Is your ice maker constantly building frost or getting frozen?
It can be incredibly frustrating when you want a cold drink on a hot day, but everything is frozen or covered with frost inside your Samsung refrigerator?
Luckily, there are a few ways you can troubleshoot and possibly fix your ice machine before calling a repairman or getting a new refrigerator.
This article gives you tips on how to diagnose and fix your ice maker and enjoy the ice without frustration and weekly ice cleaning chore!
IMPORTANT: IF YOU CANNOT OPEN THE ICE BUCKET AND/OR CAN VISUALLY SEE FROST OR ICE INSIDE THE ICE-MAKER COMPARTMENT SKIP TO SECTION B.
SECTION A
1. THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW.
Make sure your ice maker is turned on at both the panel and the ice maker on/off switch.
Also, check to make sure the door switch isn't malfunctioning. Make sure your freezer temperature is set to 0 degrees.
Make sure the fill tube, ice mold, or ice dispenser isn't clogged or there aren't any frozen mechanical parts.
Make sure your water line isn't leaking or clogged. Check to make sure your water filter isn't clogged or needs replacing! (This also can prevent it from working)
2. MAKE SURE THE ICEMAKER IS TURNED ON.
The on/off switch is usually located on the refrigerator panel.
If the "Ice Maker Off" icon is lit up, press and hold it for about 3 seconds to turn it on or shut it off.
Also there should be a test button located somewhere on your ice maker.( mostly on the right side of your ice-maker )
You may need to remove the ice bucket to access it. Press and hold the test button until you hear a chime.
Reinstall the ice bucket and wait for the test to complete.
It'll take about 6 minutes. You will hear a chime when the test is complete.
3. MAKE SURE THE INFRARED BEAM IS NOT DISTRACTED.
Ice-makers have an infrared beam that senses when the ice is full.
Make sure there is no stray ice blocking the infrared beam by pulling the tray out and visually inspecting it.4. MAKE SURE THE ICE BUCKET IS INSERTED PROPERLY AND NOTHING IS CLOGGED.
If the ice tray isn't inserted all the way in, the ice-maker may not produce ice.
Make sure the ice tray is inserted all the way in and latching shut.
Also check inside the ice maker to make sure there isn't any ice obstructing the ice tray or sensor area.
Make sure there is no ice blockage in the chute, mold, or icemaker air flow.
Clear out any ice clogging the dispenser with a plastic tool or allow your freezer to defrost. (Recommended)
You can also use a hair dryer to defrost any ice that is clogging the ice-maker if you find any.
5. CHECK THE PRESSURE.
The water dispenser should be able to fill 3/4 cups (6 ounces) in less than 15 seconds.
You can use a measuring cup to check the water pressure.
If the water pressure isn't strong enough, there could be a problem with the water line, valve, faucet, filter housing or water filter.
6. CHECK TO SEE IF THE WATER FILTER NEEDS TO BE REPLACED.
You should change your water filter every 6 months. If you do not, the water filter may become clogged
With sediment which will restrict the proper water flow to the ice-maker.
Check the documentation that came with your refrigerator to learn where the water filter is located and how to change it.
Some after-market filters may not work as well as the ones that originally came with your refrigerator.
Make sure you get a quality water filter that is right for your refrigerator model.
7. CHECK FOR ERROR CODES.
If there are any error codes on the refrigerator panel, they give you an idea what is wrong with the
Refrigerator and what needs to be looked at.
You can check error codes for a Samsung refrigerator by using the specific appliance details.
NOTE: After performing all of the above troubleshooting, you may need to wait up to 12/24 hours for ice
Reproduction.
If there is no frost and no ice inside the ice bin after 48 hours it may indicate a different problem or another issue is present in which case we suggest getting a professional diagnose of the unit!
SECTION B
If you are experiencing one of the following symptoms with the ice-maker inside your Samsung (or Kenmore designed by Samsung) French doors refrigerator,
We strongly recommend installing an ice-maker repair kit which is designed to help keep the ice-maker compartment dry and prevent from freezing the moisture inside the ice compartment and will keep it clear from any ice or frost by drying out all moisture excesses from the compartment.
