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Old 10-21-2019, 08:37 PM   #1
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Need instruction to winterize ice maker

I have a 2020 Cedar Creek Cottage CCK with an Insignia French door residential refrigerator. I am having trouble getting air from the compressor to come through the ice maker, and not sure if all the water is out of the line. I had the icemaker turned off for 24 hours before blowing out the lines, and no more ice has dumped, then turned it back on while running compressor but did not hear air. The refrigerator was turned off, does that need to be on too? Cannot find any instructions. There is no water dispenser on this model, only the icemaker.

Has anyone else winterized this icemaker that can give me instructions? The valve under the slide is still open for the waterline.
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Old 10-22-2019, 04:28 AM   #2
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Use the search tab here on the forum. Several posts on different models and well as different techniques. Mine works the best, albeit expensive. Head south 1350 miles! Good luck regardless.
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Old 10-22-2019, 06:29 AM   #3
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do some searches on youtube. there are a few videos but i don't know whether they cover your specific model or not. many times the ice makers have a way to manually cycle them which would include opening the valve to let the air flow. this manual cycle may be started with a switch, a wire jumper, or from the operator control panel.

if you are going to pump antifreeze into it after the air make sure you take any refrigerator water filter out before pumping the antifreeze. you may need to use a dummy canister or bypass plug in place of the filter you removed.
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Old 10-22-2019, 07:58 AM   #4
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Yes, the refrigerator has to be turned on!
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Old 10-22-2019, 07:58 AM   #5
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Winterizing Ice maker Insignia res fridge

Thank you for the replies. First time posting here. I have been searching online but found nothing for my Insignia french door model. There is nothing in the book about a filter or manual cycling it, but we will look again today. We do not want to use antifreeze, just blow it out and then will not be using it next year because the ice was not good enough to even use for the cooler due to the water at our permanent site.

Hoping someone else had solved this issue already. Bringing the unit home today. Everything else has already been winterized but still need to get the fridge done. Any other advice is appreciated.
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Old 10-22-2019, 03:14 PM   #6
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Use Antfreeze

I’d turn on the fridge and ice make and supply antifreeze to it through your water pump. Leave the fridge running until you get pink ice cubes then you know the antifreeze has gone through the system. After that as you don’t intend to use it again, I’d close the water line to the unit and you don’t have to worry again. I’ve used this process to winterized three motorhomes without a problem.

As someone else noted, if your fridge has a filter you will likely have to replace it with a dummy filter. Apparently fridge filters will take out the pink colouring. I found one on line for my fridge for 15 dollars. My other two fridges were rv fridges and didn’t have a filter.

Hope this helps.
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Old 10-22-2019, 04:18 PM   #7
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How ironic is it that you have to protect an ice maker from freezing?
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Old 10-22-2019, 06:28 PM   #8
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If air is attached to water supply blow all supply lines out first. Leave Refrigerator on, make sure icemaker is on and ice collection box is empty.

Give it a few days and every time the icemaker tries to draw water it will eventually get only air. Most icemakers run on a timed cycle so it may take a while to clear water from both the Refer water filter and icemaker lines.

If your refrigerator is anything like my house refer with a built in filter cartridge, not an inline filter outside the refer, they won't let water pass if the filter cartridge is removed.

Eventually you will hear air hiss when the icemaker tries to make more cubes. Check regularly and empty ice collection bucket each time. When no more ice is made, your work is done

Hard to beat Icv800's method though.
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Old 10-22-2019, 07:35 PM   #9
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If air is attached to water supply blow all supply lines out first. Leave Refrigerator on, make sure icemaker is on and ice collection box is empty.

Give it a few days and every time the icemaker tries to draw water it will eventually get only air. Most icemakers run on a timed cycle so it may take a while to clear water from both the Refer water filter and icemaker lines.

If your refrigerator is anything like my house refer with a built in filter cartridge, not an inline filter outside the refer, they won't let water pass if the filter cartridge is removed.

Eventually you will hear air hiss when the icemaker tries to make more cubes. Check regularly and empty ice collection bucket each time. When no more ice is made, your work is done

Hard to beat Icv800's method though.
I was going to recommend something close to this. If you aren't going to use the icemaker for a while I would not want RV antifreeze left in the system.

I would connect a compressor and blow out all the sinks and toilets (the shower is often forgotten.) Then I would leave the reefer running and turn off the compressor butleave it connected. In a day or so you will find the compressor tank empty and the icemaker fully blown out. Then turn off the popup valve and the reefer is now filled with air and you can forget in.
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Old 10-22-2019, 07:51 PM   #10
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Actually

Quote:
Originally Posted by RBDTx View Post
How ironic is it that you have to protect an ice maker from freezing?
Actually, there's no icemaker in the Cherokee 38P, but there's one in the residential refrigerator that sits in the unheated cabin next to it.

I don't winterize it. Most years nothing happens. One year the bottom end of the plastic tubing that runs up the back side of the refrigerator was forced out of the solenoid valve due to freezing. It was a simple matter of loosening the compression fitting, sliding the tubing back in, and tightening the fitting.

I wasted a little time finding the problem--used a jumper to cycle the icemaker, only to find out that no water came out--but no damage was done because the cabin has a slatted floor and the water simply ran off.

I still don't winterize it, although I do turn it off, disconnect the water line, and open the door.
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Old 10-22-2019, 08:04 PM   #11
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Originally Posted by Larry-NC View Post
Actually, there's no icemaker in the Cherokee 38P, but there's one in the residential refrigerator that sits in the unheated cabin next to it.

I don't winterize it. Most years nothing happens. One year the bottom end of the plastic tubing that runs up the back side of the refrigerator was forced out of the solenoid valve due to freezing. It was a simple matter of loosening the compression fitting, sliding the tubing back in, and tightening the fitting.

I wasted a little time finding the problem--used a jumper to cycle the icemaker, only to find out that no water came out--but no damage was done because the cabin has a slatted floor and the water simply ran off.

I still don't winterize it, although I do turn it off, disconnect the water line, and open the door.
From personal experience you are risking freezing and splitting the solenoid valve. I have done that in a S&B house that was actually still heated.
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