ARS8267BC Ice maker activates water dispenser

[rharber]

Model Number

ARS8267BC

Brand

Amana

Age

More than 10 years

When ice maker fills, water is also dispensed from in-door water dispenser. Have replaced primary & secondary water inlet valves and main control board but the problem remains. Others have sited a replacement of the water inlet harness, which contains a diode on some models. Have inspected the harness but it does not appear to house a diode. I am out of ideas. Thank you for your help.

 

[rickgburton]

Remove the two wire connector from the dispenser solenoid on the primary water valve. Force cycle the ice maker and check if the problem still exists.

 

[rharber]

Thank you for your help, Rick! Disconnected the yellow wire connector from the primary water inlet solenoid labeled W1 (blue) Left the tan wire connector to solenoid labeled W2 in place. Tested water dispenser and it was not functional. However, when the ice maker was activated, water was dispensed from the water dispenser. Wiring diagram is here: Parts for Amana ARS8267BC / PARS8267BC0: Wiring Information

 

[rickgburton]

OK, now when you say the ice maker was activated, you mean the ice maker was in a harvest cycle ejecting the ice cubes and when it reached the fill part of the cycle water filled the ice maker and came out of the dispenser at the same time. Is that correct?

 

[rharber]

Yes, that is correct.

 

[rickgburton]

OK, it sounds like one of the new water valves is bad and stuck open. By removing the connector with the yellow and white wire from the solenoid on the primary water valve voltage is blocked and can't reach that coil or the one on the secondary water valve which was confirmed when you pressed the water dispenser and didn't get any water. When the ice maker is calling for water the solenoid opens to allow water to flow to the icemaker and it also flows through the one that is stuck open. The easiest way to check it is, each valve has one inlet and two outlets so take the valves out and blow through each inlet. See which one lets the air through the outlet. Without power to the solenoids you shouldn't be able to blow through either one.

 

[rharber]

Your explanation makes sense, Rick. I have two primary and two secondary valves. I was unable to blow air through any of them. Any more ideas about how to determine which is bad?

 

[rickgburton]

I have two primary and two secondary valves.

You have one primary water valve with two coils, one for the ice maker and one for the dispenser. The primary valve is before the water filter. Both outlets are connected together with a "Y" water line so it becomes one outlet.

The replacement primary water valve does away with the "Y" and has one input (main water supply) and one outlet for both dispenser and ice maker.

Water flows out of the primary water valve into the water filter. It then flows out of the water filter into the secondary water valve (after the water filter). The secondary water valve has two outlets, one for water and one for the ice maker.

When the dispenser is calling for water (lever pressed) the solenoid for water on the primary water valve and the solenoid for water on the secondary water valve are energized and water flows out of the secondary water valve from the outlet going to the dispenser.

When the ice maker is calling for water it flows out of the outlet for the ice maker.

Since you replaced both valves I assume you have the new style primary water valve that does away with the "Y" water line and comes with a coupler and a length of waterline to connect to the new valve. Do you have the water lines and wires connected correctly??

 

[rharber]

Rick,
The primary valve is as you describe - single input and output. It is possible that the valves are connected incorrectly. Did some more experimentation. The water dispenser "path" works, while the ice maker path does not. So I switched water valve connectors. The yellow wire connectors are now connected to the brown solenoids. And the conditions changed.

Now, when the water dispenser is activated water is released by both the dispenser and the ice maker. It does make it easier to reproduce the issue as it is now not necessary to wait for the ice maker harvest cycle. I did not mention that when the problem occurs there is a very noticeable buzzing sound, like a relay that cannot completely engage.

I had thought that the sound was originating at the water valves, but since switching the connectors and being able to reproduce the issue a will I am not so sure of the origin of the sound. It sounds a though it might be coming from inside of the refrigerator. What is the source of the logic that controls the opening of the water valves?

Already replaced the main control PCB because of a post found on a different forum but that did not help.

 

[rharber]

You work very late! Thank you for your help.

