Hey man, great video. At 6:18 the designed method for removal of the bottom front piece is to put a flat head into the outer most slots on the bottom. Hang it over the counter for easy access to push the flat head up into the outermost rectangle to release the clips, it comes off automatically this way, no prying.
PIN THIS COMMENT! @Airbag1010674 Thank you this is exactly how I easily got it off, stuck the flathead in head slot across bottom while machine is hanging slightly over counter. Heard a pop at each slot and presto it was off! Thx man… this instruction was clutch. GE doesn’t tell you this stuff because they want it to break, shortly after warranty expires so you buy another $$$$$ #corporategreed
I've had this machine for 2 years. Only use distilled water. I run 3 cleaning cycles with the tank full of cleaning vinegar and let it sit for 24 hours every 2 months or so. I took mine apart after seeing this video and mine still looks brand new with no buildup in the internal tank. I suggest doing the vinegar, apparently it works.
You are a very responsible adult. I think alot of the issues come from not using distilled water and not cleaning it. Some people just don’t follow instructions.
Same here. We’ve had it 2 years, put in a gallon of water a day. My toddler loves this ice, so I’ve been very consistent with maintaining it and having distilled water delivered. Ain’t about to be serving my 2 year old mold-infused water in her Stanley cup.
This is an excellent video. I have an Opal 1.0 (the prototype from FirstBuild), and the interior is very similar. On the FirstBuild, you can take a white plastic cover off of the refrigeration unit, and then use a baster to fill up the unit with vinegar or bleach water. Then you can disconnect the tube on the back of the refrigeration unit to drain and add some fresh water. I also was not sure if the UV light is working. I plugged in the unit like seen in the video, and saw a very small blue light. I tried to hold up a dollar bill to see if the light would illuminate the security thread, but I think the light is very low powered and it might only work in a dark environment.
The UV light for killing biologicals is actually the UV-C spectrum, which may not illuminate a dollar bill's UV feature. I bought a UV tester card and mine did light up the UV-C sensitive patch. But yeah, these do appear to do very little. Some people have added a larger incandescent UV-C bulb built for an aquarium filter. That may have helped.
Great Video! Good job. Disassembled my 2.0 for a deep clean and to locate a leak I had sometimes. Found 5 hoses without clamps but clamps on other ends. I used 6" wire ties and a tiewrap gun. Nice and tight, no leak. Leak was at bottom back inside, tank hose no clamp. WW
This was SO incredibly helpful! Thank you for being very thorough and explaining each step so clearly. I will be doing this tomorrow. I’m really worried what I’m going to find in mine. It’s been making these crazy squeally and thunking noises for a year or so, Sometimes it sounds like a gear is stuck on rubber, I don’t know how else to describe it. Luckily it’s still producing ice perfectly well - I’ve only used vinegar in the past but I’ve only cleaned it a few times in a couple years 🤢 I hate using bleach, especially with things that touch foods, but assuming there’s mold I want to be as certain as possible I’ve killed it. Can you share more detail about the bleach solution you use and how you used the bleach again after you put it back together? Thank you!
Norm my friend, great video and thanks for not skimping on the details. We have an Opal 2.0 for our special needs daughter who loves chewing ice. We use distilled water and never had any problems, however last night it stopped producing ice. After I put her to bed, I found your video and got to work. Interior, hoses, and reservoir were clean so I ran a few cleaning cycles with industrial strength vinegar (45%) and then let it sit overnight with a bleach mixture. This morning I ran 3 cleaning cycles with bleach and started my first of six rinse cycles. When draining the hoses after the third rinse, a large 6inch piece of scale came out of the hose. I didn’t think I would have a scaling issue with distilled water, but apparently this what caused my problem. It’s running like new and my daughter is thrilled. Thanks again.
Our Opal 2.0 is only 4 months old and we only use distilled water in it. I purchased a home distiller since we have pretty hard water. I also do the sanitization routine weekly. Its way too early to tell if this will prevent algae growth; time will tell. I do figure I’ll do the deep clean annually. Will post an update here If anything worthy of sharing comes to light. Great video. Much appreciated.
You took the words out of my mouth. I called GE Opal & the person told me over the phone use distilled water only. I purchased a distiller for $100. All that crud in his Opal is what is at the bottom of my distiller. You figure out really fast how crappy the water is with a distiller. I could swear I see an oil layer at the top before distilling. Also I use the optional cartridge. What I noticed is last month I kept getting the dreaded “add water” notice. I did a deep cleaning. My machine was really clean. Any trash the distiller didn’t get the cartridge got. All that to say you have to change the cartridge every 3 months as recommended. The cartridge was the reason I got the “add water” notice. Once I changed it out for a fresh new one, it works proper now. I spent $295 on my machine (that included the side tank) on the bay and got it “like new”‘for 1/2 the price. I’ve haven’t had issues as it was practically new. I do love it but I wouldn’t have ever paid the asking price for it.
