draining ice maker for winter

[oskur d]

I posted this question on another thread but it had probably run its course so didn't get many views.

Is it necessary to drain the ice maker in the res fridge for winter? The sticker in the Nautilus cabinet says to just turn the valve to off. Doesn't seem like enough to me. This is probably someplace that shouldn't get anti-freeze(?)

If draining is necessary how is it done?

[Rich T]

I posted this question on another thread but it had probably run its course so didn't get many views.

Is it necessary to drain the ice maker in the res fridge for winter? The sticker in the Nautilus cabinet says to just turn the valve to off. Doesn't seem like enough to me. This is probably someplace that shouldn't get anti-freeze(?)

If draining is necessary how is it done?

The supply line outside under the slide could be drained but I think water could still be trapped especially inside the icemaker. There is a solenoid that would stop blowing air into frig. Under the icemaker in the front of it is a test button (check your manual and maybe look under with a mirror). When the button is pushed it will dump the ice maker and refill it. What I do is while pulling anti-freeze in I push the test button a few times until I see pink, leaving ice container in place to catch what is dumping out. When I dewinterize I do the same thing with the sanitizing bleach/water from holding tank. Just keep filling/dumping until it is clear and later throw away the first few batches of ice. The anti-freeze is non toxic but..... Be sure to shut the freezer door right after pushing the test button so that dumping goes into container. Three winters for me, working fine so far.
Rich

[Second Chance]

We don't winterize since we're full-time. We have also never used the ice-maker - we prefer to use the re-freezable "ice cubes" instead and free up the ice bin for other stuff. That said, I would want to at least purge the line to the ice-maker, or at least get anti-freeze into it, so it didn't freeze and crack over the winter. I've just searched the Samsung fridge manual and can't find anything relating to this. You might consider this, however: the winterizing procedure calls for using the water pump to suck up RV antifreeze and pump it through the various water lines. With everything else close, you could turn on the fridge and ice-maker and let it cycle during this process to get antifreeze into the water line and valve for the ice-maker. Worth a try?

Rob

EDIT: @Rich T beat me to it with a better description - thanks!

[orbiker]

I blew out the ice-maker system with air when doing the rest of the Solitude. I pushed the button on the ice-maker while applying air pressure ( 20 lb ). Then I disconnected the union under the kitchen slide to let any more water out with air. KEN

[huntr70]

We cycle the icemakers until antifreeze comes out when we winterize.

[Mark R]

How should the ice maker be handled if the coach is still in use and the temperatures are expected to be below freezing?

[JM0397]

How should the ice maker be handled if the coach is still in use and the temperatures are expected to be below freezing?

Depends on temps, I suppose. For me, we were out last week and it was dipping below freezing for the low, but wasn't sustained below freezing so it wasn't too much of a worry. The warning in the water bay does say to turn off ice maker line from the water bay when below freezing, but, as pointed out above, it sounds like that water line runs under the kitchen slide so could be susceptible to freezing, even if turned off.
If I was in your shoes, I'd turn it off in the water bay, and then manually cycle in the fridge a few time to let the pressure off, and then even find the line and disconnect at the low point, if possible. (NOT the actual low point drains, mind you, I mean the low point of that specific water line, if you're able to locate it).
Good luck, let us know how you handle it!

[Mark R]

Thanks for the reply and advise.

I actually called Grand Design and was advised to cut the valve off in the Wet Bay and allow the ice maker to cycle until no more ice is being made which indicates that water has been removed form the ice maker supply line by the ice maker itself. Feels like 22 degrees here in Georgia this morning. Expected to below freezing again overnight. We'll turn the ice maker valve back on when we get to Florida Wednesday and see what we have.

Thanks again...

[Blueovalman]

Can you winterize the ice maker by turning the valve on and turning the ice maker on and let it cycle until a couple of pink batches are made"?

[Rich T]

Can you winterize the ice maker by turning the valve on and turning the ice maker on and let it cycle until a couple of pink batches are made"?

Yes. I replied to the other thread you started with more details, re what I have been doing. Having the Samsung with ice maker adds a little extra work during winterization but we really like this frig! Lots of room, ice, stable temp.
Rich