GE ice makers

The reports, as CPSC published them

1. No incident, no one hurt

   Made Oct 8, 2024 · , sent to the company Oct 11, 2024 · , published by CPSC Oct 28, 2024

   The product, in the report: GE Profile Nugget Ice Maker Model UNC15NJII (or UNC15NJBII)

   I own a GE Profile Ice maker, model UNC15NJII. That’s the model number on the receipt, but the model plate inside the unit says UNC15NJBII. I bought it in April 2020 from Home Depot. It is a built-in ice maker installed under an island in our kitchen and is regularly cleaned and the ice is used for consumption all the time.

   On Sep 25th 2024 I did a routine cleaning and noticed a fine gray substance in the bottom of the ice bin and along the lip that the ice slides over as it is produced. At first I thought this was mold or similar, and scrubbed it up with an abrasive sponge and paper towels. I could not get all of the gray material off the bin; there is still a “stain” of a gray line running around the perimeter of the bin near the bottom. However when I restarted the ice maker and observed the first pieces of ice falling from the hopper, I noticed black material suspended in the ice nuggets. I assumed again this was mold that may have somehow made its way into the machine. I unplugged the machine to try to further investigate. When that ice melted, I wiped up the black stuff, and realized on my paper towel that it was sparkling like some kind of metal. I got a magnet and confirmed it was metal shavings. Similarly, the very fine gray material that I had on a paper towel was also magnetic in nature.

   I tested this myself several times. When starting the ice maker with an empty bin from an empty tank, the first ice will have the most coarse shavings, and progressively the ice gets more clear, with the worse ice settling to the bottom of the bin where people are less likely to scoop it in most situations. However, the very fine gray metallic powder did coat the entire bin, which makes me suspect that the metal is always present, just to different degrees of fineness.

   It is not clear for how long this ice maker has been embedding metal in the ice, whether coarse or fine, but it was an alarming discovery. The ice auger assembly is sealed and I didn’t want to pop it open and void my warranty. So I contacted GE, who told me it was out of warranty for this type of failure, but that they’d send someone to look at it for free as it was considered a safety issue. The following Monday, a tech from a local authorized GE servicer ([REDACTED] Appliance) came by and reproduced the issue himself, again using a magnet to observe the metal shavings that were embedded in the ice.

   After the tech left, he spoke to GE who advised that he would need to replace several parts in the machine at my expense. The parts alone were almost $3,000, nearly the cost of a new unit, and the tech suggested I pursue a claim through my Home Depot extended warranty instead. In the meantime I contacted GE’s social media to let them know about the issue, with photos and videos. GE’s social media team offered me a $400 coupon to help recover some of the parts cost. I refused that, and insisted it was a serious safety issue that should be investigated. Ultimately, they have agreed to replace the unit with a slightly newer revision. However I do not know whether the new unit has changed anything about the design, and I’m very concerned that GE Profile ice makers may have a design flaw that is resulting in the widespread consumption of metal particulate in water ice.

   I cannot say for certain whether direct injury has occurred. I did get an MRI recently and, as far as I know, my stomach didn’t explode with shrapnel, but I’m genuinely concerned for anyone who may consume the first ice of a batch when the shavings seem to be more coarse. I also suspect that machines that have been in service for longer may well show significantly more wear to the internal assemblies and thus more metal may be present.

   Model

   UNC15NJBII

   Serial number

   FR000113

   Bought from

   Home Depot

   Bought

   Apr 14, 2020

   Where

   Austin, Texas: Home/Apartment/Condominium

   Who was involved

   Age 38, Unspecified

   The reporter’s relation to them

   Self

   As this report names them

   Brand GE, made or sold by GE Appliances, a Haier company

   How badly, in CPSC’s words

   No Incident, No Injury

2. No one hurt

   Made Nov 30, 2022 · , sent to the company Dec 6, 2022 · , published by CPSC Dec 20, 2022

   The product, in the report: This is a GE opal ice maker

   This is a General Electric opal ice maker. If you look on Amazon many people are complaining that it produces mold within a couple days of filling it with water. This can be poisonous for people to drink. I’ve tried to contact GE on multiple occasions and I can never get through, they contacted me via text I responded with all the information they requested still nothing. I believe this this ice maker should be recalled and our full purchase price refunded. I have to completely take it apart to clean it. It’s also black with mold inside every time I clean it you can actually smell the mold.

   Serial number

   OPAL01GEPKT

   Bought from

   Amazon

   Bought

   Mar 21, 2021, about then

   Where

   ROCHESTER HLS, Michigan: Home/Apartment/Condominium

   Who was involved

   Unknown

   The reporter’s relation to them

   Unspecified

   As this report names them

   Brand GE, made or sold by GE Appliances, a Haier company

   How badly, in CPSC’s words

   Incident, No Injury

CPSC’s disclaimer

Sources