The question always comes up: Should I just turn the icemaker off when we leave for the Summer or leave it running?
This is one of those darned if you do or darned if you don’t type of decisions but no matter what you decide, it is always best to make sure the icemaker has had the recommended cleaning and service before you leave for the season. Here are some of the pros & cons:
If you decide to leave the icemaker running during the Summer:
A) Most “clear cube” icemakers are not designed to work in temperatures over 100 degrees but as you approach that temperature (85 degrees and over) the icemaker is going to run pretty much 24/7 adding a lot of hard wear & tear to the icemaker.
B) When they are in full production mode, some icemakers will pass more than 15 gallons of water down the drain in a 24 hour period, therefore, if something should go wrong with the house drain or drain pump, you could have a nice flood that could continue until someone eventually finds this and turns the unit off.
If you decide to turn the icemaker off for the Summer:
A) Components such as circulation pumps, drain pumps, or fill valves that have been exposed to water can have a tendency to corrode, become locked, or develop problems once they are put back in to operation, leading to a repair.
B)As with refrigerators, the components in the icemaker’s refrigeration system are comprised of copper and aluminum with various solder joints or bonding points and because these are “soft” metals, they can expand & contract, this can sometimes damage these joints and cause the refrigerant to leak, leading to an expensive repair or having to replace the entire machine.
Unfortunately we are not able to make a recommendation for this question, we can only give you information to help you decide what you are more comfortable doing.
