Dodgezilla

Well, now I found the exact same refridge on CL for probably less than the cost of the parts to repair this thing. I'm gonna go check it out this weekend before I start tearing my current one up.....

Dodgezilla

OK, so the unit for sale on CL is not the same as mine so I decided to pass on it. Now I'm back to possibly attempting to repair this one.
If any of you are a true appliance tech please tell me what your diagnosis would be so I know what I should purchase. The ice maker works great at making ice but it goes into defrost mode too often causing ice buildup around the whole bottom and back section of the ice-maker assembly. (It still makes ice just fine though) Water drips off of it during the defrost mode into the ice bucket and then freezes on the bottom. This caused my auger to apparently burn out and stop working so it will not dispense ice anymore.
What would happen if I simply cut power to the defrost tube? Could this be the Defrost Limiter Thermostat gone bad? The description says it limits how warm it gets while in defrost cycle.
After typing all this I'm starting to think that maybe I should just get a repair guy in here......

My fridge is a GE Model GSS23WGTABB

roysleight

Had the same problem once and solved it by replacing the solenoid controlled water valve which fills the ice maker. Usually located down low in the back next to another similar valve for the water dispenser, if it has one. Easy to find, it's where the incoming water line hooks up. Problem is that if it leaks at all, even a trickle, then it allows water into the freezing tray during the freeze cycle causing a buildup of ice and jamming the operation of the tray. Simple and relatively cheap fix.

Dodgezilla

Mine is most definitely coming from the unit melting off when it defrosts. I wonder if I could wrap some H/D foil around the defrost tubes to minimize the heat output...

NJTman

Lots of people with the same issue...

Might want to check this out before you do anything..


https://www.google.com/#sclient=psy-...w=1445&bih=964

You can narrow the problem down to your model number if you put it in the search area as I suggested before. Your model number will weed out the other model numbers in the search, and you can get a more concise answer to your issue.

steelblitzkrieg

Are you having a NO COOL situation or just block of ice?

WR55X10942 Boards fail all the time, we replace 2 per week. But I must stress, these failed boards are causing a compressor not running situation or a failed defrost situation.

It sounds to me like your fill valve is hanging open and weeping until it over fills the IM. Do you have icicles hanging off the IM or frost/snow?

Icicles = failed valve (overfill) or unlikely crooked IM, or unlikely mold coating peeling allowing water to wick over the edge of IM (Common on Whirlpool, not likely on GE)

Frost/Snow = Defrost problem and/or Door not sealing or ice chute door not closing all the way.

Newer Refers typically must have the ice bucket dumped once every 2 weeks if ice isn't being used daily or you'll end up with a block of ice in the bucket.

steelblitzkrieg

PM me your email and I'll send you the PSS/GSS tech book and the tech book for the IM WR30X10093

steelblitzkrieg

Hope this works...

Dodgezilla

Thanks Man! That will definitely help. In searching the internet it does appear that most issues can be attributed to the control board malfunctioning, as you already said.
My freezer has absolutely no frost or snow. Below and behind the icemaker is a big ice cube over time though. There are icicles but I swear I have opened the freezer door to see that the defrost is in progress and there are water drops hanging on the bottom of the unit. This is where I have always assumed the icicles were coming from.
The ice-maker seems to work fine at making cubes and I have watched it fill the tray with water in the past and it was not overfilling it. It has been a while since I have observed this and that may have changed by now. The other issue is that the auger no longer works so the dispenser won't dispense until I can fix that.

Dodgezilla

Oh, the temperature seems to hold just fine in the fridge and freezer sections.

Dodgezilla

Alright SBK, since the "ice cube" forming under the ice-maker seems to be getting larger I decided to watch the water filling process and as soon as the tray had been filled with water there were water drops hanging under it. So I guess it IS indeed over-filling the tray.
So, if you were out on a service call with all the symptoms I have described, would you first suspect the motherboard? What about the auger? Would the motherboard sense that it was jammed and cut power to it in order to save it from burning up? It sure would be nice to replace one part and be good to go again.
And to answer a previous question, No there is no mold in any part of the fridge/freezer.

I appreciate everyone's help here.

steelblitzkrieg

With out being there to diagnose it in person I would turn the icemaker off and see if you continue to get icicles, if you do then replace the valve, if you don't then either the icemaker is hanging up on fill or the fill tube isn't aligned properly and is spraying/splashing outside the icemaker mold.

Dodgezilla

Thanks. I guess I'll have to empty the freezer and defrost it first so the ice all melts off.