 

[rickgburton]

OK, the tan and white wires go to the brown solenoids (ice maker) and yellow and white wires go to the blue solenoids (dispenser) Do this, remove both connectors from the secondary water valve. We already know the yellow and white wire is getting 120 VAC. Insert the meter leads in the connector for the ice maker (tan and white wires). Press the dispenser lever and check if your meter is reading any voltage.

 

[rharber]

120v on the blue solenoid and 3.5v on the brown solenoid. Both are 0v when the water dispenser is not being depressed.

 

[rickgburton]

OK, 120 VAC is correct for the blue solenoid on both primary and secondary water valves. That's the yellow wire and white wire. Make sure the yellow wire and white wire is connected to the blue solenoids on both valves. For water to get to the ice maker the brown solenoid on both coils needs to open. 3.5 VAC is not enough to open the valve and let water flow out. They need 120 VAC to open.

Remove the water valve mounting screws so you can maneuver them around. Disconnect the ice maker water line from the secondary water valve (smaller of the two) and put both wire connectors on the solenoids, tan and white on the brown coil and yellow and white on the blue coil. Hold the water valve or just let it dangle in a pail. Press the dispenser for water and see if water comes out the valve where the water line is removed. If it does, bad valve.

Did you change anything else like the water lines when you replaced the water valves?

 

[rharber]

Rick,
Did as you instructed. Both blue solenoids show 120v when the dispenser is activated. Both brown solenoids go from 0V to 3.5-3.7v when the dispenser is activated. When the dispenser was activated no water was released from the secondary valve that normally connects to the ice maker.

However when the ice maker cycles & fills a small amount of water is released from the secondary from the removed ice maker water line relative to the larger amount that is released through the dispenser. No water lines have been replaced. Have not yet caught brown solenoid voltages when the ice maker fills.

Have never seen them register above 3.7v. Will try to do that.

 

[rickgburton]

3.7 volts is just feedback voltage because they share a common neutral connection and that's normal. So if no water is going to the ice maker when the dispenser is pressed it sounds like it's fixed.

You said earlier that when you pressed the dispenser water was also filling the ice maker. Now it's not.? When the ice maker is going through the harvest cycle and calls for water at the end of the cycle it should open the water valve.

Reconnect everything except the two wire connector for the brown coil on the secondary water valve, the tan and white wire. Insert your meter leads in the connector and force cycle the ice maker.

At the end of the harvest cycle your meter should indicate 120 VAC for about seven seconds.

Here's how you force cycle the ice maker:

 

[rharber]

Unfortunately the problem has not been resolved. You may have been referring to a test that I tried where I reversed the connectors to the brown and blue solenoids. Thank you for your information about forcing the harvest cycle, very convenient! The procedure that you last detailed was tested using both primary valves that are on hand. Both show 104v when the ice maker fills with water. This voltage is consistent - both valves were tested several times.

 

[rickgburton]

Just to confirm, when the icemaker is calling for water your meter indicates 104 VAC across the yellow and white wire and the tan and white wire on both valves so that's 4 separate measurements of 104 VAC.Is that correct? Is that only when all four connectors are connected to the coils? Or do they also read 104 VAC disconnected from the coils?

 

[rharber]

Sorry to confuse. All connections were intact except tan / white connector on the secondary valve. Voltage measurements were taken on the unplugged tan / white connector when the icemaker called for water. The reading was 104V.

I then removed the primary inlet valve and replaced it with the other primary that I have on hand.

Again, the measurement at the unconnected tan / white secondary connector was 104v when the icemaker called for water.

The voltage readings at the connected blue solenoids for every test was 120v. Attached tan / white connector to the secondary inlet valve and forced the harvest cycle. With the connector attached the voltage reading was 91v instead of 104v.

Do you suppose that the issue is being cause by a faulty icemaker module?

 

[rickgburton]

That's one weird problem you have. But it does sound like it's related to the ice maker. With the ice maker in the park position and without pressing the dispenser lever, take a voltage measurement from the yellow wire and the tan wire to ground. Use a cabinet screw or the metal frame. Is the any voltage?

 

[rharber]

Both wires show 0.7v to ground.