I have a side-by-side refrigerator/freezer with an ice and water dispenser built into the door. The ice dispenser has worked well over the years but recently my wife started making smoothies, crushed ice blended with fruit and other healthy stuff, and has been dispensing crushed ice. The crushed ice tends to clog the discharge tube and freeze into a solid mass.

She's started using only cubes and spending a couple extra minutes at the blender but I wondered if there's some magic trick to dispensing crushed ice without clogging.

The machine is a Whirlpool and is at least 12 years old. The kids brought it when they moved in with us for a while and left it as a thank-you present..

Paul

On Wed, 13 Aug 2014 18:55:43 -0700 (PDT), Pavel314
wrote:

I have a side-by-side refrigerator/freezer with an ice and water dispenser built into the door. The ice dispenser has worked well over the years but recently my wife started making smoothies, crushed ice blended with fruit and other healthy stuff, and has been dispensing crushed ice. The crushed ice tends to clog the discharge tube and freeze into a solid mass.

She's started using only cubes and spending a couple extra minutes at the blender but I wondered if there's some magic trick to dispensing crushed ice without clogging.

The machine is a Whirlpool and is at least 12 years old. The kids brought it when they moved in with us for a while and left it as a thank-you present.

Paul

She may do better if dispensing crushed, before done switch it back to
cube for the last bit and see if it clears the chute.

On 8/13/2014 8:55 PM, Pavel314 wrote:
I have a side-by-side refrigerator/freezer with an ice and water dispenser built into the door. The ice dispenser has worked well over the years but recently my wife started making smoothies, crushed ice blended with fruit and other healthy stuff, and has been dispensing crushed ice. The crushed ice tends to clog the discharge tube and freeze into a solid mass.

She's started using only cubes and spending a couple extra minutes at the blender but I wondered if there's some magic trick to dispensing crushed ice without clogging.

The machine is a Whirlpool and is at least 12 years old. The kids brought it when they moved in with us for a while and left it as a thank-you present.

Paul

I don't know about clogging, but when I first got my refrigerator
and tried the crushed ice dispenser I found that it dispensed
the crushed ice all over the kitchen. I immediately quit using
it and just use cubes. They mostly come out better. Well better
than the crushed ice.

The ice dispenser seems to work just the same as at
fast food restaurants convenience stores. It cranks and cranks
and then suddenly fills the glass with more ice than I want.
Just like the professional dispensers.

Bill

On 8/13/2014 9:55 PM, Pavel314 wrote:
I have a side-by-side refrigerator/freezer with an ice and water dispenser built into the door. The ice dispenser has worked well over the years but recently my wife started making smoothies, crushed ice blended with fruit and other healthy stuff, and has been dispensing crushed ice. The crushed ice tends to clog the discharge tube and freeze into a solid mass.

She's started using only cubes and spending a couple extra minutes at the blender but I wondered if there's some magic trick to dispensing crushed ice without clogging.

The machine is a Whirlpool and is at least 12 years old. The kids brought it when they moved in with us for a while and left it as a thank-you present.

Paul

I too, have a WP side by side, only 5 years old. The ice distribution
system, in the door, is just horrible. Funny thing, in the summer,
there are no clogs. In fall through spring, we sometimes have to clean
it once a week, chiseling out huge chunks of ice. We do keep the AC
running during the "good" times, however, the humidity is usually higher
in the summer than winter ... go figure. I normally don't do extended
warranties, however, I took one on this unit because of all the trouble
I've had in the past. The service guys just say, yeah that's the way
they are! They've tried everything, including a complete new door. The
last guy said that all of the units with the ice bucket in the door do
that ... and that I should only use cube! Well, I bought this model so
I could get crushed ice and I feel I've been duped. One of the service
guys told me that the WP tech person on the phone told him something
that he wouldn't tell the customer. I squeezed it out of him and he
reluctantly told me they said that is "was up to the customer to keep
the chute clean." BTW, when it ices up, the entire bucket freezes to
the base, so removing it is quite difficult. When it finally breaks
loose, there's ice all over the kitchen, resulting in a major wipe up.
One time when the service guy was here, he had to beat on it sooooo
hard, that plastic pieces flew out in different directions. He said it
just came apart, but I think he actually replaced some parts which were
broken, when I was looking the other way.

On Thursday, August 14, 2014 8:45:40 AM UTC-4, Bill Gill wrote:
On 8/13/2014 8:55 PM, Pavel314 wrote:

I have a side-by-side refrigerator/freezer with an ice and water dispenser built into the door. The ice dispenser has worked well over the years but recently my wife started making smoothies, crushed ice blended with fruit and other healthy stuff, and has been dispensing crushed ice. The crushed ice tends to clog the discharge tube and freeze into a solid mass.



