How to figure out what's wrong with your Viking freestanding ice maker when it makes loud noises
A failing compressor, bad condenser fan motor or faulty drain pump can cause loud noise from the ice maker. If the compressor is making a loud noise, a service technician should repair the ice maker because a compressor repair involves the recovery and recharge of the refrigerant, which is tightly regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). If the condenser fan motor is making noise, unplug the ice maker and replace the condenser fan. If the drain pump is noisy, unplug the ice maker and clear any debris you find in the drain pump. If the drain pump is clear, then you'll likely need to replace the pump because the motor is failing.
The recirculation pump can be noisy if water level in the reservoir is low. A problem with the water supply or a failed inlet water valve can cause this problem. If water level in the reservoir is low, check the water supply. Unplug the ice maker and shut off the water supply cut-off valve. Disconnect the water supply line from the ice maker and place the end of the water supply line in a container. Briefly open the water supply cut-off valve and check for water flow from the end of the water supply line. If no water flows through the end of the supply line, have a plumber fix the water supply going to the ice maker. If water does flow through the supply line, you'll likely need to replace the water inlet valve because it's not opening to allow water to flow into the reservoir.
If the recirculation pump is noisy and the reservoir is full, you'll likely need to replace the recirculation pump because its motor is failing or its impeller is damaged.
Top replacement parts for Viking freestanding ice makers
- Ice bin thermistor. The bin thermistor senses the temperature at the Full mark in the storage bin and communicates the temperature to the electronic control board through a wire harness connection. When the electronic control board senses that the ice storage bin is full based on the bin thermistor reading, it stops ice production until the level of ice drops below the Full mark.
- Drain pump. The drain pump moves water out of the reservoir when the reservoir is flushed periodically to remove impurities and to remove water from ice that’s slowly melting in the ice bin.
- Condenser fan motor. The condenser fan motor pulls air through the condenser to cool the hot refrigerant gas so it condenses to a liquid. The cool liquid refrigerant flows through the evaporator plate in the ice maker. In the low-pressure environment of the evaporator plate, the liquid refrigerant from the condenser evaporates to a gas. During this evaporation process, the refrigerant absorbs heat from the water that’s cycling across the top of the evaporator plate, and the water freezes.
- Evaporator thermistor. The evaporator thermistor senses the temperature of the evaporator plate to detect the thickness of the ice slab forming on the evaporator plate during the ice-making process. It communicates the evaporator temperature to the electronic control board through a wire harness connection. When the slab is thick enough to be cut into cubes, the electronic control board initiates that process, based on the evaporator thermistor’s temperature reading.