AS229SEXPB Maytag Refrigerator - Instructions

We have a Reverse Osmosis water filter supplying the fridge, so the internal water filter only served to reduce the water pressure inside the unit. I installed the bypass plug by simply twisting and removing the internal water filter and then twisting the plug up into the same hole. Done in 5 min.
Longest part of this was clearing the top shelf to reach back there... Oh, and figuring out that this part exists and that it could help with the problems we were having with the unit. The water filter is relatively new, less than six months, but it still contributed to the problem enough to cause the failure.
[Thank you Partselect.com for having this web database set up that gets EXACTLY the right part!].

Now about the hollow cubes: Do a web search and you'll find a lot of discussion about it. This is specific to the Whirlpool (Maytag, and others) newer style front to back icemakers that create "half moon" shaped icecubes. For a Shop Manual to a web search for 4316835.pdf for this series.
No doubt my old unit's icemaker solenoid valve on the back isn't passing as much pressure as it did new, but by itself it isn't fatal just yet. You can tell if you are vulnerable to this if the water spigot on the front only delivers a very slow trickle of water; if it takes a l o n g t i m e to fill a glass.

But here is the rest of the story: There is a fundamental design flaw in the way the icemaker unit was created that makes it malfuntion if the water pressure is too low - they chose to put the thermocouple (TC) that senses the temperature of the freezing cube on the opposite end (front) of the water tray from the water fill tube which fills from the rear. This was probably a manufacturing trade off for simplicity of assembly and it saved them half a cent's worth of copper wiring and a couple of screws. And maybe a safty concern about wiring under an open water channel, but that is a lousy excuse; there are other solutions, and the power "harness" goes right by there within a couple of inches anyway...

There are a number of reasons for low pressure:
- Bad supply inlet valve, or not open all the way, crimped tubing
- Bad Frige icemaker solenoid valve
- Clogged internal water filter (even just a little)
- Frozen ice plug in the fill tube, in the very back top of the unit against the back (use a hair dryer to defrost)
- Etc. Do some more web research for more details.
Of course the icemaker timers do fail as well, so this discussion assumes the icemaker is still functioning as "normally" as it can, given its design limitations.

The interaction with water pressure (design flaw!) is this: if the unit doesn't get enough water due to low pressure, then the final cube position to fill doesn't get any water in it (the front one by the motor). This is the one that the TC is next to as well, so it cools of really quickly and the TC thinks the tray is completely frozen, when in fact it isn't. The TC fires the cycling motor which turns on the heater and then spins the ejector shaft which has tabs that push the half moon shaped cubes around and out. However, since the cubes weren't fully frozen, only their outer shell gets pushed out - the water in the middle drains out leaving a hollow cube set. That liquid water hits the cold ejector bars and some of it immediately freezes, making little stalactite fingers that catch on the tabs and side of the tray, thus jamming the ejector shaft and pausing the cycle in place indefinitely.
The net is that you get a few hollow cubes and then no more ice until you reach in and crack off the ice fingers so shaft tabs can pass and the motor can finsh the cycle and properly stop in its home position. You can also tell by checking whether the front cube location has water in it just after it fills by reaching around and dipping your finger in it. If it comes up dry, then you have this problem.
So, in my case, putting the bypass plug in increased my flow t

From the beginning I have never had good water flow in the door and ice cubes turned out funky. I tried replacing the filter once with hardly noticeable change. The change I did see was $35 less in my pocket. So I bought a filter bypass plug and it now works like a champ. I have well water so I trust its quality and I am very satisfied. I would describe how I did the repair but if you don't no how to change out the filter you probably shouldn't be trying it.

I removed the water filter located in the refrigerator and replaced it with the bypass plug. The ice cubes and the water dispenser work properly . I am pleased with the outcome especially the price was only $15 and less than 5 minutes of my time. Maytag recommends replacing the water filter every six months at $40 a filter. One can see how this will add up in time. Eventually I am installing an after market water filter in line prior to the refrigerator.

First removed the old water filter and replaced it with the filter bypass. Very simple and no tools needed

Replaced filter with by-pass plug. For some reason though, ice maker does no longer functions, although there is flow out of the cold water tap. Is the design of the bypass plug such that, when installed, it impedes flow to the ice-maker?

Thanks

Replace the refrigerator lightbulb while traveling 88 mph then turned on the flux capacitor being carful not to get stuck in a worm hole. This allows you to fix the problem before it starts to go bad.

Removed screws from upper hinge. Removed washer from door stopper on bottom hinge. Lifted door off lower hinge. Replaced bushing.

Took about 15 minutes and cost less than $12. Service call alone was going to be $70.

Instructions were great five minutes to remove and replace fan....Thank You............ saved big money

ordered a new shut-off valve. arrived in 5 days. installation had to wait a couple more day for i had to order a new compression nut. the reason i had to order a new nut was because the original nut was made of teflon and stripped easily when i tightened it to make a leak proof.joint. the new nut arrived in two days and was installed readily being that it was made of brass and consequently did not strip when i tightened to make a drip proof joint. finished in approximately twenty minutes' the video that this site has on the internet was of great value.

Remove upper hinge with socket set. I found it helpful to remove the door spring (on bottom of door) in order to be able to lift out the door from lower hinge. Replace bushing. Replace door, upper hinge, you're done. I did note that lower hinge post (~10mm OD) had worn against the frame due to the loss of bushing, losing ~1-2mm of metal. Would not have seen this until the door was off. Was concerned this will lead to premature failure of the new bushing, but it will be a much harder job to replace lower hinge (looks like I will need to empty and tip the fridge to access lower side), plus I didn't have the lower hinge part handy (~$40-45), so I will replace both if the bushing fails again.

removed the back cover unplugged the unit removed the old fan blades installed the new easy to pull off and easy to install

unplug refrigerator, take backing off with nut driver. Pull old blade off and put new blade on. Put backing back on and plug in.