Whirlpool R-106 Training Manual page 28

If the cubes vary in size, insure that the refrigerator is leveled properly. Uneven cubes
may be caused by either the front of the icemaker being higher or lower than the back
and most of the water collecting at the low end of the icemaker. Leveling the refrig-
erator will cure the problem.
If all the cubes are the same size but smaller than they should be, check for one of
the following:
Kinked or crushed water line- Has the customer moved the refrigerator lately to
clean under it? If so, it's possible that when the unit was pushed back the refrigerator
rolled over the water line and kinked it.
Plugged filter- Most water filters are designed to be replaced about every six months
or after filtering about 400 gallons of water (newer models are rated for 1 year or
800 gallons). Under certain water conditions, however, the filter may need replace-
ment sooner than recommended. If the customer fails to change the filter at the re-
quired time, or if the filter is exposed to very harsh water conditions, the filter may get
plugged.
If the refrigerator has a water dispenser, a quick way to check water volume is to dis-
pense water into an 8 oz. glass. It should take 15 seconds or less to fill the glass. If
this test fails, remove the filter and repeat the test with filter bypass in place. If the
glass now fills in the correct time, the filter is plugged. If not, the problem is else-
where in the water supply.
Plugged filter screen on water valve- Repair of a broken water main in the area
may have introduced excessive debris (mud, sand) into the water. Water valves
come equipped with a mesh screen at the inlet to prevent debris from entering the
valve. If enough debris is introduced into the water, the screen could plug and reduce
the water flow to the icemaker.
The refrigerator is hooked up to a Reverse Osmosis filter- With America's grow-
ing obsession for clean water, consumers are installing reverse osmosis (RO) filters
in their homes. In a RO filter, water is forced through a membrane which traps all the
impurities in the water. On the other side of the membrane, the water is free of miner-
als and chemicals and is as close to pure water as you can get without distilling.
The purified water is stored in a small tank. Typically, the output of the tank is cou-
pled to special drinking water faucets in kitchens and bathrooms. Sometimes custom-
ers hook them up to their refrigerators in hopes of getting better tasting water and ice.
The problem is that the RO process results in a significant reduction in water pressure
and the pressure supplied to refrigerator could drop below the minimum requirements
for the water valve to operate properly.
Solenoid operated water valves will operate properly within a pressure range of 20-
120 PSI. Because the valve uses water pressure to help close it pressures below
20 PSI (30 PSI on filtered systems) could cause the valve to not close fully and allow
water to seep into the icemaker.
Likewise, pressures above 120 PSI could prevent the valve from opening. Water
pressure checks should be made while the system is under load. Take a static water
pressure reading and, with the pressure gauge still in place, open a couple of faucets
in the home. It's not uncommon for the static water pressure to be well above the
minimum but drop below 20 PSI when the demand on the supply increases. hollow
cubes indicate low water fill or defective thermostat
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