GI1500PHB5 Whirlpool Ice Maker - Instructions

Pulled refrigerator away fom wall. Removed cardboard cover at back bottom to reveal fan motor.The space available to remove the motor from the bracket is very limited, so smaller hands will be a plus! Tried to get a nut wrench on motor but there was hardly enough room. Finally was able to use a socket set to remove bolts. I would suggest you spray a solvent on the motor mount bolts and seat them in the new motor first. It was near to impossible to get them started in the mount, without seating them first. The electrical clip that connects to the motor fit on the new motor, so I did not have to splice any wiring. This made the job a little easier. Finally, replaced cardboard cover and moved refrigerator back against the wall. .

Simple, remove water reservoir (2 screws). Remove pump cover (1 screw). Remove 2 screws on bracket holding pump and unplug pump. My wiring was somewhat corroded and it took a bit of pulling to unplug. When you replace with new motor make sure to snap in new plug snug or it will not start up. Reassemble and away you go.Making ice no problem.

Over a period of weeks I watched my fridge grand to a halt. It was...saddening. I felt helpless, there was nothing I could do and I wasn't prepared to pull in a repairman. Upon it's departure from being affective (broke) I made up my mind to purchase a new one!! Flash-forward five minutes n the internet ...motivator by high costs, I altered my thinking and visited You Tube for a fix-it video. After a quick search I came across a clip that took me to the heart of the problem. It was THAT easy. Wow!! I followed the instructions and quickly learned the failure had to do with a small, light weight fan that's role was to pull heat from the condenser--it had ceased to work. While waiting for the part, I let a small fan blow on the condenser to dissipate the heat. The fridge roared to life!! Like a charm!! When the new fan body arrived I placed the blade from the old fan on it and installed it (the fan did not come with bolts and the holes were not threaded) using sheet metal screws. It immediately came started performing again and has been doing a superb job ever since. I easily saved $800 in costs going this route!!

The repair was simple. Unplug the refrigerator, unplug the power connector from the fan and remove 3 screws. I removed the fan blade clip with the pliers and cleaned it off. Reversed the process, cleaned all the dust out with my shop vac and all works perfectly now. It took longer to pull the fridge out of it's normal position than to perform the repair. Every day it continues to work is one more day I don't spend $2000 or more on a replacement.

Technically, the repair did not require specialized knowledge. However, replacement of the motor required some effort. Because the motor is located at the bottom of the unit in an area with copper tubing & wiring hindering access it was physically difficult to remove and then replace the motor. A problem arose because the shaft on the replacement motor was larger than the original motor's. Thus the fan would not fit on the new motor. Luckily, I found a fan locally that fit the motor. It would be very helpful if a fan was included in the motor kit. The ref. is now running smoothly

didn't go well at first. Got it all hooked up relatively easily but it didn't work. Called customer service who suggested hooking pump up to other power source to be sure it worked. It still didn't work. After closer inspection a connection wasn't hooked up on pump. After connecting got it back in about 30 min. Working like a charm now.

I undid the bottom screws off the bottom front of the ice machine under the door... Knowing the water valve was at the front it made it super easy to get to and I didn't have to pull the machine out from under the counter etc. Turned off the water supply at the wall, disconnected that line at the valve, removed the line from the valve to the water reservoir. Unscrewed two screws that held it to the machine wall and put the new valve in, reconnected both lines and voila! Done! Running like its never run before. I filled up that reservoir for weeks by hand many times a day so the satisfaction is huge to have saved a fortune by fixing it myself! And I'm female which makes it even more satisfying. A monkey could put this part in. Anything a man can fix, I can fix too! Ha!

This causes more than one problem. When the system does not get enough water it makes thin ice. When the ice is thin it does not have the mass to slide down on to the cutting grid and stops about half way down. When the pump starts running again, the water hits the ice sheet that did not make it to the grid and water goes all over the place thus emptying the reservoir then it makes no ice. Water was entering very slowly into the reservoir with very little pressure. Changed the water valve and now pressure is higher and fills the reservoir completely enough to flush the reservoir as it is supposed to do. Works great and makes plenty of ice now. Just take the front bottom cover off by the 4 screws holding it on and look to the left and you will see the water valve. Get the vacuum cleaner and clean the condenser coils while you have it open.

It was easy to remove the old grid and replace it with a new one.