@@TheePrettyGirlSwag When cleaning the Opal, I remove the filter cartridge and quickly submerge it in a glass of water so air doesn't get trapped in it. I put the cartridge back in after cleaning/filling the reservoir. That seems to keep the "add water" message from coming on right after I clean/refill the Ice Maker. I was also amazed at how brown and stinky the residual water in the distiller is after distilling. I have to soak it in citric acid solution after every gallon is produced. But so far the Opal 2.0 is still clean as a whistle and doesn't make any unusual noises while runnung. I'm now 7 months into ownership. So far so good.
@@jamessimmons8352 yes I use citric acid to clean my distiller too but I’m not as vigilant as you. I clean it maybe every 2-4 gallons because of pure laziness. 😂 I have Alexa remind to change the filter in the distiller monthly too. I think that’s very important since I don’t clean it after every use. I thought I had an air bubble to develop in the line. GE texted me the instructions on how to get that out but it still gave me the message. I boiled it down and to the cartridge by mistake actually. It maybe because I use the aftermarket cartridge vs the GE manufactured one. But other than that I’ve had absolutely no problems. His, in this video, is absolutely disgusting. I think if he invest in a distiller it will solve his build up issue. I’ve had mines for about 6 months (along with the distiller) and mines has never had buildup.
@@jamessimmons8352we have RO water but I know it’s not like a distiller. Which one do you use? Are you still Happy with it? We go through a gallon or so of water every 1-2 days for the Opal machine. I can’t imagine having to clean it that often 😵💫 Is that required for optimal functioning?
@@auntielala9 I bought the H2o Labs countertop distiller and have been distilling 3-5 gallons of water a week for the last year. The unit works well and I use food-grade citric acid crystals (1 teaspoon in 2 cups water) to descale the distiller after each run. Our water is quite hard, so there is a solid crust of minerals on the bottom of the distiller after each gallon is finished. Citric Acid works much better / faster than vinegar. It dissolves the crust in 5-10 minutes. Our Opal 2.0 icemaker is now almost a year old and all I've done to it is the once-weekly recommended cleaning / sanitizing with bleach. The Opal is still functioning like new with no visible buildup of scale or mold in any lines or the tanks. The weekly cleaning / sanitizing is probably not needed when using distilled water and you can probably go several weeks between cleanings. I just do it weekly out of habit. Hope this helps.
I saw this video a couple of months ago and it scared me to death. After two years of having this ice maker, i finally opened it up and found it was almost in pristine condition (i still cleaned it since it was open). No algae growth in my tubing or reservoir. Your municipality must not have a good water cleaning and filtration system and/or process.
Thank you very much for taking the time to video tape, edit, and share the cleaning of your Opal 2.0. I need to do this and your video will save me time and, I am sure, frustration from trying to figure it out.
If you do the suggested maintenance (run vinegar or bleach clean cycles / let it sit for 18 hours afterwards, every few weeks) this will not happen. I opened my machine and there was no mold or dirt. Have had device for 9 months.
I have an older GE Opal ice maker. I also have mold in the exterior tubing coming. from the tank. I haven't opened the upper tank yet. I wondered if maybe the UV light wasn't working. Your video said it came on but was dim. Is this normal? I didn't see any other comments about how to test the UV light.
I found an Opal 1.0 at the thrift store. It wouldn’t make ice so I followed your disassembly process and cleaned out all the hoses. When I woke up in the morning, I had a bin full of ice! It was good you identified the Bluetooth plugin. I think it could have had something to do with it not working for me. I disconnected it and it’s doing just fine. Thank you!
The UV lights on these are underpowered for their task. Also the corrosion of the parts that connect to the stainless steel auger assembly is the death knell of these units. The screws and bolts are not stainless steel and rot out very quickly.
I did find,when disassembling the front lower panel, that prying gently from the bottom of the ice maker it came off easily. I carefully just slip the front off of my counter and prayed gently. One the part was off I saw there was actually a lip that fits under the edge of the reservoir to hold it in place. This might be helpful. Note time stamp
I have been using mine for about a year now and i just opened it up to check it. It's nowhere near as dirty as yours and there is NO corrosion on anything. I don't run a cleaning cycle nearly as much as i should but i do use filtered water only. I use an aquatru system for drinking water. I only put that water into the ice machine.
AS A FORMER GE TECH.. GE DOESNT MAKE THE PRODUCT ITS A COMPANY CALLED FIRST BUILD. THE ONLY THING GE ABOUT THIS IS THE LOGO. THEY BROUGHT THE DESIGN AND THAT PRETTY MUCH WHERE ITS STOPS.. THERE GE SERVICE TECH DONT EVEN REPAIR IT..WE SEND YOU TO FIRST BUILD.
This was the only video I could find that had the same componentry as my icemaker and it was perfect. I checked out a lot of other ones, and this one was by far the best.
Bleach doesn’t kill mold, but vinegar does. In my opinion, it’s highly likely that the mold overgrowth is because you all frequently used bleach and not vinegar. After a bleach cycle I’d run two or more vinegar cycles to ensure mold fighting at the root occurs.
Fair point. I concede that I was not good about regular maintenance and cleaning in the early days. And once you let it get out of control, it's hard to get back on track. By their very nature, any nugget ice machine will have the same risks, though, so don't feel that a competing product will solve all of these issues.
