No Water Flow in a Kenmore Refrigerator's Water to Ice Maker Valve

Safety Precautions

• Before beginning any repairs to your refrigerator, it is important that you disconnect the refrigerator's power supply. To disconnect the power supply, unplug the refrigerator from the wall outlet or turn off the dedicated refrigerator breaker in your home's service panel.

Water Supply Line and Valve

• The water supply valve is located on the wall behind the refrigerator and connects to the refrigerator's water inlet valve using the water supply line, which is made of either copper or plastic. Test the water supply line and valve to ensure that water is getting to the refrigerator's water inlet valve. To test the valve, turn off the water supply and then remove the water supply line from the refrigerator's water inlet valve on the rear of the refrigerator. Place the end of the line into a bucket or into the sink and then turn on the water supply. If water flows through the line, then the valve and line are not the source of the problem.

Water Inlet Valve

• If the water inlet valve has failed, it will remain open or closed. If the valve is stuck open, water will seep into the freezer lines and this will prevent water from flowing. If the valve does not open, no water will enter the refrigerator. To test the inlet valve using a multimeter, open the freezer door and remove the panel from the ice maker. With the meter set to the lowest setting for ohms of resistance, insert one probe into the hole labeled "N" and insert the other probe into the hole labeled "L." With the probes inserted, look at the meter's display. If the meter shows a resistance of between 150 and 350 ohms, the inlet valve is properly functioning.

Visual Inspection

• Although the valve may have continuity, it may possible that the valve is stuck open, which causes water to freeze inside the fill tube. To inspect, remove the ice maker by loosening the screws securing it to the wall and lifting it. Pull the fill tube off the rear wall and inspect it for ice buildup. If ice is present, allow it to thaw and then reinstall the fill tube. This may also be necessary after the inlet valve is replaced, if the old inlet valve was stuck open.