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Author:
miller860 (IL)
My neighbor had a new refrigerator installed with an ice maker. the cubes are sometimes pink. I think it is because they used a plastic water line. They keep changing the filter but not the water line to copper. My ice maker was installed with a copper line and i never had a problem like this Thanks Mike
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Author:
Dunbar (KY)
You are supposed to cycle at least 3-4 full trays of ice cubes through the icemaker before using them.
If the problem persists after this, contact the mfg. of the product to have an authorized rep come out to inspect.
Should use soft copper or stainless steel braided supply lines to the icemaker, the plastic ones break at the connections in due time.
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Author:
plumb-bobII (VA)
Back in cross connection class, I read a story about blue ice cubes. Your neighbor doesn't use anything pink or off colored in their plumbing fixtures? (toilet tank cleaners in particular?)
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Author:
hj (AZ)
More icemakers may be connected with plastic than copper tube, so that is not likely to be the cause of the coloration.
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Author:
redwood (CT)
Somebody Call Me?
Seriously I've got no idea what would make pink ice cubes.
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Edited 1 times.
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Author:
joint-runner (MA)
Pink water silly...
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Author:
GSchreiber, CWSVI (MN)
Possible cause would be iron in the feed water to the fridge. One other potential is from an airborne bacteria Serratia marcescens. Most cases it is found on bathroom or kitchen fixtures and easily cleaned off with chlorine bleach. If no iron is present in the feed water my next step would be to do a bleach treatment of the ice maker.
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Author:
redwood (CT)
Gary has spoken! Now I know what causes pink ice cubes!
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Author:
joint-runner (MA)
airborne bacteria Serratia marcescens!!!!!!!.I bet thats cheap to resolve GSchreiber........The Guru of Water.
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Author:
jimmy-o (CA)
Well, I never knew the name, and I certainly can't pronounce it even know that Gary has given us the name! But I have seen the pink thing on showers and tubs. It does clean up with bleach. It is very pink, nothing like the orange from rust. I still don't see how it would get in your water.
I can offer one piece of advice: Don't drink the water or the ice, until you figure this out.
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Author:
ericsandstone (TX)
GSchreiber...neat.
What does CWSVI stand for?
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Author:
redwood (CT)
Certified Water Specialist 6
The lowest treatment specialist level is 1 and I don't know how high it goes, but, Gary is like the "Godfather" of water treatment! We just speculate and mark time until he arrives. You have guys that put in treatment systems, guys who build the components of a system... Gary works for the company that makes the media that most of the companies that make water softeners use! [www.purolite.com]
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Edited 1 times.
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Author:
GSchreiber, CWSVI (MN)
Certified Water Specialist Level Six. Certified by the International Water Quality Association testing.
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Author:
GSchreiber, CWSVI (MN)
Redwood,
You beat me to the punch. Thank You. Level 6 is the highest level that one can achieve today. Level 1 - Passed the general exam. Level's 2 thru 6 - Each pertains to passing an exam on specific water treatment processes: RO, DI, Filtration, Disinfection and Ozonation.
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Author:
Wheelchair (IL)
I've seen the pink bacteria before and have suggested the use of bleach mist and several rinses.
The commercial management maint. people, use a prepackaged concentrate, containing
phosphoric acid.
Remember that any product used should carry a material safety data sheet
(MSDS) As with any cleaner, rinse several times and allow to dry before return the equipment to service.
I always recommend the use of Everpure's Insur-ice prefilters in your cubers and crushed ice machines. I believe your ice machine manufacturer
may also recommend it too.
Best Wishes
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Author:
ericsandstone (TX)
Thanks for reply on the CWS...
I think that the water treatment is one of the most interesting fields of study that a person could persue while in this trade or outside of same.
Frankly I'm way to busy and confused right now to go looking into that stuff...
Yes. Six does indeed sound rather God like.
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Author:
Jim (WI)
I work for a small regional water utility in the Milwaukee area. We have had two calls this summer regarding "neon pink" ice cubes. The interesting fact is that we have over 3000 services and only two customers with this problem. Both customers have the same manufacturer and model of refridgerator: (SubZero 6330). Two interesting clues. Water in the home has adequate disinfectant level (near 1 ppm of Chloramines). The occurance is in the same subdivision...
I doubt the issue is caused by "airborne bacteria serratia marcescens" as the water is not exposed to atmosphere until it makes it to the ice tray, which happens to be in a freezer where the possibility of live bacteria is not a distinct possibility. It should not exist in the water as there is adequate disinfectant available. Also, they do not have any problems anywhere else in the home (no pink sink, or pink shower, etc.)
Furthermore, the units are fed by copper tube.
I am at a loss as to what this could be. However, I want to find out as the problem is very real to the customers. The cubes are not slightly pink, they are neon pink. They don't laugh when you quip - "hey your subzero kicks out designer cubes!"
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Author:
dlh (TX)
i would look into the piping to the ice maker, i bet that is where you will find the problem
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Author:
jerco (MD)
That interesting Jim.
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Author:
jujupatel (IL)
I wanted to let you guys know that I am facing the same problem. I have a Kenmore Trio bottom freezer and the ice maker produces pink ice periodically, the sears guy came and told me it was teh water but I am not convinced. Does anyone have any updates on this issue? the fridge is 4 years old and it was the first model of it's kind. Additionally there appears to be no sign of pink neon water anywhere in the house or in teh water dispenser. Thoughts?
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Author:
redwood (CT)
"Author: GSchreiber, CWSVI (MN)
Possible cause would be iron in the feed water to the fridge. One other potential is from an airborne bacteria Serratia marcescens. Most cases it is found on bathroom or kitchen fixtures and easily cleaned off with chlorine bleach. If no iron is present in the feed water my next step would be to do a bleach treatment of the ice maker."
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Since 1995 (3 years before Google started) PlumbingSupply.com has been THE best plumbing supplier on the web. Please visit our sponsor [www.PlumbingSupply.com]
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Author:
rkhicks24 (WI)
at work we have pink ice as well, wondering if anyone has found a solution or cause to the problem, very odd, the fridgeaire fridge is less than a year old and has barely even had anything in it......
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Author:
ccastle (WI)
I live in a suburb that uses Milw. water and am getting neon pink cubes out of my side by side Kenmore ice maker every few weeks. Kudos to Sears for cancelling a service call and then spending some time on the phone discussing the issue. Turns out that a customer in Milw. reported that a plastic shower curtain had turned pink! Somebody stated that the city puts a rust inhibitor in the water that interacts with some types of plastic to produce the pink color. Makes sense because I have a plastic line running to the ice maker and stainless running to the fridge with no problem. I will replace the ice maker line with stainless and see what happens.
stay tuned..
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Author:
bornplaydie (HI)
I wouldn't discount Serratia marcescens based on the fact that the freezer is cold. The pink is a pigment called Prodigiosin produced by the bacteria and not the bacteria itself. The bacteria could be thriving in the line producing pigment. "Once established, complete eradication of the organism is often difficult."
Having said that, city water usually contains chlorine to prevent bacteria from thriving.
Still, I wouldn't eat the ice until I knew what was causing its pink-ness. Seems like taking a look at the line might be worth the trouble. If the line is pink, at least it is additional information. Good luck
[en.wikipedia.org]
[environment.about.com]
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Author:
Amigaman (NY)
I have a customer that has pink ice. When she removes the water filter the ice is clear. The refrigerator will by-pass when the filter is removed. The factory claims the water is reacting with the filter. She is on municipal water that is clorinated.
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