Hello Dreamers, My husband, Henry and I just bought a 2005 Holiday Rambler and we are so excited! We are hoping to go full time in the very near future. We took the Rambler to Cloudland Canyon this past weekend since it is just a couple of hours away, so we could check out everything and try our hand out at our first motorhome experience. Everything went very well.....until.....we decided to go for an extended hike and our friends recommended that we turn off the water supply while we were gone. When we got back and turned the water back on, the ice maker no longer worked. It was working before we left for the hike. Upon reading the manual, it states that turning off the water supply could permantly damage the ice maker. Has anyone else heard of this happening to the Norcold brand refrigerator and could it possibly work again after it has defrosted? Any recommendations? If the ice maker is permanently damaged, we are not too heartbroken. It takes up half of the freezer, and we could probably make better use of that space. Thanks for your input... Scamp (The Yahoo Ramblers)
NorCal Dan said
02:03 AM Jul 23, 2009
I am no expert, but if this happened to me here is what I would do...
1. Check that the ice maker is not shut off. On ours, there is an arm on the unit in the freezer, if it's lifted up then the ice maker is disabled.
2. Check power to the ice maker. Mine has an ordinary looking power plug like you would find on any electrical appliance like a lamp. Make sure the outlet is working and that all wiring is in good shape. Mine plug is outside in the lower refrigerator vent because my refrigerator is mounted in a slideout. If there is a access cover below your refrigerator I would try looking there first. If no power check breakers and GFI interrupts.
3. Check that water is making it to the ice maker. When we bought our coach I couldn't get water to the ice maker. My dealer traced out the water line and discovered a valve that wasn't in the coach drawings. You didn't mention if you had any other water problems after you returned from your hike.
I doubt that you damaged the ice maker by turning off the water. It took me over a month to figure out what was wrong with mine and it was on the whole time with no water.
ahoweth said
05:35 AM Jul 23, 2009
I also doubt that you would have done any damage to the ice maker by turning off the water supply. We do it all the time and have done it on 6 different RVs. We do not want to return after an adventure away from the coach and find water running everywhere.
First you should know that an ice maker in an RV refrigerator is no different from an ice maker in a home type refrigerator. They are exactly the same units and the parts are the same. No special parts for an RV ice maker.
The trouble shooting suggestions previously stated are right on. Remember the ice maker will not work without 120 volts AC power. It is not a 12 volt device. So if you do not have shore power and your inverter is not on, you will get no ice from it. The AC voltage does not cool the refrigerator unless you have it on AC but it is essential to the ice maker. The ice maker needs the AC voltage to work its heating unit. The heating unit is on for a short time to melt the ice cube or crescents free from the freezing tray so that they can be dumped.
Be sure to check the plastic lines that provide the water. These lines age and become brittle. If they break the water intended for the ice maker will go somewhere else. Also check the ice maker water valve. It is exactly like the ones used on home refrigerators. Some times the screen in it will become clogged preventing water from passing through it. You will have to take the valve apart to find it but it isn't a big deal. It will be right behind the incoming water line.
Scamp said
10:18 AM Jul 23, 2009
Ahoweth,
"Some times the screen in it will become clogged preventing water from passing through it."
I think you might have something there. I just remembered that we connected a new outside water filter to the water supply hose and when I flushed the toilet, it was black due to the carbon. I am now thinking that we need to check the screen you are referring to and hopefully that will correct the problem. Thanks!!! Scamp (The Yahoo Ramblers)
Luvglass said
06:11 PM Jul 23, 2009
I've done that too. You should always purge a new filter before hooking it up to the trailer to get all the loose carbon out.
My husband, Henry and I just bought a 2005 Holiday Rambler and we are so excited! We are hoping to go full time in the very near future. We took the Rambler to Cloudland Canyon this past weekend since it is just a couple of hours away, so we could check out everything and try our hand out at our first motorhome experience. Everything went very well.....until.....we decided to go for an extended hike and our friends recommended that we turn off the water supply while we were gone. When we got back and turned the water back on, the ice maker no longer worked.
Thanks for your input...
Scamp (The Yahoo Ramblers)
"Some times the screen in it will become clogged preventing water from passing through it."
I think you might have something there. I just remembered that we connected a new outside water filter to the water supply hose and when I flushed the toilet, it was black due to the carbon. I am now thinking that we need to check the screen you are referring to and hopefully that will correct the problem.
Thanks!!!
Scamp (The Yahoo Ramblers)