Brand: Kitchenaid Model Number: KUIX505EBS1 Main Symptom: Low ice production What happens & when: Much lower ice production than in the past; occurs constantly now
Error Code (if any): None
Parts or tests already tried: Warranty company has replaced many parts; diagnostic run just today - no faults
Photos / video link:
TL;DR: Undercounter ice maker had a freon leak and compressor failure in February. After the sealed system, compressor, wire grid, control board, and other parts were replaced, the ice maker, even on “max ice” mode, does not make ice nearly as fast as it used to without max ice mode activated.
This undercounter ice maker worked perfectly for just over seven years. The unit produced wonderful amounts of thick, quality ice pieces - enough to keep up with the large amount my wife and I use (we drink lots of ice water and work out almost daily in our home gym). More often than not, we would open the ice maker and ice would flow out slightly onto the “flapper” interior door due to the volume of ice, despite the amount we were using.
During the first week of February of this year, I noticed the ice was melting in the bottom of the unit, but I could still hear the water flowing. I then saw that, although the water was flowing over the evaporator plate, no ice sheets were being created. I felt the copper of the sealed system and it was warm. A little research later, and learning that I could not DIY fix this issue, I called Kitchenaid and was offered a 12-month warranty plan, paid monthly. Agreed as the total amount for 12 months would be 25% the cost of a new unit. I put in a claim and began working with their assigned repair company.
The initial problem was a freon leak and a failing compressor. The compressor and sealed system were replaced (after almost two months of waiting for the sealed system parts). Although ice production began once again, it was very slow. I activated the “max ice” feature. Even with the max ice feature operating, the unit did not produce ice nearly as quickly as before the February failure. I ran the diagnostic program - no faults.
New tech comes out and orders a new control board. Tech #3 installs the new control board and tells me to let her know if that does not fix the issue as she has other ideas. The new control board changes nothing.
Tech #3 orders multiple parts, including a bin thermistor, a water valve, and a new wire grid as one of the wires broke during this time. Those were all replaced yesterday. We fire up the unit and, over 24 hours later, even on max ice production and no ice being removed, the bin is barely 1/3 full and its mostly a pile of sloppy, half-melted ice pieces.
I am literally at a loss at this point as to where to go from here. I ran the diagnostics again and everything checked out OK. One main thing I notice is that, ever since the first fix was completed (the compressor and sealed system replacement), the ice is very wet and the sheets produced do not appear as thick as before. Before, we had loads of “dry” ice, as it was being produced and cut by the grid quickly. Again, that was without “max ice” activated.
Apologies for the long post. Any advice would be much appreciated.
Based on everything you’ve described, I don’t think this is a control board, thermistor, or water valve problem anymore. The key clue is this:
The problem started immediately after the sealed system/compressor repair, and the ice is now thinner, wetter, and takes much longer to harvest.
That points much more toward a refrigeration performance issue than an electrical or control issue.
Here’s how I’d rank the possibilities.
1. The sealed system repair is still not performing correctly (most likely)
The symptoms fit an evaporator that’s not getting cold enough:
Thin ice sheets
Long freeze times
Wet/slushy ice
Low daily production
No diagnostic errors
The control board only knows whether sensors are reading within expected ranges. It cannot detect:
Incorrect refrigerant charge
Partial restriction in the capillary tube
Weak replacement compressor
Non-condensables in the system
Poor vacuum during installation
A slow refrigerant leak
All of those will still pass diagnostics.
2. Refrigerant charge is incorrect
This is probably the first thing I’d want checked.
Even being slightly undercharged can cause exactly what you’re seeing:
Water freezes very slowly.
Ice slabs are thinner.
Harvests take much longer.
Ice is wet because the machine never reaches its normal freeze thickness.
If the original leak wasn’t repaired perfectly, it’s also possible you’ve already lost some refrigerant again.
3. Partial restriction in the sealed system
If debris or moisture entered during the repair, you can get a restriction in:
filter drier
capillary tube
This reduces refrigerant flow enough that the evaporator never reaches design temperature.
Again:
no error codes
poor ice production
wet ice
4. Condenser airflow issue
Less likely since this started after repairs, but worth checking:
condenser fan running continuously
condenser clean
compressor not overheating
A hot condenser can reduce production substantially.
5. Water system (less likely)
A water problem usually gives:
incomplete slabs
hollow cubes
obvious dry spots
You mention:
water flows over the evaporator correctly
and
the sheets are just thinner
That points away from the water circuit.
