Kenmore stand alone ice machine problem


  #1  
Old 10-27-18, 10:33 PM
S
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2018
Posts: 5
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
Kenmore stand alone ice machine problem

exact model is 106.8958

It is making thin ice and the problem seems to be not enough water in the reservoir. When the cycle starts, it seems fine, the circulation pump pumps the water up and over the evaporator and the water that doesn't freeze drains back into the reservoir.

so this works but then when the reservoir has only about a 1/4 inch of water the pump has a hard time sucking up the rest of the water and makes an awful gurgling noise as it tries to finish the job. The rest of the water really never gets pumped over the existing ice resulting in thin ice.

anybody have any ideas what to do?

appreciated any insight given
 
  #2  
Old 10-28-18, 12:16 AM
PJmax's Avatar
Group Moderator
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Jersey
Posts: 64,939
Received 3,951 Upvotes on 3,544 Posts
Welcome to the forums.

Is that complete model # 106.89589702 ?

On a commercial machine.... a float maintains the water level during the production process. I don't see a float in that unit which may mean it only fills the reservoir a certain amount at the start.

I'm looking further.
 
  #3  
Old 10-28-18, 10:15 AM
S
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2018
Posts: 5
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
I do believe that is the correct model...yes there is no float, there is a water sensor that sits in the base and I thought that may have been it but it has been replaces
 
  #4  
Old 10-30-18, 10:06 PM
S
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2018
Posts: 5
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
here is what the ice floe looks like just after in rolls off the evaporator - you can see it's very thin to start with....I even went into the diagnostic settings and raised the ice level to thick and this was the result.

 
  #5  
Old 10-31-18, 03:01 AM
GregH's Avatar
Super Moderator
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: Manitoba
Posts: 9,500
Received 68 Upvotes on 62 Posts
If you have what I think you do the fill cycle is based on time and harvest is based on temperature.
When the fill cycle is complete the reservoir should be full.
While the unit is pumping water in the production phase no water should drip or run out of the reservoir or splash it's way out of the loop.


Do you see any water dripping or leaving the reservoir during the icemaking phase?
 
  #6  
Old 11-01-18, 11:13 PM
S
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2018
Posts: 5
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
I do not see any dripping whatsoever....only when it fills, it slightly drains a bit from the overflow drain. Then nothing at all....it's the strangest of things. The only thing that happens is that recirculating pump makes that gurgling sound as it tries to pick up the remaining water in the reservoir.
 
  #7  
Old 11-02-18, 04:41 AM
GregH's Avatar
Super Moderator
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: Manitoba
Posts: 9,500
Received 68 Upvotes on 62 Posts
Ok,
I ASSumed the ice sheet was not perfectly formed when it slid onto the cutting grid.

If the ice was a uniform shape and thickness and lands squarely on the grid then there is likely a problem with the grid.
Those heated wires are powered by a low voltage transformer, (some are 30 volts) and could either be broken, have a bad connection or the transformer has failed.

That style of machine has many appliance mfrs name on it with slight variations.
Some better pics of the machine and heating grid removed from the machine might help.
There should be a two pin connector to disconnect the grid.
 
  #8  
Old 11-02-18, 07:45 AM
S
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2018
Posts: 5
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
your assumption is correct - the ice is not uniform at all...that picture above is what it looks like right after it slid to the grid. The grid heats up fine.
 
 

Thread Tools
Search this Thread
 
Ask a Question
Question Title:
Description:
Your question will be posted in: