First, your ice maker needs water. But it’s not just any water—it’s pre-chilled, clean water from your fridge’s supply line. That little copper or plastic tube snakes behind your fridge, tapping into your home’s water pipe. Fancy, right?
When you press the button for ice (or the machine decides it’s time), a tiny solenoid valve opens. Hiss-click—water flows in. Not a flood, just a measured splash. Like a bartender who knows your pour.
Freezing: The Waiting Game
Now, the water sits in a metal mold. That mold is cold, like, “touch it and lose a fingerprint” cold. Behind the scenes, your fridge’s compressor pushes refrigerant through coils. The coils get frigid. The mold gets frigid.
Water starts freezing from the outside in. Pure water freezes first, pushing impurities and air bubbles to the center. That’s why some cubes look cloudy in the middle—they’re basically dirty little snowballs inside. But hey, they still cool your drink.