We use water from reverse osmosis...cleanings are required every 3-4 weeks now vs ~10 days with unfiltered tap. Appears your source water may benefit from filtering or distilling. Cheers.
Somehow water got inside the front double wall on the icebox part of mine and I can't seem to find any way to get it to drain out, do you know how to open that so the water can get back out? I'm not sure how it managed to get in while I can't get it to drain out but that's where I'm at. If I leave it in there I'm sure it's going to start molding and look nasty.
Thanks for your help! We just took apart our machine after loud a squeaking/squealing noise began. The water reservoir was clean, but we found most of the tubes were clogged with hard water/mineral deposits. I couldn’t believe how bad they were. And we clean ours almost weekly with vinegar.
Great video! Thanks for putting it out here. just went through the whole cleaning process, disassembly myself and used your video as a guide. quick question. were you having any issues with your opal that prompted you to go through and do this or was this just maintenance? Mine has quit producing ice altogether and started making kind of a high squealing sound. I’ve got it disassembled now and have found some places where there are near full blockages of slime. hoping when I put it back together it works as intended.
I took mine apart yesterday. I've been cleaning it with the recommended steps and even bought special cleaner the last time I cleaned it, because it was dirty. I use Ozarka water in it and have from day 1. I had the first gen model of this ice machine, and it lasted 5 years. Never had a problem with the water becoming dirty like this one. Thank you for this video!! I tore the 2.0 down yesterday, and what I found inside was truly horrifying. My lines were incredibly dirty, and the internal tank was truly disgusting. How it has managed to get this disgusting is truly beyond me.
Distilled water is what you want. Ozarka/Arowhead has a ton of "minerals for flavor" that will dirty up machines like this. Even filtered tap water is likely to have less of that sort of thing in it. Avoid mineral and spring waters.
Excellent and very helpful work! The only thing I’ll add is that the filter in the ice bin drain is replaceable. After all that hard work you might as well swap a new one in.
Awesome video ! Thank you for taking the time to show and explain everything in such clear detail. We just purchased ours, and while I love how it works, it seems that after disinfecting with the bleach solution, I can’t get it all out of the machine. Even after several rinse cycles, the ice has that telltale taste of chlorine, even though we are using bottled water. I wish there was a way to “power rinse” the system instead of just having the water slowly pumping through it. It’s like water is being held inside still releasing bleach. 😢
Thanks this was a big help! I have the regular opal. My internal reservoir was funky like yours. I ran clean cycle while taken apart and no water goes to the internal reservoir. So it never gets cleaned.
Mine is a year old and I have only used distilled water. I just opened mine up due to low water warning with the tank full. The hoses are plugged with a clear slime mold. Like clear snot throughout the system. Gross, but nothing like what is seen in the video.
Thank you! Purchased this exactly 2 years ago and started having issues in the last year. All during the month of March, I ran bleach cleaning cycles, ran Vinegar cleaning cycles, and ran scale cleaner cycles, only to have the infamous screaming come back with no ice being made. This afternoon, I followed your video verbatim and for the last 2 hours it’s been making ice a-ok. Not sure if it’s making it too slow - been a while since I’ve seen it make ice. It’s made 3/4 of a tank in the last 2 hours. I’ll monitor over the next week, and hope I’m not jinxing myself, but so far so good. 👍
I tried the steps in this video to open mine apart, thank you so much I'm always hesitant to open stuff with electrical components, because I've had horrible experiences with wires.
This is a great video. I saw your link from Elaine, you can see my issue there. I’m debating on pulling mine apart like you did or continuing my debate with GE regarding my warranty. My unit isn’t that old. Any thoughts on how to make the extreme screeching noise stop?
So I went ahead and pulled it apart using your video as a guide. It was incredibly nasty and a bunch of my hoses were clogged. I went ahead and removed the water reservoir and some of the tubing to get it all cleaned. It works great again. We’ll see for how long. Thanks again for this video. Also, a note on removing the front bottom panel. There are 4 slots in the bottom that you can use to release the clips with a screwdriver. That makes it easier to get that piece off.
@@DanamanK So glad the video helped. Yeah, it's crazy how bad things can get inside these machines. Thanks for the suggestion about the front panel. I did wonder if there was a better way! 😅
Thank you for this video! It’s so informative! I watched it while running a few cleaning cycles. I hope to tackle a deep clean soon once I get some zip ties.
if you r using tap water and it looks like you are, you need to stop. Get distilled water and you'll have to do much less maintenance and get a longer life out of your machine. I had the opal 1.0 and ran tap water cause I didnt know any better and was constantly fighting issues like you have here. My opal 1.0 eventually stopped working but I couldnt live without the wonderful nuggeet ice so I bought the 2.0 and learned through youtube videos that hard water was my problem and since running 99% distilled water through the machine I have had no issues. Switch to distilled water and you'll thanki me later.
