Dometic DI-23 IceMaker not working

[Yankee802]

I have never had any use for icemakers, (or trash compactors either) untill moving into the coach. Now I can't imagine NOT having one, or a working one anyway. I use a LOT of ice for my tea, and now I can't have my iced tea, HELP!!!

It was working lastnight, I woke up today to find it had completely defrosted and was no longer running. I cycled the power switch, couldnt' find a tripped breaker, reset the inverter (it is on that circuit/breaker, and all else on the inverter works fine), and looked for a fuse, but couldn't find one. Now I did see that the cooling coils need to be cleaned pretty badly, but can't imagine why that would prevent it from turning on. I'll clean that if I can get this thing working again, not going to clean a corpse.

Any suggestions?

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Refrigeration is refrigeration and from your description it does not sound like the ice harvesting mechanism is bad, so any competent refrigeration repair shop should be able to diagnose and fix the problem. Don't be surprised to find if it is something like a bad compressor to find the repair cost is greater than the cost of a replacement.

[gmcbuffalo]

I was reading in FMCA mag about refrigerators and the author said repaired compressor last only a year, rebuilts a little longer and if the unit is over 5 y/o it is better to buy a new one with a full warranty and new technology then a repair. Don't put a lot of money into old applainances.
Greg

[truk4u]

Yank,

Assuming it's an absorption fridge, you may be much further ahead to just replace it if it's an old one. From my past plastic coach days, repairing the Dometic's was a nightmare and they never seemed to work right.

[Yankee802]

Thanks guys for the input.

Update:

I had turned it off, and had not cleaned it. (wasn't going to clean a corpse) I was talking with the wife about the ice maker, and told her only thing I hadn't done (for not being an HVAC tech) was hit/kick the damn thing. I then turned the switch on, nothing, then proceeded to lightly kick the bottom face plate (that covers the compressor/switch/radiator) and it started. Well, well, smacking something works yet again. :)

I have since cleaned it all up and the ice maker is full and functional again!! :)

Now the coils/radiator was choked full of dust, and (hopefully) might have had something to do with it quiting. Otherwise it might be on it's way out and have to be replaced, but this IS the first time it quit on me.

[Yankee802]

Update:

I have since cleaned it (literally choked full of dust) and it was working great, untill today. I noticed that it hasn't replenished the ice, it's almost empty, but it is still cold, but that could be the insulating properties, I dunno.

Ok, as I'm sitting here, I can hear the ice maker cycle on and off. (what I believe is the compressor, the fan runs fine) When it does kick on, it only stays running for under a minute, then it's off. Then it's a few start attempts before it will run again, and for only under a minute. It's doing this constantly.

So, I assume from this that it's on it's way out? It doesn't appear that pulling it out to replace it is going to be anywhere near easy, and that is IF I can find one with the same dimensions. :(