After pushing all the antifreeze out of the lines today and getting the plumbing system going and tested to all appliances, my wife told me we were not making ice.
I remembered that I had not turned on the valve controlling water to the icemaker solenoid. I turned it on. Oops! Water was pouring out of the outside refer access panel.
I cleaned it all up and pulled the solenoid out a bit to inspect it. The plastic water line going into it has a brass compression nut and was very tight. It looked as though the vinyl water line coming out of it with a plastic nut was wet and dripping.
While I was loosening this nut, I noticed the vinyl tubing twisting.
The solenoid was wrapped in silver metal-like tape. An insulated white wire was running alongside the vinyl tubing as it went up to the top of the refer. I think this wire may be a heat wire to prevent freezing. Not sure about the tape. Maybe it helps conduct heat around the metal solenoid.
While a was turning the plastic nut at the end of the vinyl tubing back onto the solenoid, the tubing twisted again. I ended up having to pre-twist the nut/tubing in the opposite direction to counter-act the twisting when tightening. That worked to get it reconnected without a twist when done.
Turned the water back on and I had a gusher again. Left it off this time.
I plan to contact Dometic to see what they think. I read several posts on RV.net about others having this issue. In some cased, their soleniod froze with water in it and cracked In other cases, the vinyl tubing froze or cracked. From what I gather, the vinyl tubing seems to be the week link in the design.
So, anyone has anyone had any experience with this sort of thing?
Thanks,
Jim
I remembered that I had not turned on the valve controlling water to the icemaker solenoid. I turned it on. Oops! Water was pouring out of the outside refer access panel.
I cleaned it all up and pulled the solenoid out a bit to inspect it. The plastic water line going into it has a brass compression nut and was very tight. It looked as though the vinyl water line coming out of it with a plastic nut was wet and dripping.
While I was loosening this nut, I noticed the vinyl tubing twisting.
The solenoid was wrapped in silver metal-like tape. An insulated white wire was running alongside the vinyl tubing as it went up to the top of the refer. I think this wire may be a heat wire to prevent freezing. Not sure about the tape. Maybe it helps conduct heat around the metal solenoid.
While a was turning the plastic nut at the end of the vinyl tubing back onto the solenoid, the tubing twisted again. I ended up having to pre-twist the nut/tubing in the opposite direction to counter-act the twisting when tightening. That worked to get it reconnected without a twist when done.
Turned the water back on and I had a gusher again. Left it off this time.
I plan to contact Dometic to see what they think. I read several posts on RV.net about others having this issue. In some cased, their soleniod froze with water in it and cracked In other cases, the vinyl tubing froze or cracked. From what I gather, the vinyl tubing seems to be the week link in the design.
So, anyone has anyone had any experience with this sort of thing?
Thanks,
Jim
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