Most common Symptoms are:
- Frost or ice growing up inside the ice-maker compartment.
- Ice cubes get stuck on the top or sides of the ice-maker.
- Ice-maker fan making noise / ice or frost in the ice room fan motor.( error code )
- Frozen ice cubes /cannot open the ice door or remove the bin.
- Visible ice or frost at the very back of the ice-maker /ice room.
- Ice-maker covered with frost or ice. (Can be visible after removing the ice bin)
Note that the DA97-15217 unit is longer and features 10 ice cubes for full-depth Samsung refrigerators, and the DA97-13718C is for the shorter, counter-depth 6 cube model of ice maker.
To install the repair kit P/N ER17-00135V-ER or ER17-00150A-ER please follow this guide and identify which kit is suitable for your model! (Very important!)
- KIT P/N- ER17-00135V-ER is designed for counter depth models. (For counter-depth models use shorter ice-maker (6-8 cubes) P/N-DA97-13718C)
- KIT P/N - ER17-00150A-ER is designed for standard size models. (Full-depth models use longer ice-maker (10 cubes) P/N-DA97-15217)
FOR BEST PERFORMANCE PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU ORDERING THE CORRECT KIT FOR YOUR MODEL OR CONTACT THE DEALER FOR ASSISTANCE.
1. First step unplug the refrigerator for at least 24 hours or use hair dryer to defrost all possible ice and prevent any damage to internal parts while disassembling it. (Use some towels as it may be leaking water)
After making sure the refrigerator is completely defrosted remove the ice bin and empty it out, if any ice is still present use a hair dryer to defrost the ice and dry the area.
2. Remove the white plastic cover from the left ice room wall to expose ice-maker connectors by removing the white screw on the middle of the cover on your left side and using a screwdriver to release the lock located behind the small hole in the plastic cover.
3. Remove the white screw from the bottom left of your ice-maker to release the bottom cover of the icemaker and expose the refrigerator cooling tube.
IMPORTANT: The cooling tube contains refrigerant and needs to be removed extremely gentle to avoid any bending or damage to the tube. (Damaging the tube will lead to a very expensive repair of the unit)
4. After removing the ice-maker screw, open the bottom cover of the icemaker by replacing the cover holder /stopper on the right side of the ice-maker, disconnect the ice-maker connector from the wall socket.
Once the cover is open and the connector disconnected, lower by around 1 inch the cooling tube and separate it from the icemaker by using a flat screwdriver.
Make sure to press the white clip located at the very back top of the ice-maker and pull it towards you to remove the ice-maker assembly.
5. Disconnect the auger motor connector and pull it out while lifting up the plastic stopper at the very front of the auger motor assembly.
After removing the auger motor assembly, the fan motor cavity will become accessible.
6. Install the proper drying pad kit inside the ice room fan motor cavity by removing the 3M protective film from the back of the pad and securing it with the metal spring /holder provided with the kit.
NOTE: The pad needs to be installed and secured inside the fan motor cavity. The electrical wires will be sided to the side of the ice-maker /ice room.
7. The electrical wires need to be connected to the same color wires on the wire harness that goes from the ice-maker to the refrigerator wall socket.
- Grey wire will be connected to the grey wire and the white wire will be connected to the white wire on the wire harness coming from the ice-maker by using provided t-Tap /quick connectors in the kit and making sure
The red wire ends are inserted properly all the way into the crimped t-Tap connector.
8. T-tap connectors need to be crimped by using pliers on the grey and white wires at any available spot for easy further connection.
NOTE: After installing the pad and connecting the wires to the icemaker harness, we strongly recommend double checking all the installation and connection steps or testing the same grey and white wires from the ice-maker harness connector for resistance reading (anywhere between 25 to 50 Ohm is ok for both models) by using a multimeter. (For more professional users)
9. Reinstall the icemaker and all the covers back to place and plug the refrigerator back into the wall for the next 24 hours to reach its working temperature and start making ice.
After completing all these steps and installing the drying pad properly, you can enjoy the quiet operation and always full ice bin!
For any other questions or assistance, please contact your local dealer.