Disconnect the ice maker

[mayco]

Does anyone see a problem with disconnecting the waterline and fill valve and using just the refrigeration of the ice maker to store ice? Plug the waterline feed before the auto-fill valve and disconnect the positive side of electric?

[Smartstream]

Originally Posted by mayco

Does anyone see a problem with disconnecting the waterline and fill valve and using just the refrigeration of the ice maker to store ice? Plug the waterline feed before the auto-fill valve and disconnect the positive side of electric?

I disconnected mine because the cube maker mechanism didn't work. Don't usually put ice in my beer anyway. When I rebuilt my water system I put a valve behind the shower so that when I winterize I don't have to worry about water in the line to the ice maker. With the rear bath the water goes from the galley to the rear across the back and back forward to the ice maker. I'm not sure of the water routing on a center bath.

[mayco]

Good idea to use a valve rather than a plug to winterize it.

[Isuzusweet]

I'm not putting mine back. I pulled it out and was very surprised at how much that 1'x1' cold space weighed. That unit weighs 60 or 70 lbs. I'm turning that space into a pullout garbage and recycle drawer.
I'm going to take the line through the floor and put a valve on it.

[mayco]

Stupidly, i was assuming the refrigeration was 110v and the valve selenoid was low (12v). So i just unplugged the connector from the valve and will operate as is for now. Still like the idea of an inline valve before the the selenoid for winterizing though. I THOUGHT i had learned years ago to never assume anything when dealing with electricity........apparently not.

[mayco]

Well, i was defeated. This cant be done according to the uline tech. Sooooooo, i had to reinstall the ice maker back into the little freezer. Has something to do with a cycling control located in the ice maker head unit. I thought it may be as simple as bypassing a switch but apparently its more that. The tech said it cant be done and i dont have the skills to challenge that........now if was made out of wood...id have a chance. So the head unit went back in and wires spliced back to original and the unit is working great and cycling properly. I just wish there was more room in there to store a larger container for bagged ice. I did however find a pesky small propane leak in the refrigerator shut off valve so the effort of pulling out the ice maker from the cabinet was not a total waste of time. I had no idea where that leak was but i would occasionally smell the propane. Now ive solved it.....ye haw

[DA TAZ]

I replaced my ice maker with a kit from the appliance store 25 bucks works fine but just a little slower making cubes

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[mayco]

Good on ya there DA TAZ! I was trying to remove the ice maker head unit entirely and just use the little freezer for bagged ice. The reason for this is that my wife and i use bottled water for drinking and cooking. So i was trying to make more room in the little chest for "bagged" ice.

[woodja]

Our ice maker generally makes more ice than we can use so after I empty it into the cooler I frequently put a clothes pin on the wire bail so it won't cycle but stays on & cold. You just have to remember to start it up again. Pete

[mayco]

Woodja thats exactly what the tech at uline told me to do.