bit-tech Shopping: Whirlpool 4317943 Ice Maker Kit

Rating: 10

Time with product: 4 Weeks

Strengths: Part was easy to install and works great !

Weaknesses: none noted at this time

Summary: I received the Ice maker in a short 5 days from the time of order....I was able to install it within about 15 minutes.Once I plugged the unit up it started to cycle immediately and began making ice a short time later. It has been working perfectly ever since. I highly recommend this type of ice make should you need to replace your unit. Added, it came with several different plugs in case yours model is different from the one it comes with.

Rating: 10

Time with product: 1 Month

Strengths: Quick to install

Weaknesses: Water inlet resevoir needed to have plastic insert removed for my installation, but wasn't difficult, and seems to be by design.

Summary: The unit came with wiring adaptors to allow it to work with several models of refrigerators, but the default connector worked perfectly with our fridge. In our case, we only had to deal with two phillips-head screws (one of which is hard to impossible to see, but is easy enough to feel for and get to with the screwdriver). Note that you don't need to remove the two screws, only loosen them enough to slide the old unit up and off of the screws; don't want to chance dropping, and possibly loosing, the screws. Putting the new icemaker in is just the reverse procedure. Three things to do before putting the icemaker in the fridge: 1) Look at where the water tube fills up your icemaker. You may have to cut or break out the little piece of plastic on the icemaker which is pre-scored to allow for relatively easy removal (be careful here that you don't hurt yourself or the icemaker). 2) Check to see if you need one of the cable adaptors for the icemaker's power cord. 3) The stiff wire ice level lever may be detached for shipping -- install it on the icemaker before you put the icemaker in the fridge (or your icemaker will eventually runeth over). Plug in the power connector first. Then fit the icemaker over the two phillips screws on the side of the fridge while making sure the refrigerator water filler tube is going into the proper part of the icemaker. Screw in the screws, snap on the motor cover, and you're done. Note that it will probably take a while before the icemaker fills with water, as the unit needs to go through one whole cycle before it can send then signal to the fridge to send water, and that won't happen until the icemaker gets cold enough to start the re-fill cycle. Don't try to force it, as you could get the icemaker out-of-sync.

Rating: 8

Time with product: 30 Days

Strengths: exact duplicate from origianl unit. Simple to install.

Weaknesses: very little elbow room working inside freezer.

Summary: Prices vary widely, this merchant was by far the cheapest. That made me worried at first, but unit is identical. So far it works like a charm, only hope that time will prove it to be good durability and quality.