fields are clear with no indication of issue.  Still no ice. In diagnostic mode, the evaorator plate was -2 to  4 degrees. Ice pattern was formed.  Once I put it into ice making mode (normal operation), with cold water flowing freely and abundantly over the evaporator plate, the plate only got to 56 degrees at coldest. I considered that one of the relays on the control board might not have been functioning. I replaced the board (WPW10141364).  Still no ice, and evaporator plate froze to 0 degrees (f) in diagnostic mode, but 56 degrees in normal operation mode.

Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[MrApplianceMatt]

It is entirely possible that you have a refrigerant leak. Was water running over the plate in diagnostic? I've had a few of these develop leaks after the customer cleans it. The chemicals will exacerbate microfractures in the evaporator in older units and can cause slow leakage. Check the temp at the condenser when running. The compressor only runs one speed and it will run until the evap thermistor says stop. I would bet that if you were to check it over the course of the next few days you would notice a decay in the performance. Basics: Compressor runs, condenser fan runs, condenser clean, no ice. Looks like sealed system issue. Good luck and let us know what happens.

[aerovette99]

Thank you so much for the input. If there was a leak would the evap plate get down to -2 degrees in diagnostic mode? 

[aerovette99]

Thank you so much for the input. If there was a leak would the evap plate get down to -2 degrees in diagnostic mode? The plate won't get down to even 50 while water is running. I reached under while it was running and the left side was cold, but I couldn't get my thermal gun to angle to get a good temperature 

[ServiceTech_Daniel]

It's possible you have a bad compressor. It might have lost it's compression , i changed out a compressor on a KA Ice machine recently where the compressor would come on, there would be a full but thin frost pattern on the evaporator . but it wasnt getting cold enough to make ice. Changed out the compressor , all fixed 

 

[aerovette99]

12 minutes ago, ServiceTech_Daniel said:

It's possible you have a bad compressor. It might have lost it's compression , i changed out a compressor on a KA Ice machine recently where the compressor would come on, there would be a full but thin frost pattern on the evaporator . but it wasnt getting cold enough to make ice. Changed out the compressor , all fixed 

 

Thanks Daniel. I'm still wondering why the plate gets down to sub zero degrees in diagnostic mode but not in normal mode.