This is awesome. I had my machine since 2022 and when I opened that reservoir, the first time, I could not believe what I was looking at. That is the type of thing that causes serious illness and GE does not warn about this and does not give any solutions and I find that very disturbing now every three weeks I take it apart and do what you’re doing and have been for the last two years. I’m definitely going to get those extra long pipe cleaners cause bc I take it apart and attach the zip ties every time. I just had to get the Opal 2.0 because mine started to make a funny noise and I found out that it was the fan and I guess mine was so old. It couldn’t be replaced or whatever reason. I find that the 2.0 is a little better, but if you’re using it thinking that the Bluetooth Wi-Fi connection will help it does not. Thanks Again for your video
Ours was screaming…my husband blew in one of the hoses and all kinds of the black gunk came out…stopped the screaming. But we need to open it up and probably do the deep clean since we’ve never done the vinegar thing weekly (or ever actually). We use RO water…but still get that gunk.
Awesome video. I’ve been on the hunt for a take apart video to see how it works from the inside. My opal keeps going to defrost mode and doesn’t make any ice. Poor design from opal.
A) Great video - THANK YOU for the instructions on how to take it apart. I was stuck at the lid/top. I just needed to pull harder. I would never have found out how to access the screws up front. B) I am disappointed in the build/operation quality of this unit. I love the nugget ice. The GE brand used to a sign of top quality. Gunk! Yuck! C) I use distilled or highly filtered water (0 dissolved particulates) and I still have gunk in the hoses after ~2 years. D) It's not a closed system, so stuff will get in there and propagate. E) Looks like I need to clean the thing more than once a year. LOL!
I REALLY REGRET PURCHASING THIS PIECE OF……! I SHOULD HAVE READ THE REVIEWS BEFORE I PURCHASED. MY UNIT IS THREE MONTHS OLD AND I HAVE FAITHFULLY SANITIZED IT WEEKLY. NOW THE UNIT SAYS ADD WATER AND IT IS FULL AND NOT WORKING. BEEN SEEING A GASTROLOGIST NOW BECAUSE OF GI DISTRESS. WONDER IF IT IS THIS ICE MACHINE NOW.
I'm on my second unit. First unit seized after a couple years use. The second one 5 month's old makes a little ice then goes into defrost mode then shuts down. Maybe pellet ice isn't worth it.
Revenge of the Nugget Ice maker huh............. You have to clean these new wonders of contraptions. You have standing water that has to be changed if you do not take teh ice out of the bin... I am not too keen on the "recycle" water bit has the new ice melts back into the reservoir... The manufactures claim of our machine produces xx pounds of ice per day is a marketing gimmick... one day is 24 hours so at 3AM in the morning you get up to remove the produced ice in the machine.. Then at 430AM, 530AM..... Ohhhh I see that is where you get the total pounds of ice produced... I think not.... Realistically I would say 20 to 25 pounds
This happens when the pump deprimes and runs dry, when its attempting to pull water, put your finger in the tank and push water into the inlet port, this will reprime the pump and it will begin pulling water again
AT LEAST YOU ARE HONEST.... " I have not been as diligent about cleaning out the unit, and this was the outcome." i would agree here...... "I will disassemble the ice maker and thoroughly clean out the muck and dust." Dust is terrible with any machine that has fans for cooling.... You should see when I blow out the dust from the PC fan vents...... Phooey cough cough cough........
It's disappointing to see that with the 2.0 they haven't redesigned this system for direct waterline hookup. The 1.0 and 2.0 both have a float, a pump and a reservoir so this comes down to the fact they do not want to implement it.. The could also benefit from redesigning that secondary internal reservoir. I'm shocked at this point they haven't replaced that whole thing with a carbon filter like they have in a refrigerator. Just goes to show i doesn't matter how big a company is their is always room for improvement. Thanks for this video. Seeing the internals on the 2.0 are extremely helpful when deciding on what to buy next.
Omg. I’ve had my Opal for probably a year and a half and I love it, but I have seen flecks in the water when I clean it so I figured I needed to descale it more often (I bleach clean it more than descale). But what you found in there is scary.
It is a good start. Mine is making the exact same sound. BUT mine is because the ice is coming out shaved and not solid. This is causing an ice build up and no ice can come out of the ports.
Great video! Thank you so much for holding our hands and walking us thru this! We just put it back together and its working great. And now I will be sure to do the sanitizing on a regular basis.
Funny, I just got mine and I took my shell off, like in this video and there are quite a few design differences (not the shell) on the inside. GE Opal 2.0 in stainless. I am wrapping the stainless in a pearl matte white. It is looking great so far.
Thank you so much for taking the time to put this video together. Very thorough and thoughtful. I've had the same unit for about a year and a half. I've always wondered if it was really clean inside and how I'd really know without tearing it down and risk screwing it up. Walking through the indications was very helpful and gives me some reassurance (as I see no slime in the water tank and residual water drained before cleaning is crystal clear). Similar to what you mentioned, I typically clean it monthly (not weekly as recommended). However, I only run distilled water in it (not tap with hard water minerals and whatever else). This is also the main source of ice for the family (1 bin/day), so water is moving daily and doesn't get stagnant. I imagine those two things help with managing the mold growth opportunity. Next cleaning, I'll probably open her up and confirm the insides are truly clean and do some work if not. Thank you!
