ZIR301NPNAII General Electric Refrigerator - Instructions

I thought it must be the water valve leaking by so I ordered one and put it on myself which was a very easy job. It fixed my problem and everything works fine now. First I unplugged the refrigerator shut off water line block shutoff valve. Then I removed the back plate on refiigerator. Then I removed the water line from the water valve. After that I unplugged the two wiring harnesses. Then I removed the two plastic water lines from water valve. then I inbolted the water valve from refrigerator. Then I got new valve, plugged both water lines into it, plugged both wiring harnesses back into it, hooked main water line back up then turned water back on.

1 unplug fridge
2 turn off supply line for ice maker
2 remove lower back panel of fridge
3 disconnect in and out line from valve
4 remove valve (one screw.)
5 disconnect power line to valve.
reverse to reinstall. Very easy.

This valve is a cheap, poor design. This is the second one in 5 years. I replaced the first one because the line in the freezer would "drip" creating an ice dam so the ice maker wouldn't work. This time, the water dispenser on the front of the fridge has been dripping for months - finally the valve just dissolved and was spraying water all over the floor. It ran down into the basement. Keep a eye out if you have a GE fridge.

1. remove back shield of fridge.
2. unscrew old valve.
3. remove electrical connections.
4. remove white inserts on new valve.
5. cut feed hoses next to old valve.
6. place white inserts on hoses.
7 insert hoses into recepticals on new valve.
8 shut off water supply to fridge.
9. remove water suply line from old valve.
10. attach water supply line to new valve.
11. connect electrical connections.
12. bolt valve back on to fridge
13. turn on water supply to fridge
14. test both ice maker and water dispensor
15. replace back shield to fridge

First, turn off main water valve. Then, at the rear of refrigerator remove the rear panel exposing the water valve assembly. Cautiously, proceed by disconnecting the water hose and electrical connections. To complete the task, just worked in the reverse steps to exchange the faulty equipment.

Bent the motor bracket down, then using a rat tail file, elongated the holes in the back panel of the refrigerator to secure the fan in the "centered" position. This was a problem that was with the refrig. since it was made. The parts involved were perfect. NO problem at all installing them.

Remove ice maker and all of it's accessories in order to remove the panel covering the fan. Don't drop the screws!
Unscrew the lower fan bracket. You will see the lower red rubber grommet. Hold fan motor with one hand and push the fan off the shaft and into the compartment above. Then remove the round retainer thing below it by holding it and pulling down on the motor assembly. Install new grommet on upper part. and put it all together.
REMEMBER where the fan is on the shaft. It has about one inch of shaft placement. I put mine so that most of it was above the hole that the fan goes into and about 20 percent showing below the sheet metal.
Also check to see if your fan is damaged. Mine was not.
This refrigerator has been awesome! I have had many issues but have been able to fix all of them for the last 15 years!

I followed the video for my model refrigerator on parts select. My hint: when returning the back panel of the freezer, it's slightly adjustable left and right to avoid grazing the fan.

WE (WIFE) took out the old parts an replaced with new one ..Be careful to get the placement of the Grommet or they "POP" out on you. fast ship on the parts too.

Unplugged fridge. Shut off the water supply valve under sink. Removed lower access panel at back of the refrigerator (six screws). Removed single green screw holding water valve bracket and pulled assembly out to access wiring and hoses. It is a dual valve as one valve is for the water dispenser and one is for the ice maker. Disconnected the 2 electrical connectors (one for each valve). Unscrewed the compression fitting for the water inlet with 1/2 " wrench. Then the two water lines on the outlet which are quick disconnects. You must push the ring towards the valve and then the tubing can be pulled out by hand.

Reattach everything to the new valve and install and its ready to use.

I followed your video and completely dismantled the refrigerator evaporator motor, fan, brackets, and grommet, I completely cleaned the refrigerator including the cooling coils. I then ordered the evaporator motor ,fan, grommets, lid bumper, and brackets. The order would take a week to arrive. In the meantime I cleaned and reassembled all the old parts, waiting for the new ones to come. Guess what! The refrigerator was quiet as a mouse. I really did not need the new parts, but I kept them anyway just for good luck. Not bad for a refrigerator that's twenty four years old.

Replacement valve fit perfectly but didn't fix the problem. More troubleshooting found blockage through the water filter assy although I don't use a filter and just have the the bypass plug installed...7 years like this. Used compressed air to blow out the line and got some crud out. Works now but can't turn water pressure up full or line hammers and stops flow. Left supply valve open slightly which supplies ice maker fine and dispenser ok. Must be something wrong with internal spring stopper in filter assy...keeps water from pouring out if filter or bypass not installed.

I started out replacing a bad thermostat, no problem,
when I hooked up the water, I found that the water resovior had a leak.
I replaced the resovior, easy fix, but I had to buy two 5/16 brass couplers.
then I found that the box would not get below 10 degrees, and the suction pressure was very low.
I figured that the fan motor was burned out, so I opened up the access covers, the fan motor was hanging there with broken mounts, so I replaced the motor, and repaired the mount.
Everything works great now, The parts shiping was very fast, I was impressed.
I thought I was going to get away without fixing everyones
HVAC problems when I retired.
Friends and family still remember that you are the HVAC man.
Tom

I have not yet done the repair. After watching this repair video two problems came to mind. First I only ordered one grommet not knowing that there were two (or more I don't yet know). The second problem is that this video must be for a fridge from like the 1940, but it looks NOTHING like mine from 2008. The manual shows a bazillion parts and frankly I'm just a wee bit afraid to get started, and I am generally very handy, buuuttttttttt I don't know about this one

shut off water supply behind refrigerator, opend line at double outlet water valve. had water there. opend line at bottom of freezer door. no water there when I pushed watervalve on door. replaced double outlet water valve. then had water at hose at bottom of freezer door. but no water at outlet. took hair dryer and heated freezer door until ice melted in hose . then everything worked fine.

Unplugged refrigerator. Unscrewed back cover. Unscrewed dual water valve. Unplugged electrical connections 9red and yellow) . Shut off water valve from wall to refrigerator. Cut black tube (ice maker, cut translucent tube (water line). Connected new valve to water supply. Reconnected black and translucent tubes to new valve. Reconnected yellow and red electrical plugs. Turned on water supply plugged refrigerator back in.