topic Re: You might want to disable your unused ice maker in Kitchen

You might want to disable your unused ice maker

depglass — Sun, 25 Apr 2021 19:16:22 GMT

I had the freakiest thing happen today. We were sitting at the table eating a piece of sourdough toast and it started raining on my head. It felt like a sprinkler and shocked the heck out of me. Anyway, DH soon figured that a hose from the back of the frig had come loose and was pouring out water under pressure in an arc to hit me and the table. This was the line to the icemaker, which we never use. The consolation is that this didn't happen when we were gone, or the entire floor might have been covered. I've heard of worrying about the dishwasher when one leaves the house, but never the ice maker.

Re: You might want to disable your unused ice maker

hopi — Sun, 25 Apr 2021 19:18:20 GMT

So many disasters can happen that will flood the house...... all of them stressful. Glad you were home. Good advice

Re: You might want to disable your unused ice maker

chickenbutt — Sun, 25 Apr 2021 19:25:05 GMT

Wow, what a shocker that had to be! Glad it wasn't something more serious.

I really have no need for the ice maker (I put my bottles of water in the refrigerator as I do like my water cold), so whenever I get a new refrigerator I either have the ice maker removed or, if it came separate, I just wrap it up and put it out in the garage.

Not only do I not have to deal with something I won't use (maybe once a year I need some ice and I can deal with that), but I have more room in the freezer.

Re: You might want to disable your unused ice maker

froggy — Sun, 25 Apr 2021 19:26:55 GMT

Well, my ice maker is well used. But I suppose it could still happen.

Re: You might want to disable your unused ice maker

Mary Bailey — Sun, 25 Apr 2021 19:38:13 GMT

@depglass we use our ice maker and something similar happened to us. DH heard a swooshing sound. He got up to investigate. The hose in the freezer was spewing water everywhere. There was water in the freezer, frig and about inch on the red oak wood floor. He said the rug was floating.

If it was up to me we wouldn't have an ice maker.

Re: You might want to disable your unused ice maker

on the bay — Sun, 25 Apr 2021 19:55:04 GMT

I've never had a refrigerator with an ice maker, but many of my family has and every single problem has been with that, leaks and all.

They stop working after so many years (or months) and cause so many problems.

My daughter had to have her whole floor and rugs replaced, from the kitchen to the family room.

To be fair to the icemaker though, it may have been how the contractors from Lowes installed it incorrectly, in this case anyway. Fortunately, insurance covered it.

I'm glad you were able to stop it before it got really bad. That must have been shocking to be sitting there and getting sprayed out of the blue!

Re: You might want to disable your unused ice maker

fthunt — Sun, 25 Apr 2021 19:39:33 GMT

I drink ice water all day..........maker makes buckets of cubes...have to throw some in the sink to get rid of them. (yes probably could adjust production level).

As long as there is a release of the water pressure (by allowing water in to the cube maker)........don't see how a blow up could happen. Water in the pipe line has to escape.

Re: You might want to disable your unused ice maker

mspatmac — Sun, 25 Apr 2021 19:48:41 GMT

I use the heck out of my ice maker and would be lost without it. I can reach the shut off if and when I ever leave this house again for more than an hour and will do so.

Re: You might want to disable your unused ice maker

ECBG — Sun, 25 Apr 2021 20:17:22 GMT

I've had a "pin hole" in a clothes washer hose flood the kitchen. One winter, at Christmas, our 10 year old son awoke with poison ivy, went to get a drink of water and stepped into ice water one winter.

It went down the floor vents, pulled the vents down from the basement ceiling. It looked like a cave! When DH opened the garage door, the water went out in a wave!

Re: You might want to disable your unused ice maker

Kachina624 — Sun, 25 Apr 2021 20:19:41 GMT

It's the hot water hose to your washing machine that poses the biggest hazard for flooding. Apparently the heat deteriorates the hose relatively rapidly. Always turn the water off when you go on vacation.

Re: You might want to disable your unused ice maker

SurferWife — Sun, 25 Apr 2021 20:26:17 GMT

I would be lost without an ice maker...LOL! Between all the iced tea I drink, as well as iced water, and having a puppy that demands ice in his water bowl, it works hard to keep up with us!

