I Revived a Dead Kenmore Elite Undercounter Ice Maker

I found it sitting in the back of a damp garage, buried under a pile of moth-eaten moving blankets and old sports equipment. For fifty dollars, I took a gamble on a kenmore elite undercounter ice maker that the owner claimed 'just stopped making ice one day.' Most people see a heavy, stainless steel paperweight; I saw a chance to get a high-end clear ice machine for the price of a decent dinner.

Quick Takeaways

• Kenmore Elite units are usually rebadged Whirlpool models, making parts surprisingly easy to find.
• Sanitization is non-negotiable when buying used water-based appliances.
• Clear ice is denser and melts slower than standard freezer ice, but the machines require more maintenance.
• Installation is the real cost—you need a dedicated water line and, most importantly, a drain.

The Marketplace Gamble That Started It All

Buying a used kenmore under the counter ice maker is a bit like buying a high-mileage German luxury car. When they work, they are magnificent. When they don't, they are a complex puzzle of pumps, sensors, and cooling lines. This specific unit was manufactured in 2012, an era when Kenmore was still the king of the American kitchen. These machines were built with heavy-duty compressors and real stainless steel, weighing in at nearly 100 pounds. You can feel the build quality the moment you try to lift it.

I hauled it home, my truck's suspension groaning slightly, wondering if I'd just spent $50 on a trip to the scrap yard. New units with these specs—producing up to 50 pounds of clear ice per day—regularly retail for north of $1,500. The appeal of a kenmore elite undercounter ice maker is the ice quality. Unlike the cloudy, air-filled 'crescent' ice your fridge makes, this machine produces crystal-clear cubes by spraying water upward onto a frozen plate, allowing impurities and air to drop away. It is the gold standard for cocktails and sodas.

Cleaning Out a Decade of Neglect

Once I got the unit into my driveway, the real work began. I pulled the bin light and peered into the reservoir. It was grim. There was a layer of scale and a suspicious pink film that suggested the previous owner hadn't run a cleaning cycle since the Obama administration. When you buy a used machine, you aren't just buying the hardware; you're buying every mineral and microbe that has passed through it. I spent four hours with a bottle of nickel-safe descaler and a toothbrush, scrubbing the evaporator plate and the water sensors.

The internal lines were the biggest concern. I had to disconnect the recirculating pump to flush the system manually. If you ignore this step, you risk more than just bad-tasting ice. The Hidden Mold Problem In Your Under Counter Crushed Ice Maker is a real threat in these older units because water can sit in the lines during long periods of disuse. I ran three consecutive cycles of bleach-based sanitizer through the reservoir until the water came out clear. Only then did I feel safe enough to actually taste a cube.

Sourcing Parts for an Obsolete Machine

The machine powered on, but it wouldn't fill. I could hear the solenoid clicking, but no water was entering the tray. This is where the 'Kenmore Secret' comes in. If you look at the model number sticker inside the door, you'll likely see a '106' prefix. That is the manufacturer code for Whirlpool. This kenmore under counter ice maker is essentially a Whirlpool Gold unit with a different badge. Knowing this opens up a massive catalog of affordable, third-party parts that are still in production.

I diagnosed the issue as a failed water inlet valve. A quick search for the Whirlpool equivalent part number yielded a replacement for $35. Replacing it was a ten-minute job involving two screws and a quick-connect water fitting. While I had the back panel off, I also blew out the condenser coils with compressed air. A dusty condenser is the number one killer of these machines; it makes the compressor run hot and eventually burn out. For under $100 total, including the purchase price, I had a functioning high-end ice maker humming in my kitchen.

How It Compares to Modern Built-Ins

After the repair, I ran a stopwatch on the first cycle. It took 22 minutes to drop the first sheet of cubes. The ice is stunning—perfectly clear, 1-inch squares that look like they belong in a high-end whiskey bar. Compared to modern budget units, the Kenmore is louder. You can hear the water splashing against the plate, and when the 'harvest' cycle hits, it sounds like a small hailstorm as the ice slabs crash into the bin. It’s a mechanical, rhythmic sound that you eventually get used to.

When I look at My Kismile Commercial Under Counter Built-In Nugget Ice Maker Z5830N Review, the differences are stark. Modern nugget machines are great for crunching, but they can't match the thermal mass of clear ice. The Kenmore's cubes stay solid in a glass for nearly twice as long as nugget ice. However, the Kenmore is a 'wet' ice maker, meaning the bin isn't refrigerated. The ice slowly melts, and the water is recycled or drained. This keeps the ice from clumping together, but it means the machine is constantly running to replenish the supply.

Should You Just Buy a Portable Unit Instead?

Is the headache of a built-in unit worth it? For most people, probably not. Installing a permanent machine requires a 1/4-inch water line and a drain. If you don't have a floor drain, you have to install a condensate pump to push the melt-water up and out to a sink drain, which adds another point of failure. It is a significant plumbing commitment that can easily cost as much as the machine itself if you aren't doing the work yourself.

If you just want cold drinks without the drama, a standard countertop Ice Maker is a much smarter play. You plug it in, add water manually, and you have ice in seven minutes. No plumbing, no drains, and no hunting for obsolete Whirlpool valves on eBay. But if you crave that crystal-clear 'bar ice' and don't mind getting your hands dirty with a wrench and some descaler, reviving an old Kenmore is a rewarding Saturday project that pays off every time you make a drink.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is my Kenmore ice maker making cloudy ice?

Cloudy ice is usually caused by a dirty evaporator plate or minerals in your water. If the water can't flow smoothly over the freezing plate, air bubbles get trapped in the ice. Run a cleaning cycle with a dedicated nickel-safe descaler to fix this.

Do I need a floor drain for an undercounter ice maker?

Most clear ice makers are gravity-drain units. If your drain pipe is higher than the outlet on the back of the machine, you must install a drain pump (condensate pump) to move the water out, otherwise, the bin will flood.

How often should I clean my built-in ice maker?

At a minimum, you should run a cleaning cycle every six months. If you have hard water, you might need to do it every three months. Neglecting this will eventually kill the recirculating pump and make the ice taste like a basement.