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The icemaker was leaking water into the freezer, causing the freezer to be covered inside with ice.
The actual repair was a snap. However, be sure you check to make sure all of the parts are there. The two electrical adapter/connectors were missing from the water valve package, so I could not complete the job until a new valve could be shipped. The two adapters are essential to proper operation of the water valve. New ones arrived in 3 days.
DISASSEMBLY:
1. Unplug the refrigerator.
2. Shut off the water supply to the icemaker.
3. Remove the screws holding the cardboard cover onto the lower back side of the refrigerator, using a nut driver.
4. Disconnect the water supply line from the top of the water valve.
5. Remove the screw holding the water valve bracket onto the back of the refrigerator.
6. Unscrew the two water feed tubes from the water valve (one goes to the icemaker and one to the cold water dispenser).
7. Pull the two electrical connectors straight out of the back of the water valve. They are color-coded, but it won't hurt to label them with a small piece of masking tape.
NOTE:
Since I wanted this to be fixed and to not have to deal with it for years to come, I also replaced the plastic tubing running up the back of the refrigerator, the grommet that goes through the back of the refrigerator into the freezer compartment, and the water tube the pours water into the icemaker's tray - and it was well worth the few extra dollars and 10 extra minutes of work. To do this part:
1. Inside the freezer section, loosen the two screws holding the icemaker to the back of the freezer (you do not need to remove the screws, but it won't hurt anything if you do remove them).
2. Slide the icemaker upward until it clears the two screws enough that you can set the icemaker out of the way.
3. Grasp the 1/2-inch plastic tube that points toward the front of the freezer and pull it toward you until it comes out.
4. At the back of the refrigerator, pull out the plastic grommet that held the tube you just removed, near the top of the refrigerator.
5. Remove the thin water tube that runs from the water valve up the back of the refrigerator to the grommet.
ASSEMBLY:
1. Basically, reverse the order of disassembly.
CONCLUSION:
It took longer to type the instructions than it would have taken to do the job. If only the elctrical connectors had been there the first time.
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Water leak from cracked icemaker water line
This repair was done on a 13 year old fridge. Within the last several years I had to replace the Incoming Water Line twice, the line from the Inlet Water Valve to the Dispenser Water Reservoir, and this time the Icemaker Water line. These were all due to the plastic tubing hardening and becoming brittle from the heat of the compressor.
For this repair, I not only replaced the cracked Icemaker Line, I replaced the Incoming Water Line with copper, and replaced the Dispenser Water Reservoir. If you have a leak in one of the plastic water lines around the Valve Assembly, I recommend you do the same.
The Icemaker Water Line instructions from Stephen from Raleigh was very helful and complete.
I found Scot from Fort Collin's instructions on replacing the Reservoir very helpful too. Although I found his comment that one line was too short, to not be the case. In fact I had to trim both lines because they were too long.
Scott from South Lake Tahoe's suggestion to use the old Reservoir Lines to fish the new ones is good. I used duct tape to attach them together instead of drip irrigation fittings, and it worked fine. It helps to have somebody at the back of the fridge to pull the line while you push it from inside the fridge.
The line to the door connection can be accessed by removing the grill at the bottom of the front of the fridge.
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Your water valve could have a slow leak causing it to build up ice where the grommet and fill tube meets. I would check that, and if I didn't see any building up, I would try replacing the fill tube. The fill tube and grommet, should be tight enough not to move a 1/2 inch. There is no pressure when the water comes into icemaker to make it move or spray water, unless there is a blockage somewhere. This is why I'm saying your valve might be leaking slowly.Replace the valve only, if there is same problem after replacing grommet.
The water valve is located on the rear bottom of the fridge (not near the grommet) and has a plastic water line running up the back of the fridge and it then connects to the grommet. Because of its location if it was leaking water would be on the floor.
