Just a few weeks ago I was sitting at home on a broiling summer day when the heat index was about 108 degrees. The air conditioner could hardly keep up and all I wanted was an ice cold pop; but when I went to the ice maker to plunk some nice chilly cubes into the cup I had in one hand, while the other held the can of Dr. Pepper I’m so keen on, nothing happened. I tried again – still nothing. I peeked into the freezer, but there was no ice to be found. I was so hot and disappointed I nearly cried (okay, that might be a bit of an exaggeration, but you get the point).
I looked on the internet and found that if I had been maintaining my ice maker, this likely would not have happened, after all, our refrigerator was only a couple of years old! The U.S. Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine has some ground rules for how to do this with commercial ice makers. Here are some modified tips for keeping your own ice maker from konking out on you just when you need it the most:
- Mix mild soap or baking soda with warm water to make a cleaning solution.
- Use a small, soft bristled cleaning brush to clean the portion of the lining with which the door comes in contact.
- Use the brush to clean the accordion-looking sides of the lining.
- Rinse everything thoroughly.
- Dry the gasket with a towel
Remember not to use harsh cleaners on the gasket as they can damage the rubber or vinyl and will likely cause more harm than good.
You should clean the condenser coils once a year as dust and pet hair will collect there. This debris will prevent the coils from cooling, which makes the condenser work harder; this wastes energy and will shorten the life of your ice maker.
Photo credit: Cyclone Bill via Wikimedia Commons/Creative Commons 2.5
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