How To Fix A Portable Ice Maker

How to Fix a Whirlpool Ice Maker That's Leaking

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It's frustrating when your ice maker is leaking water.

It's messy, causes damage to your home and appliances, and affects the amount of ice your unit will produce. It's important to find the root issue and solve it right away.

In this article, I will give you the most common reasons why Whirlpool Ice Makers Leak and the simple fix to get you back in the business of making ice.

I also want to introduce you to our friends at Repairclinic.com, who provide great advice and affordable replacement products for all the appliances in your home. You can click on the link above and check them out. You can search for the model number of your appliance and find the correct replacement part to fix your issue on their website.

Related: How to Reset Your Whirlpool Ice Maker

Every Whirlpool Ice Maker is different, so it's important to check your manual to find the location of each part and the model number to ensure you're purchasing the proper part.

Let's begin.

1. The Inlet Valve in Your ice Maker is Damaged

If you have a water drop from the spout inside the freezer of your Whirlpool Fridge and find that the drip stops when you turn the supply water off, then it's probably a faulty water inlet valve.

The water inlet valve is what draws the water into the ice maker, and stops the intake of water when the ice maker has enough water to begin the process. If your intake valve is damaged, the ice maker will leak because it's getting far too much water. The excess water will begin to drip inside your freezer.

You have to fix the drip right away because not only is it a mess, it can also damage something else in your Whirlpool Refrigerator.

Note : For parts and help with appliance repairs, check out: RepairClinic.com. Just use their easy-to-use website to look up your appliance using your model number and always get the correct part (this time, the water inlet valve) to correct the leak.

If you do not purchase the correct inlet valve, then it's going to leak even more.

To replace the inlet valve just pull your refrigerator out from the wall and turn off your water supply to the refrigerator. Next, remove the water supply line and unmount the water valve from the refrigerator. You will then need to remove the electrical connectors and tubing (make sure you mark where they go so that you can return them in their proper place), and install the new inlet valve. You can check your manual for the location and more information about the inlet valve on your Whirlpool Refrigerator. If you do not feel comfortable removing the inlet valve yourself, you can always call an appliance repairman to give you a hand.

You can learn more about replacing your water inlet valve on RepairClinic.com.

2. The Whirlpool Ice Maker Is Damaged

If the ice maker is leaking inside the freezer, but it stops leaking when you lift the control arm, it is probably a strong indication that your ice maker is faulty and will need to be replaced.

Over time, an ice maker will leak due to the wearing of the circuit board contacts. The only way to solve this problem is to install a new ice maker.

You can notice here an example of a whirlpool ice maker on Amazon. It's best to use RepairClinic.com and search for the exact match of Ice Maker for your model of refrigerator.

I added a video below with information on how to properly replace a Whirlpool Ice Maker.

To remove the ice maker from your Whirlpool Refrigerator, you'll first have to locate it. Depending on the model of your fridge, it could be in different locations. You can use your manual to help you locate it, though it shouldn't be difficult.

The ice maker should be held on with three screws (two at the top and one on the bottom). You'll need to locate those screws and remove them. The screws are normally tucked under the ice maker hid out of sight and can be difficult to locate and remove.

It's better to remove the trays from the freezer, if your model has trays, to make reaching the ice maker easier.

Once the screws are removed, you'll need to disconnect the wiring from the fridge or ice maker (this depends on the model). The old ice maker should be connected with a wiring plug and shouldn't be hard to disconnect. You don't want to pull on the wires because you may damage the connector on the fridge or ice maker.

To install your new ice maker, just reverse the process.

3. Your Reverse Osmosis Could Be Fooling Your Ice Maker

When you connect an RO to certain Whirlpool ice makers, it can fool the ice maker and allow too much water to flow into the unit, and overflow the water cup.

The best way to confirm this is to watch the ice maker fill with water after it has dumped ice.

If the ice maker fills the water cup and then overflows, then the RO may be causing this issue.

Disconnecting the RO from the fridge can solve the issue; most fridges come with a water filter already installed inside the fridge, so a RO isn't necessary.

Related : The Best Water Filters For Your Ice Maker

For more information on RO problems with your fridge or if this could even be possible with your particular model, you should contact support for Whirlpool Refrigerator.

4. It Might Not Be Your Whirlpool Ice Maker After All

I know this may should like a no-brainer, but I have seen people tear apart an ice maker for nothing.

If you find water on the floor, it could be ice that had spilled from the ice tray and has melted over time. Before taking apart your unit, you should make sure that your ice maker is actually leaking.

You'll want to locate the exact location of the leak before proceeding. If you cannot find where the ice maker is actually leaking, it may have been just melted ice.

Another good idea is to ensure that your freezer is at the proper temperature and that ice isn't melting from inside the freezer. The leaking water may not be from the ice maker at all.

You should make sure that the fridge's compressor is operating correctly and that you can hear the fan inside your fridge.

Other reasons that would cause your refrigerator to leak are the water filter (not fitted properly) or the Self-defrosting drain plan under the refrigerator is full and overflowing.