Salty Ice Cubes

Could it have been caused by the back siphoning from the softener?

The salts used in a water softner must have caused it I would guess... I'm not an expert in this area so its only a guess.

John.

that was My first guess but without a pressure drop I don't think thats the problem.

I think this sounds about right. Especially if she just added the salt prior to the incident. But I am no expert either.

Ordinarily, when salt water freezes, the ions remain in the aqueous phase.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_ice

One possible explanation is that there was no aqueous phase present in the ice cube maker into which the ions could escape. Is it 'running too hard'? Is the reject water outlet blocked?

I doubt that it was runing to hard since we draw our tap water from lake michigan.

I'm not a chemical engineer so I don"t quite understand "aqueous stage"

I didn't check for any blockage.Are You talking about blockage at the softner?

As ice forms, any Na+ and Cl- ions will migrate away from the ice and into the water that remains. Let's call this 'reject' water for the moment. If the reject water is not removed from the equipment and fresh water brought in to replace it, eventually the reject water will freeze and the ions will remain bound in the ice matrix, simply because they've nowhere else to go. When it melts, the ions will be released, giving rise to a salty taste.

So there might be one stream in, the feedwater, and two streams out, one being ice and the other the reject, being a more concentrated version of the feedwater. If so, the reject stream might be blocked or frozen-up. Is this what's happening?

If there is no reject stream and the inlet had received a dose of salt by fair means or foul at some time in the past, then the equipment will produce salty-tasing ice until the ice containing the salt has passed out of it. Is this what is happening?

There is no reject stream. My sister-in-law lives by herself so I doubt salt was injected by foul means. However Your first comment seems plausible "ions moving into aqueous state of ice maker" and eventually freezing. the system has since cleared up and she now has salt free cubes. Thanks for Your comments.

oilcan13

ME TOO!!! I have salty ice cubes. Yes, I have a softener, and I also disconnected the line from the back of the fridge and ran the water into a 5 gallon bucket. Whilest I was running the water I noted (sticking my face in it) that it wasnt salty. After I had reconnected the line, and subsequently let the ice maker do its thing...again, or rather, STILL, I have nasty, salty cubes. There was never any failure of softener equipment, nor was there a time when it had been shut off, or a lapse in use. I absolutely cannot figure this one out.

Initially, the ice maker kept kicking itself off, after having blamed the children numerous times, a propped a hammer on the arm of the ice maker and soon it had kicked that off. Now, it no longer kicks itself off, but even after running 100+ ice "dumps", the cubes are still VERY salty. Is there a way that I could run JUST WATER through the ice maker?

Frustrated Nurse in Hell's Oven (Florida)

Yes. Move to "hell's Kitchen," and then watch out for a little girl in a yellow rain coat. If you see her, give her the 12 gauge - both barrels.

Did you ever find a solution to your problem? I'm having the same problem with my refrigerator. I've done several dumps of the ice cube container, but I still have the same issue. I can't figure it out.

My money is still on the St. Bernard. Check for paw prints.

Did you keep any of the salty cubes (or the water from them)? If so, you could evaporate off the water & have a look at the crystals - might tell something?

just throw stuff out there,

does you refridgerator have an icemaker or do you make it in an ice tray.

if in an ice tray, could your try have been contaminated, (or do you have kids, with a poor sense of humor?)

walls on the water line have a build up an some scale broke loose. Did you (in the house) or untilities do any work on the water line?

Does the fridge have a built in filter and has it been checked? Maybe the filter failed allowing salts trapped behind it to dump into the ice maker.

Just a swag...

Wait. Next week it will be a peppery taste. :D

Seasoning salt?

Does the fridge have a small water softener actually in it?

no

Does the fridge have a small St. Bernard in it?

Well, at least you can dispense with applying salt to the glass your Margaretta is in!!!

SOUNDS LIKE SOMEONE WAS TRYING TO MAKE SALT ICE CUBES TO PLACE IN MARGARITAS !!!!

I have had the same problem, salty ice cubes, since 2006. I've now had 5 different water guys out & none are able to figure this out. Yes, I own a softener, tho the cubes are the only thing that is salty....and it does not change if I put in salt, or even of i am completely out of salt. We've now replaced all the incoming lines, that is, after having cleaned everything. I get stupid looks if I mention a clogged drain....but there aren't any other options....rather, all other diagnosis have been eliminated......I think.... Any suggestions are welcome.....in fact, I'm pleading for them! I've had of with buying ice .....and with 5 boys between ages 13-20, all serious sports plalone and a spouse who is a professional coach....well, one can imagine the amount of ice I buy. In fact, I bet I spend $45-$60 a month on ice, alone. Grrrrr in Florida