04-02-2007, 03:28 PM
What he said.
Also, there's usually no pump -- the inlet valve is typically a couple of solenoids. Apply power and the valves open up and the water moves because of the water pressure in your lines. It's pretty common for a solenoid to fail within three or four years, but sometimes it'll fail because of a problem with the switch -- if you apply constant power the solenoid might overheat & stop working. If you have a multimeter, you can check the solenoids' resistance.
You don't say what model fridge you have, but you'd need to see how the inlet valve is designed. If yours has more than one solenoid, it's unlikely they both failed unless there was some other problem.
It could be a clogged filter on the inlet valve. On some models, you can disassemble the valve and clean the little filter screen; on others you just replace the entire inlet valve. If you find the filter screen is clogged with hard water deposits or sand or whatever, you'd want to install an inline filter between your water supply and the fridge, to save you this hassle in 2011. Or maybe a new or better whole-house filtration system.
Also, there's usually no pump -- the inlet valve is typically a couple of solenoids. Apply power and the valves open up and the water moves because of the water pressure in your lines. It's pretty common for a solenoid to fail within three or four years, but sometimes it'll fail because of a problem with the switch -- if you apply constant power the solenoid might overheat & stop working. If you have a multimeter, you can check the solenoids' resistance.
You don't say what model fridge you have, but you'd need to see how the inlet valve is designed. If yours has more than one solenoid, it's unlikely they both failed unless there was some other problem.
It could be a clogged filter on the inlet valve. On some models, you can disassemble the valve and clean the little filter screen; on others you just replace the entire inlet valve. If you find the filter screen is clogged with hard water deposits or sand or whatever, you'd want to install an inline filter between your water supply and the fridge, to save you this hassle in 2011. Or maybe a new or better whole-house filtration system.