Such an informative video and the comment on how to remove the front panel is crucial. Our unit is one year old next month and I plan on breaking it down one Saturday when I have the time to devote to it for a good, deep cleaning. Thanks again for a great video.
Can you address how you handled the squealing noises. I’ve tried to add 3-1 oil to the gear box and it doesn’t seem to help but I may not being doing it correctly.
To be honest, any nugget ice maker has the potential of this issue. All of them have a reservoir of essentially stagnant room temperature water and they all recirculate the melted ice. And just about anything -- impurities in your water, dirty hands when scooping the ice, etc. -- can start the cycle of mold/algae. If I do eventually give up on the Opal 2.0 (or if it decides to totally give up on me), I would probably look at the cheaper knockoffs that go for about half the price.
Before I run mine I always flush it out with DI water. Distilled is also fine. But when I make ice I only use reverse osmosis water. After I am done making ice, I flush it out 4 times with the DI water. You never wanna make ice with DI or distilled water. It's actually not good for you. I haven't seen anything nasty. I only use mine every 3 months. Edit: After watching this video I did run bleach through mine at 1 part bleach and probably 4 or 5 parts water and I did see some stuff. Very tiny amount of stuff. It does flow better now from what I can see. I do think you should run your water through a filter. Zero water filter or even a Brita. Should help. My RO water's TDS is 12ppm. My DI water is 0ppm.
Thanks for this video. I'm going to have to do this deep cleaning and this is going to be a life saver! My unit is stuck on "Add Water" so I know something is clogged or some sensor is blocked with built-up calcium. I dread what I'm going to find when I get inside this unit. Your video is very thorough and most helpful. Can't thank you enough for taking the time to make this available and making it look so easy. I did it 6 months ago and am cleaning it again today. (I'm not good about cleaning it weekly as I should. 😮)
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Hey man, great video. At 6:18 the designed method for removal of the bottom front piece is to put a flat head into the outer most slots on the bottom. Hang it over the counter for easy access to push the flat head up into the outermost rectangle to release the clips, it comes off automatically this way, no prying.
thank you for explaining the correct method
PIN THIS COMMENT! @Airbag1010674 Thank you this is exactly how I easily got it off, stuck the flathead in head slot across bottom while machine is hanging slightly over counter. Heard a pop at each slot and presto it was off! Thx man… this instruction was clutch. GE doesn’t tell you this stuff because they want it to break, shortly after warranty expires so you buy another $$$$$ #corporategreed
So helpful!! Worked perfect thank you!
thank you so much for posting this!!
Thanks for this tip!!
I've had this machine for 2 years. Only use distilled water. I run 3 cleaning cycles with the tank full of cleaning vinegar and let it sit for 24 hours every 2 months or so. I took mine apart after seeing this video and mine still looks brand new with no buildup in the internal tank. I suggest doing the vinegar, apparently it works.
Can you go in a bit more detail on this and is there a brand you recommend?
You are a very responsible adult. I think alot of the issues come from not using distilled water and not cleaning it. Some people just don’t follow instructions.
Same here. We’ve had it 2 years, put in a gallon of water a day. My toddler loves this ice, so I’ve been very consistent with maintaining it and having distilled water delivered. Ain’t about to be serving my 2 year old mold-infused water in her Stanley cup.
Wow, thank you for this. What a friggin mess!
Your not supposed to drink distilled water.
This is an excellent video. I have an Opal 1.0 (the prototype from FirstBuild), and the interior is very similar. On the FirstBuild, you can take a white plastic cover off of the refrigeration unit, and then use a baster to fill up the unit with vinegar or bleach water. Then you can disconnect the tube on the back of the refrigeration unit to drain and add some fresh water. I also was not sure if the UV light is working. I plugged in the unit like seen in the video, and saw a very small blue light. I tried to hold up a dollar bill to see if the light would illuminate the security thread, but I think the light is very low powered and it might only work in a dark environment.
The UV light for killing biologicals is actually the UV-C spectrum, which may not illuminate a dollar bill's UV feature. I bought a UV tester card and mine did light up the UV-C sensitive patch. But yeah, these do appear to do very little. Some people have added a larger incandescent UV-C bulb built for an aquarium filter. That may have helped.
Wow! Thank you SO much! Excellent video! ❤
Great Video! Good job. Disassembled my 2.0 for a deep clean and to locate a leak I had sometimes. Found 5 hoses without clamps but clamps on other ends. I used 6" wire ties and a tiewrap gun. Nice and tight, no leak. Leak was at bottom back inside, tank hose no clamp. WW
This was SO incredibly helpful! Thank you for being very thorough and explaining each step so clearly. I will be doing this tomorrow. I’m really worried what I’m going to find in mine. It’s been making these crazy squeally and thunking noises for a year or so, Sometimes it sounds like a gear is stuck on rubber, I don’t know how else to describe it. Luckily it’s still producing ice perfectly well - I’ve only used vinegar in the past but I’ve only cleaned it a few times in a couple years 🤢 I hate using bleach, especially with things that touch foods, but assuming there’s mold I want to be as certain as possible I’ve killed it. Can you share more detail about the bleach solution you use and how you used the bleach again after you put it back together? Thank you!
