Older TOL Wards 3-door SxS Fridge

[rp2813]

Hey there all you fridge fans! Here's one I've never seen before. I'm guessing it's late 70's or early 80's vintage. It has the 2-door freezer side so I suspect it's made by Frigidaire. It seems to be a deluxe model, large capacity with glass shelves in the fresh food section and opaque white plasticky ones on the frozen side. The ice maker is really weird looking and I suspect it no longer works, as the water supply has been disconnected. The cube tray is tiny and it appears it would produce tiny cubes (not crescents--yay!) about the size of bar ice. The tray appears to be on a central axis and I assume it flips over to empty the cubes into a bin.

This fridge is in a rental my partner's daughter just moved into. She and her BF were going to put this fridge out in the garage and buy a new one, but we plugged it in and it seems to work fine, although it does have an industrial-strength whirring and humming to it but no annoying compressor buzz. I'm sure it's way too big of an energy hog to use as a mostly empty 2nd fridge, it's got a huge capacity so it makes sense for them to just keep it as their main fridge.

Any suggestions on possible icemaker troubleshooting? As long as the fridge is keeping things cold, we might as well see if we can get the icemaker going.

Thanks for any advice,

Ralph

 

[selectomatic]

If you can find a model number, that would be helpful.

-kevin

 

[rp2813]

I'll see what I can find on the fridge for a model number. When I was over there painting I didn't have a lot of time to search for the model info. It might be a while before I get back over there to check again.

 

[pdub]

It sounds like an IMK-8 ice maker. I have one of these and it works fine and makes great ice. Does it have a cube level control knob on the front? Does the box to catch the ice sit under it loosely or slide into a weight sensing holder? If it's working it should go through it's cycle whether it has water connected to it or not. You can hear it when the tray snaps to eject the ice and you should also hear the water valve solenoid buzz when it opens to fill the tray. Check the wiring harness that comes out of the back and goes down underneath to make sure everything is still connected. Let me know if you have any questions and I'll see if I can help.

Patrick

 

[coldspot66]

Sounds like an Admiral/Norge sxs with the twist tray icemaker.

 

[goatfarmer]

It's either a Frigidaire, or an Admiral built 'fridge. Both had 3 doors available, and sold them to Wards.

kennyGF

 

[rp2813]

John, it could be an Admiral/Norge since Wards did seem to have a love affair with Norge. I just thought the only 3-doors were made by Frididaire.

Patrick, I have not seen or heard any evidence of operation with this icemaker. It has what appears to be the typical lever/bar that you raise up when you want to stop operation, but it doesn't lock into the "up" position. That seems to make sense given your advice that the maker will continue to operate even without a water connection. I didn't notice a cube level control but will check again. So rather than a raised bar, is there a weight-controlled on/off switch for this thing?

I'll be considered crazy by my partner and others if I get too involved in trying to get the icemaker working, but will check a few things out next time I have access to the fridge. I'd like to see the type of cubes it produces.

Thanks for all the advice provided so far!

Ralph

 

[rocketeer500]

Admiral 3-door

I had one in a condo that I bought years back. I got it used from a couple that had it for about 15 years before me. Me and my partner used it for about 5 years without a problem. But yes, it's a real energy hog. A quarter of our electric bill went to keep it running (that was early 1990 dollars).

The only reason why we don't have it now is that when moving.... somebody thought HE could move it HIMSELF and dropped it down a flight of stairs..... not a pretty sight.

I got over the loss (sniff) after awhile..... hope you get the ice maker to work.

 

[hydralique]

Better hope it's a Frigidaire

My parents bought an Admiral built MW side by side back in the '70s. It was a high-line model, but had numerous failures the first year, including needing a new compressor. Once it was fixed under warranty it then worked for the next 25 years with no further issues, but it never, ever had a good freezer. It was just good enough to justify keeping it. Eventually they remodeled the kitchen and oh was my mother happy to get her new GE and see the MW carted off.

Before putting much time and money into this box I'd check it thoroughly and make sure it is worth the expenditure.

 

[rp2813]

Since this fridge is in a rental, there won't be much money thrown at it. If some tinkering can get the icemaker working, fine, otherwise they'll have to fill their own ice trays. I can tell this fridge is a major hog just from its vintage and because it sounds so huge when it runs. I presume the first electric bill will indicate just how bad it really is.

Ahhh, another dissatisfied Wards appliance customer directly above this post. I suspect that would constitute the world's largest support group if one was ever assembled.

 

[rp2813]

Case Closed

Guys, they went to Sears and bought a new SxS. They're getting rid of the MW fridge. I kind of had a feeling things would go this direction. Hopefully the MW will be picked up by a used appliance dealer who will consider it a saleable item.