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Icemaker Winterization

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Andeecat

RVF Regular
Joined
Sep 26, 2020
Messages
7
We just took possession of a 2017 Baystar that my sister left us. I have a question for you guys. We need to winterize the rig and I have never done this with an icemaker. I have read a few articles but they make it sound like I am going to rebuild the fridge to do it. Does anyone know an easy way to either bypass or turn off the water supply to just the icemaker? It has a Norcold N841IMRT refrigerator. Thanks for any help I can get.
Mike
 
Hi Andeecat.

Let me offer you a simple way to winterize your ice maker, assuming you use RV antifreeze as your “winterizer”. After you have winterized everything else, continue to keep your rig configured to suck in antifreeze into the plumbing. Then run your fridge/freezer as normal and allow your ice maker to suck in the antifreeze. It may take 3-4 complete icemaking cycles before you are creating pure pink ice cubes. I usually allow mine to run overnight. The next morning I shut everything down and empty out the pink ice cubes.

An alternate method involves removing the front cover of the ice maker and manually turning the mechanism to force a couple of ice maker fills and refills until you get nothing but pink liquid in there. I’ve done it both ways, and prefer the former.

I don’t want to assume anything, so please know that RV antifreeze will freeze, but it does not expand like water does.
 
I always just used compressed air
 
Hi Andeecat.

Let me offer you a simple way to winterize your ice maker, assuming you use RV antifreeze as your “winterizer”. After you have winterized everything else, continue to keep your rig configured to suck in antifreeze into the plumbing. Then run your fridge/freezer as normal and allow your ice maker to suck in the antifreeze. It may take 3-4 complete icemaking cycles before you are creating pure pink ice cubes. I usually allow mine to run overnight. The next morning I shut everything down and empty out the pink ice cubes.

An alternate method involves removing the front cover of the ice maker and manually turning the mechanism to force a couple of ice maker fills and refills until you get nothing but pink liquid in there. I’ve done it both ways, and prefer the former.

I don’t want to assume anything, so please know that RV antifreeze will freeze, but it does not expand like water does.
Thanks for the info. We don't get real cold here,(Reno NV). I am also wondering since I have all the faucets on right now and the drains open to get all the water out over the next few weeks if I could just put antifreeze in up to the icemaker and not run it through that if it would hurt. Right now we are waiting for electritions to put in a 50 amp service. I just have it connected to an outside outlet so I am not sure it would handle the fridge.
 
I think that would work. The primary freeze threat is to the water solenoid valve that allows water to pass thru to the ice maker.

Your 110 is sufficient to run the fridge and ice maker with no problem. That’s what it is plugged into in your MH.
 
.......I have all the faucets on right now and the drains open to get all the water out over the next few weeks ........

After the first few minutes no more water will come out even over weeks or months. There will still be water in all the low spots. Plenty of differing opinions of whether blowing out or anti-freeze is required. One method needs to be used and used correctly to ensure no freeze/burst problems.
 
After the first few minutes no more water will come out even over weeks or months. There will still be water in all the low spots. Plenty of differing opinions of whether blowing out or anti-freeze is required. One method needs to be used and used correctly to ensure no freeze/burst problems.
Thanks Alan. We always run antifreeze through it every year. This is just the first time we have had to worry abut the icemaker.
 

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