# Fridge Ice Maker Makes Hollow Cubes and Water Dispensing is slow



## MurphyMan (Dec 25, 2011)

Maytag, probably 13 years old.

The water dispenser is very slow. It takes 40 seconds to dispense two measured cups of water. I had replaced the filter about 5 months ago, but I put another one in, just in case. Didn't help.

In addition, the ice maker has been acting strange. It's not making complete cubes. Many of the ice cubes are empty, with just a shell on the outside. I disconnected the ice maker water feed and measured a fill cycle. The Dispenser Operation sheet says we could get about 4.75 ounces in 7.5 seconds. We only got half that much water. I didn't time it, but I don't think the ice maker supply ran 7.5 seconds. It seemed like less. A Google search says you get hollow ice cubes if the pressure isn't high enough. I will try and time the fill cycle later.

I replaced the ice maker assembly with a new one four or five years ago because it was corroded and not ejecting the ice.

I checked the water supply at the intake valve and there is tons of pressure available.

What are your suggestions?


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## huesmann (Aug 18, 2011)

Hollow ice cubes sound to me like an indication that only the outer shell of the cube is freezing. That could be either the water not getting cold enough to freeze all the way through, or the cube being ejected too soon before it's completely frozen. Have you measured the temperature in the freezer, and do you know the cycle time of your ice maker?


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## chiraldude (Nov 16, 2013)

If the ice cubes are hollow then the water level must have been full initially. Then, the water level dropped before it froze all the way. The water must be going somewhere. Is there a big frozen puddle on the bottom of the freezer or in the ice pan? Or maybe it is draining out to the catch pan underneath?


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## MurphyMan (Dec 25, 2011)

huesmann said:


> Hollow ice cubes sound to me like an indication that only the outer shell of the cube is freezing. That could be either the water not getting cold enough to freeze all the way through, or the cube being ejected too soon before it's completely frozen. Have you measured the temperature in the freezer, and do you know the cycle time of your ice maker?


It looks like the temp is around +10 F, maybe a little less. My guess is it's a four cycle.


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## MurphyMan (Dec 25, 2011)

chiraldude said:


> If the ice cubes are hollow then the water level must have been full initially. Then, the water level dropped before it froze all the way. The water must be going somewhere. Is there a big frozen puddle on the bottom of the freezer or in the ice pan? Or maybe it is draining out to the catch pan underneath?


It's hard to tell, nothing obvious, but sometimes the cubes are sticking together, more than they used to.


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## MurphyMan (Dec 25, 2011)

Here is an article about hollow ice cubes.


And here is a 



. That seems to be what is happening.


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## chiraldude (Nov 16, 2013)

MurphyMan said:


> It's hard to tell, nothing obvious, but sometimes the cubes are sticking together, more than they used to.


If they are sticking together it would indicate the ice is being ejected before completely frozen. The ice cracks when being dumped and the liquid in the middle leaks out causing ice chunks to freeze together.


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## MurphyMan (Dec 25, 2011)

chiraldude said:


> If they are sticking together it would indicate the ice is being ejected before completely frozen. The ice cracks when being dumped and the liquid in the middle leaks out causing ice chunks to freeze together.


Check out this article. https://removeandreplace.com/2015/1...-ice-maker-makes-hollow-ice-cubes-how-to-fix/

I'm going to pickup a valve tomorrow. I'll report back.


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## BayouRunner (Feb 5, 2016)

I was thinking possibly a bad water valve. If you can cycle your ice maker in test cycle and disconnect the water line at the valve to the ice maker that would be a good way to test. If your water flow is good at the inlet and outlet of the valve then I would look at lines, water filter etc inside refrigerator


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## hkstroud (Mar 17, 2011)

How is the water line from the refrigerator connected to the house water pipe?


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## MurphyMan (Dec 25, 2011)

hkstroud said:


> How is the water line from the refrigerator connected to the house water pipe?


Like I said in my original post, there is plenty of pressure available at the intake of the valve. Something is reducing the pressure on the way to the water dispenser and I believe the ice tray.

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## hkstroud (Mar 17, 2011)

OK, is your refrige line connected to the house pipe with a saddle valve?


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## MurphyMan (Dec 25, 2011)

hkstroud said:


> OK, is your refrige line connected to the house pipe with a saddle valve?


I don't remember, it's in a hard to reach crawl space. I think I have a PEX Tee, which comes up through the floor. When I disconnected the hose at the intake valve, the stream was probably powerful enough to shoot 20 feet. 

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## hkstroud (Mar 17, 2011)

So we know you have lots of water pressure but pressure is different than volume. 

The opening made by a saddle valve is known to get reduced and even blocked by mineral deposits over time. If it is a saddle valve, close it. Close it all the way, screw it in as far as you can. That will reopen the opening made by the saddle valve. Then reopen.


I assume you have looked to see that there is nothing kinking the line to the refrigerator.


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## CaptTom (Dec 31, 2017)

I replaced the saddle valve that came with the fridge with a proper tee within the first week. It went from 18 seconds to 8 seconds to dispense one cup of water.


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## MurphyMan (Dec 25, 2011)

CaptTom said:


> I replaced the saddle valve that came with the fridge with a proper tee within the first week. It went from 18 seconds to 8 seconds to dispense one cup of water.


I'm pretty sure I substituted the old saddle valve with a PEX T-fitting into the copper feed, then a piece of 3/8 PEX tubing up through the floolr to a shutoff valve.


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## MurphyMan (Dec 25, 2011)

*It was the Inlet Valve!*

The water dispenser is now pissing like a race horse and the first batch of cubes were solid! I took the old inlet valve and cracked it open, and found some debris that must have been fouling things up.

I said in the first post that it took 40 seconds to fill a pint glass, now it's only 8 seconds.:thumbup:

Thanks for everyone's suggestions!


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