GE Ice Maker Error Code Water LED icon on (solid)

The solid Water LED icon on a GE ice maker indicates a machine compartment thermistor failure. The control board has detected that the thermistor circuit is either open (broken continuity) or shorted (resistance has collapsed to near zero), which prevents the board from reading an accurate temperature inside the machine compartment. Because the thermistor is responsible for monitoring the thermal environment of key internal components, a failed reading causes the unit to flag the fault and alert the user through both the visual LED indicator and three audible tones when the door is closed.

The machine compartment thermistor is a temperature-sensing resistor whose resistance changes predictably with temperature. The control board sends a reference voltage through the thermistor circuit and measures the returning signal. An open circuit produces a reading that is out of the expected range on the high end, while a short produces a reading at or near zero resistance, both of which the board interprets as a fault condition. During an active ice-making cycle, the condenser fan motor will continue to run continuously as a protective measure while this fault is present.

Diagnosis should begin by consulting the machine compartment components section of the unit's technical documentation, which provides the correct resistance specifications for the thermistor at known temperatures. The thermistor wiring harness, connector pins, and the thermistor element itself should all be inspected. Corroded connectors or a physically damaged thermistor probe are common culprits. Resistance testing across the thermistor terminals at a known ambient temperature will confirm whether the component is within spec, open, or shorted.