Side-by-side ice maker woes

[dalangdon]

I recently found an ice maker for my 70's era GE Avocado side-by-side refrigerator, but it's not working right. I think a big part of that might be because the fan/light cover is missing, which means that it is blowing water all over the place. Is there any validity to that theory?

I found a "universal" cover assembly, and apparently my refrigerator isn't from this universe. Any ideas as to where I could get one, or even what it looks like?

 

[goatfarmer]

IIRC, it was just a flat piece of opaque plastic

 

[combo52]

It looks like the icemaker is leaking, but I can’t tell which icemaker do you have in there? Need some decent pictures of the icemaker there are two different icemaker designs that will fit in this refrigerator.

That cover over the fan is necessary. It helps divert cold air into the refrigerator section. It won’t cool properly in the refrigerator section with that cover missing.

John L

 

[dalangdon]

It looks like the icemaker is leaking, but I can’t tell which icemaker do you have in there? Need some decent pictures of the icemaker there are two different icemaker designs that will fit in this refrigerator.

That cover over the fan is necessary. It helps divert cold air into the refrigerator section. It won’t cool properly in the refrigerator section with that cover missing.

John L

Thanks John, I'll be out there this weekend and will take better pictures. Any idea on where I could get that fan cover?

 

[dalangdon]

Here's the additional pictures. I don't think the icemake is leaking as much as when we tried to use it the fan blew water all over the place. I think I just need to thaw the thing out.

 

[phillymatt53]

A friend of mine bought a house in 1999 that had a side-by-side GE with that very same icemaker.
It never seemed to work right, and so he want to old school ice trays and shut off the water line and disabled the icemaker.
But that wasn't the end of his woes.......
The temp control went bad, twice, he lost food because of it.
Then the compressor failed, twice.
Out the door it went..... he got a new fridge.

 

[dalangdon]

I found a GE Americana that is being scrapped, and I think this cover might work. Not sure about the ice maker

 

[combo52]

GE side-by-side refrigerator icemaker problems

The plastic cover from the one you found will probably work you could also just make a plastic shield. I still can’t imagine the fan is actually blowing water out of the icemaker, but I’ve seen Stranger Things happen.

The side-by-side that you found that’s being junk still has the original GE style icemaker in it that made the little cylinder shape cubes. These made wonderful ice cubes but had all kinds of problems, but if the icemaker looks to be in great shape, it may fit in the refrigerator you’re trying to fix if you wanna fool around with it I’d be fun to try it.

Once the pattern’s expired on the whirlpool, compact crescent cube icemaker in 1984 GE paid a Japanese company to make a perfect copy of the whirlpool icemaker and it worked very well.

I have an entire collection of vintage icemakers from different refrigerators. there were some very unusual designs tried over the years, but one thing for sure icemakers are here to stay. It’s just too darn convenient and it uses less energy than using ice trays.

John L

 

[phillymatt53]

GE side-by-side refrigerator icemaker problems

The plastic cover from the one you found will probably work you could also just make a plastic shield. I still can’t imagine the fan is actually blowing water out of the icemaker, but I’ve seen Stranger Things happen.

The side-by-side that you found that’s being junk still has the original GE style icemaker in it that made the little cylinder shape cubes. These made wonderful ice cubes but had all kinds of problems, but if the icemaker looks to be in great shape, it may fit in the refrigerator you’re trying to fix if you wanna fool around with it I’d be fun to try it.

Once the pattern’s expired on the whirlpool, compact crescent cube icemaker in 1984 GE paid a Japanese company to make a perfect copy of the whirlpool icemaker and it worked very well.

I have an entire collection of vintage icemakers from different refrigerators. there were some very unusual designs tried over the years, but one thing for sure icemakers are here to stay. It’s just too darn convenient and it uses less energy than using ice trays.

John L

Hi John,
I suppose it takes a lot more energy filling up some old school icecube trays, and walking a couple of feet over to the freezer to put them in.
And then wiping the floor in case some water is spilled.
Oh, the inconvenience of it all.

 

[daveamkrayoguy]

For me, it’s the dispenser…

Ice just won’t go through it anymore…

No more crushed ice either… Which I liked getting…

Luckily I’ll get water, but cubes only, opening the door…

I love this fridge a lot, it’s big and keeps everything cold, freezes just right, too…

It needs a new cap for the filter, though… I don’t know how when I turned it, how a piece of it broke, so it won’t stay on tightly…

If I can go up to a discarded one, I could take the filter cap off of that one…

It’s hard to get the dust off the condenser, the inside needs a good, thorough cleaning, one freezer shelf corner broke, and I’ll never retrieve that french fry that fell between it and the stove before I put the appliances much more flush together, though a burn mark from a burner mars a portion of the side over it…

My daughter wants a french door with a middle slide out compartment that I’m praying won’t see the light of day here…

And hopefully I’ll always be able to get regular light bulbs for it…

Of which by now, all of them had to be replaced including a tubular at the top front of the fridge compartment reminiscent of the old ones, even in daylight but I think it’s a 60w as opposed to a more appropriate 40w appliance bulb or tubular 40w it had between this one and the original afore mentioned…



— Dave

 

[dalangdon]

Update: the GE “junk” refrigerator turned out to be an AVOCADO (yes, I know!!!!) Americana!

Long story short, after a good clean-up, the Americana is our second fridge, and we figured out what was wrong with the icemaker. All is good.