Foretravel Owners' Forum

Foretravel Motorhome Forums => Foretravel Tech Talk => Topic started by: Super8mm on October 02, 2018, 05:57:18 pm

Title: Ice Maker Operation
Post by: Super8mm on October 02, 2018, 05:57:18 pm
Last week I started the ice maker up and it makes ice cubes but the bottom of the plastic tray freezes a layer of ice in the bottom and that sticks the bottom ice cubes all together.

Is there a way to keep this from happening?

Thanks
Title: Re: Ice Maker Operation
Post by: joeszeidel on October 02, 2018, 06:07:32 pm
Maybe change the plastic tray to something else. Like a metal tray.
Title: Re: Ice Maker Operation
Post by: Super8mm on October 02, 2018, 06:16:18 pm
Maybe change the plastic tray to something else. Like a metal tray.
Thanks, I may be able to find something that tall at a resturant supply place, I think steam table inserts may work?
Title: Re: Ice Maker Operation
Post by: Bill Willett on October 02, 2018, 06:30:47 pm
The ice maker is over filling the mold, remove the white cover at the end of the ice mold, there is an adjustment for the fill, back the screw to the minus side and try again.
Title: Re: Ice Maker Operation
Post by: Super8mm on October 02, 2018, 06:38:09 pm
The ice maker is over filling the mold, remove the white cover at the end of the ice mold, there is an adjustment for the fill, back the screw to the minus side and try again.
Thanks Bill, that should be easy enough, I have another 5 day trip this weekend  ^.^d
Title: Re: Ice Maker Operation
Post by: Twig on October 02, 2018, 08:04:13 pm
Is it a U-line? They're a little different than the built in.
Title: Re: Ice Maker Operation
Post by: floridarandy on October 02, 2018, 08:33:47 pm
What Bill said!
Title: Re: Ice Maker Operation
Post by: Super8mm on October 02, 2018, 08:37:09 pm
Is it a U-line? They're a little different than the built in.
I am not sure of the brand but is is built into the cabinet.  From the picture it looks like the brand might be a U-line

(https://photos.smugmug.com/Foretravel/Forums-post-1/i-HM3S6Pw/0/e8d8e5c3/L/rv-37626-37-L.jpg)
Title: Re: Ice Maker Operation
Post by: red tractor on October 02, 2018, 08:39:08 pm
Yep U-Line
Title: Re: Ice Maker Operation
Post by: Barry & Cindy on October 02, 2018, 09:01:40 pm
Remove front square plastic cover and there are few adjustments that can be made on the metal ice maker front panel.
Title: Re: Ice Maker Operation
Post by: Super8mm on October 02, 2018, 10:21:53 pm
I did find a video for the U-line and saw a way the water may be getting into the pan.

When you turn it one it will fill the ice mold then dump it as it cycles through.  they guy in the video let it cycle then dumped  the bin and dried it and put it back in.
Title: Re: Ice Maker Operation
Post by: floridarandy on October 02, 2018, 10:35:28 pm
Check YouTube for helpful videos...even those generic to conventional refrig ice makers are helpful.
Title: Re: Ice Maker Operation
Post by: nitehawk on October 03, 2018, 01:28:33 am
I spaced our catch tub in the U-line ice maker up a bit so cold air could circulate under the tub and the tub wouldn't freeze to the floor of the compartment. Seemed to also help the ice from forming a solid mass, if I recall correctly.
I used Shoo Goo, what else?? :))
Title: Re: Ice Maker Operation
Post by: lenspeiser on October 03, 2018, 06:27:09 am
We found that when we shut off our U-line for travel, when we turned it on at the next stop we would have a sheet of ice on the bottom of the ice tray. Turned out the water that was almost frozen in the machine would slosh out during travel, and when we turned it on again it would freeze where it had sloshed out. We started waiting until it had just dumped and turning it off before refill, or drying out the bottom before we turned it back on.

Len
Title: Re: Ice Maker Operation
Post by: Twig on October 03, 2018, 07:43:29 am
I may have bad news for you. Your problem is that the coating on the ice maker itself has deteriorated. The only way you are going to fix it is to replace the ice maker. Not a big deal. However, the U-line ice maker is expensive. Now......the difference. The U-line makes a lot more ice in a much shorter period of time than the built in ice makers. The built in (meaning IN the refrigerator) can be used in the U-line but you have to take the back off the U-line, the wiring is different, and it ain't easy. These ice makers are about $35 and a U-line is 250. I can give you the wiring if you decide to go this way. I just did one. Thank you Peter and Melissa.

You can monkey around with the water fill hose and ice cube size adjustment or anything else and maybe get lucky. But I think the above is your problem if it started doing it all of a sudden and you haven't done anything to it.
Title: Re: Ice Maker Operation
Post by: Old phart phred on October 03, 2018, 09:43:52 am
Put in something to elevate the ice cubes slightly off the bottom. My Uline is original and makes a boatload of ice, my ice sheet tends to form below the bin, so i haven't did a total investigation.
Title: Re: Ice Maker Operation
Post by: Twig on October 03, 2018, 10:31:00 am
Put in something to elevate the ice cubes slightly off the bottom. My Uline is original and makes a boatload of ice, my ice sheet tends to form below the bin, so i haven't did a total investigation.
If the water runs down the backside of the icemaker and goes under the bucket it is definitely the coating unless for some reason the fill tube fell out.
Title: Re: Ice Maker Operation
Post by: nitehawk on October 03, 2018, 10:36:05 am
I used Shoe Goo to make a raised "bump" at each corner of the tub. Took several applications to get the "bumps:.
Title: Re: Ice Maker Operation
Post by: lenspeiser on October 03, 2018, 11:46:30 am
Two years ago I had a problem with my U-line and found a discard at a dumpster in a NP.  I tore it apart and used the pieces from the junk machine to fix it. The original problem had been the fingers on the ejector not working. I contacted U-line, and they were great. They sent the part at no charge, I had just found the donor before the "fingers" made it to me.

While it is a PITA to work on this, you might check with U-line. If the forming tray has lost it's coating you may be able to get just that part from them. We found out ours was coming off when we found flakes of dark brown in the ice.

Len
Title: Re: Ice Maker Operation
Post by: Super8mm on October 06, 2018, 11:36:27 pm
Thanks guys, I may have figured it out.  I have not been turning it off when traveling or when parked and not using the HWH to keep it level.  I think what this did was when it fill the tray some sloshed out and just plain ole ran over this sides.  :o
Title: Re: Ice Maker Operation
Post by: amos.harrison on October 07, 2018, 07:08:06 am
We don't turn the icemaker off while traveling, but certainly level the coach whenever stopped.