Norm my friend, great video and thanks for not skimping on the details. We have an Opal 2.0 for our special needs daughter who loves chewing ice. We use distilled water and never had any problems, however last night it stopped producing ice. After I put her to bed, I found your video and got to work. Interior, hoses, and reservoir were clean so I ran a few cleaning cycles with industrial strength vinegar (45%) and then let it sit overnight with a bleach mixture.
This morning I ran 3 cleaning cycles with bleach and started my first of six rinse cycles. When draining the hoses after the third rinse, a large 6inch piece of scale came out of the hose. I didn’t think I would have a scaling issue with distilled water, but apparently this what caused my problem. It’s running like new and my daughter is thrilled. Thanks again.
Our Opal 2.0 is only 4 months old and we only use distilled water in it. I purchased a home distiller since we have pretty hard water. I also do the sanitization routine weekly. Its way too early to tell if this will prevent algae growth; time will tell. I do figure I’ll do the deep clean annually. Will post an update here If anything worthy of sharing comes to light. Great video. Much appreciated.
You took the words out of my mouth. I called GE Opal & the person told me over the phone use distilled water only. I purchased a distiller for $100. All that crud in his Opal is what is at the bottom of my distiller. You figure out really fast how crappy the water is with a distiller. I could swear I see an oil layer at the top before distilling.
Also I use the optional cartridge. What I noticed is last month I kept getting the dreaded “add water” notice. I did a deep cleaning. My machine was really clean. Any trash the distiller didn’t get the cartridge got. All that to say you have to change the cartridge every 3 months as recommended. The cartridge was the reason I got the “add water” notice. Once I changed it out for a fresh new one, it works proper now. I spent $295 on my machine (that included the side tank) on the bay and got it “like new”‘for 1/2 the price. I’ve haven’t had issues as it was practically new. I do love it but I wouldn’t have ever paid the asking price for it.
@@TheePrettyGirlSwag When cleaning the Opal, I remove the filter cartridge and quickly submerge it in a glass of water so air doesn't get trapped in it. I put the cartridge back in after cleaning/filling the reservoir. That seems to keep the "add water" message from coming on right after I clean/refill the Ice Maker. I was also amazed at how brown and stinky the residual water in the distiller is after distilling. I have to soak it in citric acid solution after every gallon is produced. But so far the Opal 2.0 is still clean as a whistle and doesn't make any unusual noises while runnung. I'm now 7 months into ownership. So far so good.
@@jamessimmons8352 yes I use citric acid to clean my distiller too but I’m not as vigilant as you. I clean it maybe every 2-4 gallons because of pure laziness. 😂 I have Alexa remind to change the filter in the distiller monthly too. I think that’s very important since I don’t clean it after every use. I thought I had an air bubble to develop in the line. GE texted me the instructions on how to get that out but it still gave me the message. I boiled it down and to the cartridge by mistake actually. It maybe because I use the aftermarket cartridge vs the GE manufactured one. But other than that I’ve had absolutely no problems. His, in this video, is absolutely disgusting. I think if he invest in a distiller it will solve his build up issue. I’ve had mines for about 6 months (along with the distiller) and mines has never had buildup.
@@jamessimmons8352we have RO water but I know it’s not like a distiller. Which one do you use? Are you still
Happy with it? We go through a gallon or so of water every 1-2 days for the Opal machine. I can’t imagine having to clean it that often 😵💫 Is that required for optimal functioning?
@@auntielala9 I bought the H2o Labs countertop distiller and have been distilling 3-5 gallons of water a week for the last year. The unit works well and I use food-grade citric acid crystals (1 teaspoon in 2 cups water) to descale the distiller after each run. Our water is quite hard, so there is a solid crust of minerals on the bottom of the distiller after each gallon is finished. Citric Acid works much better / faster than vinegar. It dissolves the crust in 5-10 minutes. Our Opal 2.0 icemaker is now almost a year old and all I've done to it is the once-weekly recommended cleaning / sanitizing with bleach. The Opal is still functioning like new with no visible buildup of scale or mold in any lines or the tanks. The weekly cleaning / sanitizing is probably not needed when using distilled water and you can probably go several weeks between cleanings. I just do it weekly out of habit. Hope this helps.
I saw this video a couple of months ago and it scared me to death. After two years of having this ice maker, i finally opened it up and found it was almost in pristine condition (i still cleaned it since it was open). No algae growth in my tubing or reservoir. Your municipality must not have a good water cleaning and filtration system and/or process.
Thank you very much for taking the time to video tape, edit, and share the cleaning of your Opal 2.0. I need to do this and your video will save me time and, I am sure, frustration from trying to figure it out.
If you do the suggested maintenance (run vinegar or bleach clean cycles / let it sit for 18 hours afterwards, every few weeks) this will not happen. I opened my machine and there was no mold or dirt. Have had device for 9 months.
I have an older GE Opal ice maker. I also have mold in the exterior tubing coming. from the tank. I haven't opened the upper tank yet. I wondered if maybe the UV light wasn't working. Your video said it came on but was dim. Is this normal? I didn't see any other comments about how to test the UV light.