She's started using only cubes and spending a couple extra minutes at the blender but I wondered if there's some magic trick to dispensing crushed ice without clogging.



The machine is a Whirlpool and is at least 12 years old. The kids brought it when they moved in with us for a while and left it as a thank-you present.



Paul



I don't know about clogging, but when I first got my refrigerator

and tried the crushed ice dispenser I found that it dispensed

the crushed ice all over the kitchen. I immediately quit using

it and just use cubes. They mostly come out better. Well better

than the crushed ice.



The ice dispenser seems to work just the same as at

fast food restaurants convenience stores. It cranks and cranks

and then suddenly fills the glass with more ice than I want.

Just like the professional dispensers.



Bill

IDK, my Kitchenaid works great, it's never clogged. The motor did burn
out though, after about 3 years..... I really like the crushed ice a lot.
It cools down room temp drinks instantly and the crush iced is more uniform
in the glass when you're drinking, where ice cubes tend to slide around,
come at you all at once, etc. This problem sounds like a design issue with
the particular unit.

On Thu, 14 Aug 2014 05:59:29 -0700 (PDT), trader_4
wrote:

This problem sounds like a design issue with
the particular unit.

Fixed my ice maker some months ago. I vaguely recall reading about
the ice / water dispensers in doors having a gasket seal at the rear
and the freezer door. If the seal goes bad, cold air from the freezer
causes problems in the dispenser. IIRC


OP can you feel a cold air draft leak adjacent the ice dispenser
front?

OP can put in his model number at:

http://www.appliancepartspros.com/

.... and look for an exploded view of the dispenser

On Thu, 14 Aug 2014 12:05:03 -0400, wrote:

Make sure the exit door is sealing up when you take your cup away from
the actuator. There may be a bind in the linkage.

The tech was back here today for a different problem on my fridge. He
could have fixed the first time. He ate that cost.

For giggles I looked at the flapper on the ice chute on the inside,
the inside of the freezer door. It sealed well. No cold air drafted
out from the dispenser.

On 8/14/2014 5:54 PM, Oren wrote:
On Thu, 14 Aug 2014 12:05:03 -0400, wrote:

Make sure the exit door is sealing up when you take your cup away from
the actuator. There may be a bind in the linkage.

The tech was back here today for a different problem on my fridge. He
could have fixed the first time. He ate that cost.

For giggles I looked at the flapper on the ice chute on the inside,
the inside of the freezer door. It sealed well. No cold air drafted
out from the dispenser.

Yeah, I think it's hopeless. My flap seals well, but they 1st replaced
it. Then, they even replaced the door. Hopeless!

On 8/15/2014 10:45 AM, Art Todesco wrote:
Yeah, I think it's hopeless. My flap seals well, but they 1st replaced
it. Then, they even replaced the door. Hopeless!

I wonder if food grade silicone might slick up
the chute, and help prevent ice build up? Dunno,
I've not tried.

--
..
Christopher A. Young
Learn about Jesus
www.lds.org
..

On 8/13/2014 9:55 PM, Pavel314 wrote:
I have a side-by-side refrigerator/freezer with an ice and water dispenser built into the door. The ice dispenser has worked well over the years but recently my wife started making smoothies, crushed ice blended with fruit and other healthy stuff, and has been dispensing crushed ice. The crushed ice tends to clog the discharge tube and freeze into a solid mass.

She's started using only cubes and spending a couple extra minutes at the blender but I wondered if there's some magic trick to dispensing crushed ice without clogging.

The machine is a Whirlpool and is at least 12 years old. The kids brought it when they moved in with us for a while and left it as a thank-you present.

Paul

I just talked to my son in Chicago. He has a friend that has a very
expensive SubZero unit that has the ice bucket in the freezer door. He
says that the friend has the same identical problem. And in addition, my
service tech said that all units, no matter what brand, which have the
bucket in the freezer door are subject to this problem. He also said
that when he buy a refrigerator he looks for one with non electronic
controls, although he admits they are becoming fewer and farther between.

On 8/16/2014 9:03 AM, Art Todesco wrote:
I just talked to my son in Chicago. He has a friend that has a very
expensive SubZero unit that has the ice bucket in the freezer door. He
says that the friend has the same identical problem. And in addition, my
service tech said that all units, no matter what brand, which have the
bucket in the freezer door are subject to this problem. He also said
that when he buy a refrigerator he looks for one with non electronic
controls, although he admits they are becoming fewer and farther between.

GE / Hotpoint put a circuit board in the back
of many models of refrigerator. They had a run
of bad boards, and those boards are expensive.
$150 or more, just for the board.

--
..
Christopher A. Young
Learn about Jesus
www.lds.org
..