Ice From Your U-Line Ice Maker Tastes or Smells Off

Ice should taste like nothing at all. When your drinks pick up a musty, metallic, or chemical note, the ice is the first suspect. In an undercounter ice maker, the cause is usually one of a few things, and most are easy to sort out.

Common causes

• Overdue water filter: a filter that has run past its life stops removing taste and odors and can start adding them.
• Slime or scale in the bin or water path: a sign the unit has not been cleaned recently.
• Food odors: ice absorbs smells from open food stored nearby, especially when the bin lid is left ajar.
• New unit smell: a new plastic or rubber odor that fades after a few cycles and flushes.
• Municipal water changes: seasonal treatment shifts can change taste at the tap.

A step-by-step approach

1. Taste a glass of tap water on its own. If it tastes off too, the source is the water, not the ice maker.
2. Throw out all the ice, then wash the bin with mild soap and rinse well.
3. Replace the filter if it is due, and flush it as its instructions say.
4. Run the cleaning cycle described in the owner manual.
5. Discard the first two batches of ice after cleaning.

When to stop using the ice

If the ice smells like sewage, looks discolored, or has black or pink specks, stop using it and do not serve it. That calls for a deeper cleaning and a look at the drain path.

We can inspect the water path, drain, and bin to find what is lingering. Request ice maker repair through our Houston service area coverage. You will receive a written price first, and our repairs include a 30-day workmanship warranty.