"Force" dump ice from ice maker

[Richpaa]

I have a house refrigerator in my Georgetown 29des. Here is the challenge we are having with the ice maker: we return from our trip with the refrigerator running until we arrive home. We empty the coach (including the ice in the reserve ice container) and put the RV in storage with a complete shut down. Next outing we pick up the RV from storage and drive home to load it up. Of course this drive shakes up the water in the ice trays (which as melted of course) and it spills out of the refrigerator on to our floor. Always a mess to clean up. By the way, there is no room to get your fingers with a paper towel in the trays to try to soak up the water.

I'm thinking there must be a way, upon arriving home from a trip, that we can empty the ice reserve container and force the ice to be dropped from the frozen tray. Then we could shut off the inverter and shut down the refrigerator with no ice in the trays just sitting there waiting to melt.

Any suggestions or ideas how others have solved this problem?

[CincyGus]

One of the reasons I was glad my residential fridge didn't have an ice maker.
I've seen this posted a couple times and the only suggestion I saw that I've seen that I thought might work (depending on the freezer compartment, ice maker) was after returning home and dumping the ice bucket, they put a couple large dry sponges in it to absorb the water that eventually melted and dripped into the freezer area.

[CHICKDOE]

interesting! this has me thinking as i don't recall having this problem. but i don't know why we don't have the problem. we put the trailer into a storage lot and it does not move between trips. is the water in the ray evaporating? i know we turn the ice maker off whenever it is being towed (conserve battery / inverter power). even though the ie maker is off does it still finish the cycle it is on and dump the ice but not refill the tray? or if we have enough ice in the bin did the ice maker not put more water in the tray to freeze so it is empty?

going further i did find a technical diagnosis sheet for our refrigerator that describes how to force an emptying of the ice tray, but it is for our model. others have a way to use a jumper cable to force the ice cycle. but i do not do have to do this.

[Steve-W]

Easy process. I cant remember the exact terminals to jump but virtually all ice makers are the same. Pull the cover off the ice maker usually about 5” square, slips right off, connect the common and harvest terminals with a short piece of wire (striped ends) and wait a few minutes. The unit will cycle through and eject the frozen cubes. Just be sure to stop the cycle or have the water off before you start.
You can the find the manual / instructions on line very easily.

[Scheinin]

On my refrigerator, I disconnect and shut the water off. Leave the frig on until the ice dumps, then turn power off. No water on to refill ice maker.

[CHICKDOE]

mr scheinen just gave the best answer! on the drive home make sure the water is off via either valve or water pump. the ice maker will dump whatever it has in process in the tray and without water, it will not refill. that is why we don't have the problem. we always turn the water pump off.

[Tbonz]

Read your manual.Thete is a procedure for dumping tray. If i could remember offhand I would tell you. But alas, my memory fails.

[Larry-NC]

Originally Posted by Steve-W

Easy process. I cant remember the exact terminals to jump but virtually all ice makers are the same. Pull the cover off the ice maker usually about 5” square, slips right off, connect the common and harvest terminals with a short piece of wire (striped ends) and wait a few minutes. The unit will cycle through and eject the frozen cubes. Just be sure to stop the cycle or have the water off before you start.
You can the find the manual / instructions on line very easily.

Here are the exact instructions. All the manufacturers buy their icemakers from the same company.
Icemaker Tips and Tricks

[tonys]

Arriving home, take your trusty air compressor, and push the water out of the trays, clean up water