Hello-

I'm hoping I can find some input here... I'm not a professional; I found this forum via a Google search. I'm a reasonably able DIYer that's pretty dumfounded with a problem I'm having with my freezer/icemaker. I have a Kenmore/Whirlpool unit. I'll try to keep this brief:

Over the past week, and intermittently, in the morning we'll discover a puddle of water on the floor near the freezer. At the bottom of the inside of the freezer I found a layer of ice that pooled there. I first suspected a leak at/near the icemaker unit, but I don't think it's leaking as I haven't seen any icicles or frozen droplets underneath it.

Here's my question: How hot should the heater coil attached to the ice mold get? Hot enough to burn a finger, and melt the ice in the bin below the icemaker? I ask because a solid layer of ice will form at the bottom of the bin, and the ice cubes between that chunk and the bottom of the icemaker unit will freeze together.

Both my wife and I have burned our fingers when churning the ice on that side of the ice bin. Should the heating coil get that hot? Could it be melting the ice in the bin to the point of causing the water leak?

I'd hate to spend $900 or more on a new fridge/freezer if all this can be fixed more cheaply. If anyone has some imput, I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks!