Ice Maker in Residential Fridge - Montana Owners Club

RMcNeal · 03-01-2020, 04:33 AM

Does anyone use the Ice Maker? We have a Samsung residential fridge in our 3791RD with an ice maker. Every time we have turned the water on for it, the ice tastes terrible with campground water. I have tried several different water filters to no avail.
I was wondering if it would be possible to pump water directly to the ice maker from a separate tank. The water line is accessible under the kitchen slide and I have a six gallon tank I could fill with water from home. Has anyone ever done something like this?
It would certainly be easier to just use the CG water but DW does not like the smell and taste. Any ideas on better filtration?
BTW, she uses a LOT of ice. I have a dedicated ice machine at home.
Thanks so much in advance.

MidMOTraveler · 03-01-2020, 05:03 AM

Never had any issues, we have a water softener and use a blue inline filter.
You will have to have a pump to create pressure for the separate water tank if you do that.
Lots of people here in Mexico do that because the public water isn’t recommended for drinking.

RMcNeal · 03-01-2020, 05:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MidMOTraveler

Never had any issues, we have a water softener and use a blue inline filter.
You will have to have a pump to create pressure for the separate water tank if you do that.
Lots of people here in Mexico do that because the public water isn’t recommended for drinking.

Thanks for the quick response. I was considering a small pump just enough to supply the ice maker and hooking up directly to the inlet hose under the slide.

JABURKHOLDER · 03-01-2020, 08:01 AM

Is it just the ice that tastes terrible or is the water terrible from the kitchen faucet too ? Have you tried sanitizing your water system yet ?

**Carl n Susan** · 03-01-2020, 10:03 AM

A friend has a Big Country which has a separate water tank and pump for the refer. As I recall the tank is a standard 5 Gal. bottle so you can remove it and fill with water of your choice.

RMcNeal · 03-01-2020, 12:38 PM

We typically use bottled water to drink and only use CG water to wash, etc. I'm sure it isn't that the system needs to be sanitized as I don't usually use the fresh tank anyway.

Vet4jdc · 03-01-2020, 12:50 PM

We make "clean" ice at home and bag it in Ziploc bags for camping. We use the icemaker in our fridge to restock all of the coolers.

JABURKHOLDER · 03-01-2020, 02:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RMcNeal

We typically use bottled water to drink and only use CG water to wash, etc. I'm sure it isn't that the system needs to be sanitized as I don't usually use the fresh tank anyway.

Even though you don’t use your fresh water tank, water is still running through your water system when hook to CG water. Before purchasing a portable tank and pump just for your ice, try sanitizing first. Bleach solution through system, sit for a few hours or overnight, flush with fresh water. Hook up a new filter, run a couple of cycles of ice then test for taste. You’ve got nothing to loose.

mhs4771 · 03-01-2020, 05:53 PM

We have an outside sediment filter, then softener, then a carbon whole house filter, and finally the taste filter in the fridge.
Have been drinking the water and using ice from the fridge for the past 5 years where ever we have camped.

DutchmenSport · 03-01-2020, 06:33 PM

We've been fortunate, we've never been to a campground that had bad tasting water. And we've been camping for a long, long time. Our Montana has a Samsung residential refrigerator with the ice maker. I think the secret to our success is occasionally sanitizing the water system.

It will be interesting with the ice maker this year though. I winterized it last November with the pink-stuff, and I'll need to flush it all out and resanatize. We'll see if it has odd taste then.

For what its worth. we've been using bottled water at home and when camping for only 1 purpose, and that is to make coffee with. Different locations does have different tasting water. When making coffee, my wife likes it consistent. So bottled water works OK for us on this one item. Everything else, doesn't matter. It may taste "different" in different locations, but not "bad."

RMcNeal · 03-02-2020, 05:12 AM

Thanks. I will try doing the sanitize this week and see if that makes a difference. Honestly, it's the DW who is most particular about the water and who uses the most ice.

H. John Kohl · 03-08-2020, 01:21 PM

I put a Westinghouse three cartridge water filter for drinking water off the holding tank. It has it’s own faucet. I then tapped the ice maker feed on the drinking water feed so both Ice and Drinking water are filtered.

oddjobal · 03-08-2020, 01:47 PM

I have had a few rigs with Ice makers. They are slow, and the residual water in the line makes for bad ice. I use one of the portable ice makers. I always use filtered water in it. Have ice all day. I have a space in mu rear kitchen that is mostly unused. It sits in the spot except for travel time. I put some of the excess ice in baggies and in the freezer

Byron B · 03-08-2020, 01:57 PM

We carry a portable ice maker and do not use the ice maker in the fridge of our traveling rig. We do use the ice maker in our DRV at home. While on the road we use multi filtered water inside and then run our drinking, coffee and water for ice through a Brita. Tastes good consistently.

Baldicon · 03-08-2020, 02:10 PM

For us, that was one of the driving factors for the residential fridge. We use it constantly, never noticed any odd tastes. Dang, I probably will now.

CaptnJohn · 03-08-2020, 05:24 PM

No bad taste or smell from our like fridge

cgeis48 · 03-09-2020, 11:04 AM

To help you determine the source of the bad taste try this. Take some water straight from the spigot in the campground. If it tastes bad then you know the source, if not - it's in your plumbing or in-house tank.
Whenever hooking up at a new campground I will flush water through my hoses and then taste it before hooking up.

RMcNeal · 03-10-2020, 04:53 AM

Thanks for all the replies. I have sanitized our system and we have a trip planned next week. I also purchased a new inlet filter, a "better" model than what I was using. I'll see if this does the trick. Anyway, I have found a pump for a 5 gallon water jug on Amazon for around $65.00 that looks like an easy solution if needed.

DebNJim B · 03-14-2020, 04:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RMcNeal

Thanks for all the replies. I have sanitized our system and we have a trip planned next week. I also purchased a new inlet filter, a "better" model than what I was using. I'll see if this does the trick. Anyway, I have found a pump for a 5 gallon water jug on Amazon for around $65.00 that looks like an easy solution if needed.

Make sure the pump gives you at least 20psi on the water line or the fill valve may not shut off completely causing a drip of ice forming in the freezer. I had that problem with my home fridge, water line got half plugged and pressure dropped.

RMcNeal · 03-15-2020, 05:42 AM

Thanks, DebNJim. The pump is rated at 40psi on demand and is supposedly specifically designed to be used with 3-5 gallon water bottles as a drinking water supply or for a fridge or spigot. They even have a video showing how to hookup to a refrigerator for ice maker and in door water. Looks promising and since our rig has shut off valves under the sink and behind a cabinet next to the fridge, it is an easy hookup. Comes with all the connectors and 20 feet of 1/4 tubing for fridge hookup.

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