Cold Snap Feb 18, 2015 - WINTERIZE your Ice Maker

The weather forecast is for historic low temps all the way into Florida today (Feb 18, 2015). Even if you're in the south, if you have a water dispenser or ice maker in your refrigerator, and haven't winterized that line, today is the day to do so.

On most floor plans where the refrigerator is in a slideout, the water feed line is routed under the slide and is exposed to outside air. If temperatures drop below freezing, the 1/4" poly will be damaged, resulting in leaks. Some leaks may be inside the coach, causing additional problems.

Check the weather forecast for your location, and if it's anywhere near freezing, act now to prevent damage.

Our Winterizing Guide includes instructions on winterizing the Dometic RM1350. The Norcold process will be similar. The Residential Refrigerator Guide describes the process for the 22 cu ft. Frigidaire. LG and Samsung will be similar.

Dan - thanks for the timely thread.

I winterized my ice maker in Atlanta last November and while I've been in some real warm temps since, I knew I'd be back in the cold here and there. We're in Dallas now, heading northeast towards TN - and it's really cold up on the Cumberland Plateau right now.

On reefers with an ice maker, does the back of the fridge stay warm enough to prevent that area from having a frozen water line?

Dometic and Norcold gas absorption refrigerators have louvered vents on the backside allowing cold air to circulate, which creates a freeze exposure. The Dometic RM1350 has heat tape on the water feed solenoid, but the incoming and outgoing water lines are not protected. The refrigerator cooling unit generates some heat when it's running, but it runs less as temps drop, so the protection will be minimal.

The best thing to do is evacuate the water from the ice maker and water feed line and turn off the cutoff valve.