3Trees

I have discovered green bluish flakes of minerals, or something, coming out of the water supply that flows into an Amana refrigerator model SRD20S4W.
See video of it here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMX2Fb794q0&feature=youtu.be

I discovered this stuff when I was troubleshooting a leak from the freezer. The leak was dribbling out between the freezer and the freezer door seal, onto the floor.

When the problem first occurred, I thought the water inlet valve on the Amana refrigerator was shot, so I replaced it. I noticed some of those green bluish particulates at that time, but I didn't think it warranted any concern. It was a small amount of greenish particulate and I (naively) assumed it was normal sluff from old copper tubing and brass fittings.

Some days later, the leaking problem occurred again. I turned off the water supply to the fridge/freezer and put that repair on my back burner. We don't use the water from the fridge, and we could buy ice for a few weeks.

Low and behold, some weeks later, the leak began to dribble again. Puzzled, I discovered that I had a large amount of ice damming up the drain to the evaporator pan. I have now removed everything from the fridge and freezer and have thoroughly thawed and cleaned the entire unit.

Does anyone know what the green bluish flakes are, that are flowing from my water supply, when I turn it off and then back on again?

Wuzzat?

The water heater dip tube is disintegrating?

nealtw

Wuzzat: wouldn't that show up in the hot water side?

woodchuck

I think you were right on the copper pipe thing. That's exactly what acid water does to copper pipe. It can eventually eat through the pipe in 15 years or so.

Your drain was clogged with ice because the bottom of the tube at the evaporator pan underneath the unit drains too slow letting the water from defrost cycles freeze before it can drain. You can clear it by blowing through it using a tube and also pour some Clorox into it to kill and algae etc.

Wuzzat?

Yes. Good catch. Didn't read the post carefully. My bad.

kok328

I think the green/blue flakes are calcium but, this would be accumulating in the water heater not the cold water lines. In any regards, you may consider installing or changing the water filter to the ice maker.

3Trees

Thank you all for sharing your knowledge.

After reading your posts, and discussing with some local plumbers, appliance specialists, and water company, I am confident with knowing that the stuff is copper sluff. I will replace the copper tube with potable plastic tubing.

One more thing I would like to run by you all.

After thoroughly thawing, drying, and cleaning the entire Fridge/Freezer unit, and reassembling I am back to my original problem, (which I hadn't detailed above): the water continuously flows from the ice maker. In other words, after reassembling I plugged the fridge/freezer back into power and the water supply continues to flow into, and then overflow out of the ice maker.
Because [A] the water supply pressure is strong, [B] the continuity of the (newly replaced) water inlet valve is good, I assume I simply have a bad ice maker. Do you folks agree?

2 questions:

How does the water inlet valve know when the ice maker is full of water, and to close the valve?
Does anyone know where I can acquire an Ice Maker cheaper than $112, for Amana SRD20S4W?
I did find a replacement ice maker for $35 but Im waiting to hear back from them. The price makes me a little suspect when compared to other prices I have seen. Thank you all for sharing your knowledge. http://www.seneca-river-trading.com/reicbforwhse.html

Thanks gang!

3Trees

Thanks for your help kok328.

I only see the greenish stuff appear from the water supply going to the fridge, when I disconnect the water supply from the fridge and run the water into a bucket. It does not appear from any other faucets or aerators. And it only appears when I fiddle with the angle stop valve. If I let the water supply flow for 15 seconds I no longer see the greenish particulates flowing out. I suspect the flakes are dislodged when I open the valve and introduce irregular pressure. (I think?)

My fridge/freezer appears to not have any filters. (Amana SRD20S4W) I could find no mention of it in the manual, and I never came across a filter while inspecting ever inch of this devil.

Wuzzat?

Nextag tells me that half the replacement icemakers cost between $55 and $88 so yours is a bit low. There were a lot of prices at $88 which makes me wonder what is going on with these icemakers.

But, watch the wiring.
Fridge makers, d@mn them, have jumpers in place on the connectors so that if you unplug the icemaker the whole fridge stops working.

woodchuck

The water inlet valve to the ice maker is controlled by by the ice maker using a timer. The timer can be adjusted by finding a screw or knob under the plastic cover of the ice maker. It will have a minus to one side and a plus to the other. Turn the knob to adjust the time.