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I have a Whirlpool GI7FVCXWY02 that is leaking water after over filling the automatic ice tray. I realize there is a mechanical adjustment on the automatic ice try (which is covered up in this model). But I do not believe this affects the duration of the water fill. No matter how this mechanical adjustment is set the ice maker always fills the automatic ice try for 6.5 seconds.

In fact, I traced the wiring in this refrigerator's service manual, and see where the automatic ice tray water fill solenoid is controlled from the main circuit board in the bottom back of the refrigerator. Not from the automatic ice tray slip rings as one would have expected! Specifically, it is assumed, even if the ice tray water fill is triggered by the ice try slip ring, the processor on the main circuit board is always measuring out 6.5 seconds of water!

In addition, this refrigerator is measuring out too much water when using the "measured water" feature. When set for 3 ounces, this refrigerator measures out 6. Off by a factor of 2! The overflowing ice maker is starting to make sense now.

Before you go there, I acknowledge newer Whirlpool refrigerators have a "measured water calibration procedure". But, as far as I know, this Whirlpool (this one has a color LCD touch screen) does not have a way to calibrate measured water.

Finally, I tried changing the water flow rate at the cold water tap cutoff valve. I closed it down, then opened it up slightly. What happened is really interesting. I did noticeably slow the water flow rate at the refrigerator door's water dispenser. I assume it will have the same affect during the filling of the ice tray. But, when I asked for 3 ounces of water, it still gave me 6 ounces of water!

So! There's a water-flow-rate-meter somewhere in this refrigerator!! And it's off by a factor of 2. But looking for such a part has turned up nothing!

So, questions:

  1. Is there such a part as a Whirlpool refrigerator water-flow-rate-meter? If so, where do I get a new one? For that matter, where is it on my refrigerator?
  2. If there isn't a flow meter, then does anyone know how to calibrate the water flow time for this module of Whirlpool refrigerator?
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    If you cannot change the time easily, can you adjust the flow rate, e.g., with a flow restrictor or using the shutoff valve?
    – DrMoishe Pippik
    Commented Jan 28 at 21:16
  • Has the water filter been bypassed? Edit: The owner's manual, while it does not have a procedure for calibrating Measured Fill, does have one for a factory reset. Perhaps that could help?
    – IronEagle
    Commented Jan 28 at 22:11
  • Both good questions. The water filter has not been bypassed. In fact the old filter was replaced with a new filter as one of the first steps to remedy the "too much water" problem. I have not tried the factory reset. That is a good idea! I'll try that.
    – st2000
    Commented Jan 29 at 13:21
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    I added description of what happened when I turned down the water flow at the cold water cutoff valve. Interestingly, the measured water dispenser took much longer to pour out 3 ounces of water. Except it was still really poring out (double) 6 ounces of water! There much me a flow meter in there somewhere! And it's broken!
    – st2000
    Commented Feb 3 at 21:20
  • Is the water pressure abnormally high?
    – gbronner
    Commented Feb 8 at 22:50

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
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Found the problem!!!

The Whirlpool GI7FVCXWY02 has 3 water solenoids/valves !!!

Two at the top of the refrigerator to direct water to ether the ice maker or the front door water dispenser. And a master solenoid/valve at the bottom rear of the refrigerator. This master solenoid/valve also contain a hall-effect water meter sensor and is controlled by a Microchip.com processor.

After removing the master solenoid/valve I tested it alone and found it passed about twice the amount of water programmed into the refrigerator's keypad. A new master solenoid/valve was ordered, installed and tested and was found to pass just slightly less then the amount demanded (i.e. ~2.8 oz for 3.0 oz). This was great news!

So...

It looks like a slowly failing water meter sensor in the master water solenoid/valve lead to over filling the ice maker. And finally causing the ice maker to fail completely (the low temperature ice detector failed).

Also, these ice makers come with a mechanical means to adjust the water flow. This adjustment (frustratingly) had no effect on the fill time when in a Whirlpool GI7FVCXWY02. Likely because the fill time is controlled by that Microchip.com processor on the master water solenoid/valve.

Added later...

If you have the exact same Whirlpool model number I found the replacement part that is working for me here.

Added later...

Be aware some newer refrigerators can be metered-water-calibrated from the front panel. This Whirlpool refrigerator does not appears to support that option. This is just a guess, but metered-water-calibration may remove the need for a metered-water-sensor.

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  • Wow, kudos on all the effort you put into diagnosing that. Most people wouldn't bother.
    – Glenn Willen
    Commented Mar 24 at 16:00
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    ... I like ice cubes :).
    – st2000
    Commented Mar 24 at 16:13

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