All these machines are like this. If you really want gross, check out your local McDonald's ice machine...
I found an Opal 1.0 at the thrift store. It wouldn’t make ice so I followed your disassembly process and cleaned out all the hoses. When I woke up in the morning, I had a bin full of ice! It was good you identified the Bluetooth plugin. I think it could have had something to do with it not working for me. I disconnected it and it’s doing just fine. Thank you!
The UV lights on these are underpowered for their task. Also the corrosion of the parts that connect to the stainless steel auger assembly is the death knell of these units. The screws and bolts are not stainless steel and rot out very quickly.
You’re a life saver. Would have took me a month to figure out how to disassemble. And I would have broke three clips.
I did find,when disassembling the front lower panel, that prying gently from the bottom of the ice maker it came off easily. I carefully just slip the front off of my counter and prayed gently. One the part was off I saw there was actually a lip that fits under the edge of the reservoir to hold it in place. This might be helpful. Note time stamp
I have been using mine for about a year now and i just opened it up to check it. It's nowhere near as dirty as yours and there is NO corrosion on anything. I don't run a cleaning cycle nearly as much as i should but i do use filtered water only. I use an aquatru system for drinking water. I only put that water into the ice machine.
DUDE ! EASY PEEZY...once shown. Nicely gone.
This machine has been the most frustrating appliance I’ve ever owned and GE customer service is useless.
AS A FORMER GE TECH.. GE DOESNT MAKE THE PRODUCT ITS A COMPANY CALLED FIRST BUILD. THE ONLY THING GE ABOUT THIS IS THE LOGO. THEY BROUGHT THE DESIGN AND THAT PRETTY MUCH WHERE ITS STOPS.. THERE GE SERVICE TECH DONT EVEN REPAIR IT..WE SEND YOU TO FIRST BUILD.
This was the only video I could find that had the same componentry as my icemaker and it was perfect. I checked out a lot of other ones, and this one was by far the best.
Bleach doesn’t kill mold, but vinegar does. In my opinion, it’s highly likely that the mold overgrowth is because you all frequently used bleach and not vinegar. After a bleach cycle I’d run two or more vinegar cycles to ensure mold fighting at the root occurs.
Well Done, thank you!
You just saved me $500 as I was just about to buy a new. Great video!
There is no way you can convince me you've cleaned this machine every 3 weeks...
The manual says bleach clean weekly. I doubt it gets this contaminated if the lines are being flushed every week with bleach solution.
Yeah, if so not with proper cleaner.
I know my profile says to use distilled water
Agreed…. NO WAY!
I was considering buying one of these but after this video I just want to throw up. Just thinking about all those gunk in the ice is terrifying!
Fair point. I concede that I was not good about regular maintenance and cleaning in the early days. And once you let it get out of control, it's hard to get back on track. By their very nature, any nugget ice machine will have the same risks, though, so don't feel that a competing product will solve all of these issues.
You live in a living world, nothing you eat or drink is perfectly clean. Grow up
We use water from reverse osmosis...cleanings are required every 3-4 weeks now vs ~10 days with unfiltered tap. Appears your source water may benefit from filtering or distilling.
Cheers.
Somehow water got inside the front double wall on the icebox part of mine and I can't seem to find any way to get it to drain out, do you know how to open that so the water can get back out? I'm not sure how it managed to get in while I can't get it to drain out but that's where I'm at. If I leave it in there I'm sure it's going to start molding and look nasty.
Thanks for your help! We just took apart our machine after loud a squeaking/squealing noise began. The water reservoir was clean, but we found most of the tubes were clogged with hard water/mineral deposits. I couldn’t believe how bad they were. And we clean ours almost weekly with vinegar.
Mine was the same and I do vinegar every other week. I live in Tennessee.
What type of water do you use?
This video is a lifesaver for the cleaning adventure I am about to go on with my ice machine. Thank you!
Great video! Thanks for putting it out here. just went through the whole cleaning process, disassembly myself and used your video as a guide. quick question. were you having any issues with your opal that prompted you to go through and do this or was this just maintenance? Mine has quit producing ice altogether and started making kind of a high squealing sound. I’ve got it disassembled now and have found some places where there are near full blockages of slime. hoping when I put it back together it works as intended.
Thank you! only have about 2 weeks on my Opal 2.0 but wanted to know what's involved in a breakdown and cleaning - great details and thorough!
I took mine apart yesterday. I've been cleaning it with the recommended steps and even bought special cleaner the last time I cleaned it, because it was dirty. I use Ozarka water in it and have from day 1. I had the first gen model of this ice machine, and it lasted 5 years. Never had a problem with the water becoming dirty like this one. Thank you for this video!! I tore the 2.0 down yesterday, and what I found inside was truly horrifying. My lines were incredibly dirty, and the internal tank was truly disgusting. How it has managed to get this disgusting is truly beyond me.
FYI Ozark a water is basically Fort Worth municipal water supply.
