Really stupid questions...how do automatic icemakers work?

[Sabine]

Our new apartment has a fridge with an automatic ice maker, and we''ve never had one before. It''s not the kind that has a button to push on the outside of the door or anything, it''s just inside the freezer. There''s a bar to raise if you want it off, and push down if you want it on. We''ve tried turning it on, and I can definitely hear it making noise, but nothing comes out of it. Do I need to fill it with water? If so, where do I put the water?

Our apartment manager isn''t the easiest to get ahold of, so I don''t want to go through that just for this...plus I feel stupid for not knowing how to make it work!

 

[Lynnie]

Sabine, I may be wrong, but I think the fridge has to be connected to a water line in order for the icemaker to work. If it's not connected, that could be the problem... or maybe it is connected, and the line is clogged or something?

Ooh, here, I found this handy dandy website: http://www.hometips.com/repair-fix/freezer-ice-maker.html

ETA: Definitely NOT a stupid question!! I once called my landlord because I smelled gas... turns out the pilot to the stove wasn't lit. Like I should have known that

 

[Allison D.]

Date: 7/13/2009 8:37:22 AM
Author: Lynnie
Sabine, I may be wrong, but I think the fridge has to be connected to a water line in order for the icemaker to work. If it''s not connected, that could be the problem... or maybe it is connected, and the line is clogged or something?

Lynnie''s right; fridges with icemakers are connected to a water line. If the line isn''t connected or if it''s clogged for some reason, it won''t operate.

 

[Loves Vintage]

They might have intentionally detached the water line when your apartment was vacant, in order to avoid potential water leaks from the line (if no one would be there to observe water on the floor), and then forgot to re-attach when the unit was rented.

 

[HollyS]

There must be a water line from your water source (usually the sink) which is normally behind the wall in newer locales, and outside the wall in older homes/apartments. It hooks up to a source in the back of the fridge, and automatically dispenses a certain amount of water into the compartment for freezing, then dumps the ice in the bucket when it is solid. After it dumps the solid ice, it will turn on again and freeze the next batch.

When your ice bucket reaches the level where it touches a sensor of some kind, it will stop producing ice until some ice is removed. Use your 'old ice' for watering plants. Ice that is more than a week old will taste odd, and thaw and refreeze into solid clumps.

Can you tell that I used to work at an appliance store?