The biggest clue
You said:
Before the repair it easily overflowed the bin without Max Ice.
Now:
24 hours later on Max Ice it’s only about one-third full.
That’s a massive reduction.
The Max Ice feature only shortens the interval between cycles—it cannot overcome an evaporator that’s too warm.
What I’d ask the technician to measure
At this point I’d stop replacing electrical parts and request a sealed-system performance evaluation.
Specifically ask them to record:
suction pressure
discharge pressure
evaporator temperature
superheat
subcooling
compressor amp draw
freeze cycle time
slab thickness
Those numbers will reveal very quickly whether the refrigeration system is actually operating to specification.
One question I’d ask
When the unit is making a slab, does the ice:
cover the entire evaporator evenly, just thinner than before?
or
does one section freeze thick while another section stays thin or watery?
That answer can help distinguish between an incorrect refrigerant charge and a restriction.
My overall opinion
Since the machine worked perfectly for seven years, then immediately after the compressor/sealed system replacement it became permanently slow, I would be very suspicious of the sealed system repair itself rather than the electronics. Replacing the control board, thermistor, water valve, and wire grid without any improvement reinforces that conclusion.
At this stage, I would push the warranty company to send a senior refrigeration technician (not another parts replacer) and have them verify the sealed system against KitchenAid specifications rather than continuing to swap controls and sensors.
Hello, Jeffrey - Thank you VERY much for your extremely detailed answer! To address a couple items you noted:
When the tech first replaced the sealed system, the evaporator plate got cold, but not cold enough to freeze any water into ice. He came back, told me he “blew out the system”, and it started to at least get cold enough to start the freezing process (with the results as described in my initial post).
Your list of symptoms for a sealed system not working correctly is basically the list of what is happening - long freeze times, thin ice sheets, slushy ice, etc.
Specifically to your question at the end, the ice sheets are not only thin, but thicker in some places and thinner in others (thickest where the copper tubes actually make contact with the evaporator plate underneath). In fact, there are areas on both sides of the harvested ice sheets where there is no ice at all - basically there are long “gaps” in the ice from near the front of the sheet to the back.
I will definitely call Kitchenaid and let them know I need a senior refrigeration tech to come out and perform some tests. To clarify - is the symptom of the uneven ice sheets reflective of an incorrect refrigerant charge or a restriction? I assume incorrect refrigerant charge as the plate is presumably not getting as cold as it should.
One question from me - when I run through the diagnostics, step 8 where it tests the compressor and fan motor, it states that the “MAX ICE LED” should be off when the “evap term >4.5 degrees” and blinking when that temp is <= 4.5 degrees. If I run the diagnostics on manual step and reach step 8, a) how long should it take before I see a frost pattern (roughly), and b) should, at some point after leaving the diagnostics on that step indefinitely, the max ice LED start blinking (i.e., the therm reaches or goes below 4.5 degrees)?
When I get to that step in manual mode, he frost pattern takes a LONG time to finally show up (well over a minute) and the max ice LED has never started to blink, even after leaving it on the step for several minutes.
Based on what you’re describing from the test results I’m even more certain there is an issues with the sealed system. The uneven freeze pattern long time to develop frost and never reaching the temp. set point definitely point to the sealed system
Great - thank you. I will chat with Kitchenaid and update. Appreciate all the advice as it gives me some knowledge when dealing with Kitchenaid and the repair company!
Hello, Jeffrey - Thought I would give you a quick update. The senior tech was out today and performed numerous tests. The sealed system is working correctly - he got the plate to freeze over solid and the other tests were all in the green (including the step in the diagnostics where the correct light was blinking indicating a temp of under 4 degrees. He believes the problem is stemming from the nozzles that create the waterfall down to the evaporator plate. Essentially, the water is not coming out of the nozzles in the correct way (likely due to the lovely calcium-filled water here in PHX), which is causing the ice sheet to form improperly and, as a result of running along the sides and front of the cutting grid, also causing the cutting grid to actually cool down so the ice sheet does not get cut as fast (and thus starting melt while on the grid), and additionally causing the ice in the bin to melt early due to the dripping water. This also explains why I had a pile of slushy mess and why the ice is “wet”. In the end, he not only ordered a new set of nozzles, but also the tray under the evaporator plate because it looked warped to him. Hoping for the best!