Re: You might want to disable your unused ice maker

fthunt — Sun, 25 Apr 2021 20:29:44 GMT

@mspatmac I would consult with a refrigerator installer or plumber before shutting the water completely off. Air in pipe line - leaking - cube machine needing more water.....more could go wrong than right.

I wouldn't do it -

Re: You might want to disable your unused ice maker

On It — Sun, 25 Apr 2021 20:35:43 GMT

@chickenbutt wrote:
Wow, what a shocker that had to be! Glad it wasn't something more serious.

I really have no need for the ice maker (I put my bottles of water in the refrigerator as I do like my water cold), so whenever I get a new refrigerator I either have the ice maker removed or, if it came separate, I just wrap it up and put it out in the garage.

Not only do I not have to deal with something I won't use (maybe once a year I need some ice and I can deal with that), but I have more room in the freezer.

In our 53 years of marriage we have had two ice maker floods. After the second one we decided to disconnect the thing and never use one again.

As for the washer hose, we were warned to only use the ones that are flexible metal. Even a seemingly small amount of water can do an awful lot of damage.

Re: You might want to disable your unused ice maker

Valstybaby — Sun, 25 Apr 2021 21:19:45 GMT

Same thing happened to me. My son turned off the water to the fridge but I miss my water dispenser and ice maker.

Re: You might want to disable your unused ice maker

Twins Mom — Mon, 26 Apr 2021 00:04:03 GMT

With the quality of today's appliances, no wonder insurance rates rising rapidly.

Re: You might want to disable your unused ice maker

Venezia — Mon, 26 Apr 2021 04:18:11 GMT

This thread reminds me of what one builder said: "There are about ten major things that can go wrong with a house...and TWELVE of them have to do with water!" Ironic, but true.

My two kitchen floods were both caused by the icemaker, but not for the reason you'd think.

My lovely little Siamese kitten years ago heard the sound of the water coursing through the small, flexible hose behind the refrigerator. And she was just small enough to get hold of it and chew! Thank goodness I had the wherewithal to rush to the basement and shut off the valve, because DH hadn't a clue.

Fast forward about ten years...and our new little tabby boy heard the water...get it? Same darn thing! The good thing is that I knew how to repair the line and replace the compressor nut. Practice makes perfect. (No more small kittens before I block off that gap!)

Re: You might want to disable your unused ice maker

jlkz — Mon, 26 Apr 2021 12:12:49 GMT

@hopi @chickenbutt

A few years ago we drove back from FL snowbirding to our mountain place to check on it. We got the heat going, turned on the hot water heater and went out grocery shopping while things warmed up. When we got back to the house, I went down to the basement for something.

And as I stepped off the last stair, I knew something very bad had happened: I stepped onto a floating rug ! The entire basement, including a carpeted bedroom, was under several inches of water. DH had forgotten to turn off the water drain hose from the second floor when we first got to the house. The water had overflowed the drain bucket......

We pulled the carpets to the garage and over the next two weeks they drained and got aired out. We sprayed them with a DEP product and continued airing them out. They were fine.

Re: You might want to disable your unused ice maker

Mimi NY — Mon, 26 Apr 2021 14:52:01 GMT

After reading this don't think I would go for a refrigerator with icemaker in door next time I need a new one

Just saw an portable icemaker in so many pretty colors being sold on HSN .

Wonder if anyone can add to liked or dislikes counter top icemaker.

Re: You might want to disable your unused ice maker

hopi — Mon, 26 Apr 2021 22:22:11 GMT

@jlkz wrote:
@hopi @chickenbutt

A few years ago we drove back from FL snowbirding to our mountain place to check on it. We got the heat going, turned on the hot water heater and went out grocery shopping while things warmed up. When we got back to the house, I went down to the basement for something.

And as I stepped off the last stair, I knew something very bad had happened: I stepped onto a floating rug ! The entire basement, including a carpeted bedroom, was under several inches of water. DH had forgotten to turn off the water drain hose from the second floor when we first got to the house. The water had overflowed the drain bucket......

We pulled the carpets to the garage and over the next two weeks they drained and got aired out. We sprayed them with a DEP product and continued airing them out. They were fine.

That had to be stressful...

Re: You might want to disable your unused ice maker

sunshine45 — Tue, 27 Apr 2021 06:20:31 GMT

could not live without an icemaker!