The short answer for this family
On the Alpha RDVC family, an ice maker making no ice, or bad ice is usually a compartment that is not cold enough to make ice. This is the cooler build of a platform also sold as a freezer, so its evaporator sits close to freezing and small errors in airflow or setpoint push it over. The brand-generic article for this symptom ranks the fill valve and the supply behind it first; on this platform it does not.
What you observe on these models
- Which of the family's models you are standing in front of — The matrix on this page is two cabinets whose numeric part ascends, on the same platform that carries the freezer build, and that is worth reading first, because this is the cooler build of a platform also sold as a freezer, so its evaporator sits close to freezing and small errors in airflow or setpoint push it over.
- The mould is dry and nothing has filled it — Water is not arriving. That is upstream of the ice maker and usually upstream of the appliance.
- Cubes are small, hollow or misshapen — Some water is arriving but not enough, or not for long enough.
- The bin holds one fused block rather than cubes — Ice that has melted slightly and refrozen has bridged, and a bridged bin stops the ejector.
Causes, most likely first on the RDVC family
- A compartment that is not cold enough to make ice — Ranked first because this is the cooler build of a platform also sold as a freezer, so its evaporator sits close to freezing and small errors in airflow or setpoint push it over.
- The fill valve and the supply behind it — Second. The condensing unit is in the machine compartment; the evaporator and its fan are inside the top of the cabinet, so a partly closed supply valve or a kinked line starves the fill without stopping it.
- A jammed mould, arm or ejector — Third. It is confirmed by emptying the bin and looking at the mould, which costs nothing.
- The shut-off arm or bin sensor left in the off position — Fourth. Still worth a look before anything is dismantled.
- A sealed-system or compressor fault — Last, and that placement is the point of the ranking: it is the least common cause and the only one that is not an owner fix.
- Body: This is not the brand-generic ranking. A compartment that is not cold enough to make ice moves to the top of this family's ranking and the fill valve and the supply behind it goes down to second place, because the platform here is a reach-in style cabinet holding a cooler setpoint, so its evaporator runs near freezing rather than below it.
Check in this order on these models
- Measure the compartment with a thermometer — A freezer holds food safely at 0 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 18 degrees Celsius, or below.
- Check that water is reaching the machine at all — Follow the line back to its valve and confirm the valve is fully open.
- Empty the bin completely and look at the mould — Bridged ice locks the ejector. Clear it, and see whether the next cycle produces loose cubes.
- Look at the shut-off arm or the bin sensor first — Arm up, or a box sitting in the sensor path, and the maker is being told to stop.
- Body: The order follows the ranking, and the access decides the rest: on these models the condensing unit is in the machine compartment; the evaporator and its fan are inside the top of the cabinet.
Before you open anything
Safety
Unplug the appliance or switch off its breaker before removing any panel; a capacitor can hold a charge after the power is off. Turn the water supply off at its valve before touching a fitting. Never chip at ice in the mould with a screwdriver or a knife: the mould and the heater under it puncture easily, and a punctured mould turns an ice fault into a replacement.
Models in the RDVC family
Reference| Model number | Family key |
|---|---|
| RDVC170WE | alpha:refrigerator:rdvc |
| RDVC210WE | alpha:refrigerator:rdvc |
Where the owner limit falls on these models
Call when water reaches the machine, the compartment holds 0 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 18 degrees Celsius, the bin is clear and the mould still does not fill or eject. Call sooner if the compartment is not holding temperature at all, because then the ice maker is the messenger rather than the fault.
Other symptoms covered for this family
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