Distilled water is what you want. Ozarka/Arowhead has a ton of "minerals for flavor" that will dirty up machines like this. Even filtered tap water is likely to have less of that sort of thing in it. Avoid mineral and spring waters.
@@lorrigoddardguilbeault 100% - it's tap water in a bottle.
Excellent and very helpful work! The only thing I’ll add is that the filter in the ice bin drain is replaceable. After all that hard work you might as well swap a new one in.
Awesome video ! Thank you for taking the time to show and explain everything in such clear detail.
We just purchased ours, and while I love how it works, it seems that after disinfecting with the bleach solution, I can’t get it all out of the machine. Even after several rinse cycles, the ice has that telltale taste of chlorine, even though we are using bottled water.
I wish there was a way to “power rinse” the system instead of just having the water slowly pumping through it. It’s like water is being held inside still releasing bleach. 😢
Great video! Certainly gives me the motivation to sanitize the unit every week with clorox like the manufacturer recommends!
Did you ever have the Opal v1.0? Just got one today (new) from Best Buy and I'm wondering if it'll be the same over time?
What a wonderful video! You really make it seem easy & do-able. Thanks for showing all the steps as you did them. Much appreciated 👍🏻👏🏻😃
Thanks this was a big help! I have the regular opal. My internal reservoir was funky like yours. I ran clean cycle while taken apart and no water goes to the internal reservoir. So it never gets cleaned.
Thank you for this video! We bought on of these a few months ago.......kinda sorry we did!!!
I would have thrown that away, maybe just making ice cubes in the freezer is cleaner
Mine is a year old and I have only used distilled water. I just opened mine up due to low water warning with the tank full. The hoses are plugged with a clear slime mold. Like clear snot throughout the system. Gross, but nothing like what is seen in the video.
How'd you get it clean because that's all I use
Thank you! Purchased this exactly 2 years ago and started having issues in the last year. All during the month of March, I ran bleach cleaning cycles, ran Vinegar cleaning cycles, and ran scale cleaner cycles, only to have the infamous screaming come back with no ice being made.
This afternoon, I followed your video verbatim and for the last 2 hours it’s been making ice a-ok. Not sure if it’s making it too slow - been a while since I’ve seen it make ice. It’s made 3/4 of a tank in the last 2 hours.
I’ll monitor over the next week, and hope I’m not jinxing myself, but so far so good. 👍
Why the hell do people use hard water??? Distilled water should be the ONLY water used!
Disgusting. You waited wayyy too long. Unsalvageable.
Mine is stuck on defrost mode and im wondering if this sort of cleaning could fix it
I tried the steps in this video to open mine apart, thank you so much I'm always hesitant to open stuff with electrical components, because I've had horrible experiences with wires.
This is a great video. I saw your link from Elaine, you can see my issue there. I’m debating on pulling mine apart like you did or continuing my debate with GE regarding my warranty. My unit isn’t that old. Any thoughts on how to make the extreme screeching noise stop?
So I went ahead and pulled it apart using your video as a guide. It was incredibly nasty and a bunch of my hoses were clogged. I went ahead and removed the water reservoir and some of the tubing to get it all cleaned. It works great again. We’ll see for how long. Thanks again for this video.
Also, a note on removing the front bottom panel. There are 4 slots in the bottom that you can use to release the clips with a screwdriver. That makes it easier to get that piece off.
@@DanamanK So glad the video helped. Yeah, it's crazy how bad things can get inside these machines. Thanks for the suggestion about the front panel. I did wonder if there was a better way! 😅
Thank You for video .
Thank you for this video! It’s so informative! I watched it while running a few cleaning cycles. I hope to tackle a deep clean soon once I get some zip ties.
Just not sure if it's worth the hassle. The ice is nice, but how nice is the ice?
Life changing and I'm no ice fan😅
@@lacourevaughnii5669 Thanks for the reply. I'll look into it more.
Thanks for the video! My system wasn’t moldy or dirty, just absolutely clogged up with mineral deposits. Bottled water only from here on out.
Not "Bottled" water.... "Distilled" water. Regular bottled water still contains minerals from its original source.
Thank you!! Detailed, love it
Great video with step by step instructions
How do i stop the squeeling?
if you r using tap water and it looks like you are, you need to stop. Get distilled water and you'll have to do much less maintenance and get a longer life out of your machine. I had the opal 1.0 and ran tap water cause I didnt know any better and was constantly fighting issues like you have here. My opal 1.0 eventually stopped working but I couldnt live without the wonderful nuggeet ice so I bought the 2.0 and learned through youtube videos that hard water was my problem and since running 99% distilled water through the machine I have had no issues. Switch to distilled water and you'll thanki me later.
Use the filter for the inside.
Opal 2.0 is junk, last 2 weeks shy of a year glad I got extended warranty
This is awesome. I had my machine since 2022 and when I opened that reservoir, the first time, I could not believe what I was looking at. That is the type of thing that causes serious illness and GE does not warn about this and does not give any solutions and I find that very disturbing now every three weeks I take it apart and do what you’re doing and have been for the last two years. I’m definitely going to get those extra long pipe cleaners cause bc I take it apart and attach the zip ties every time. I just had to get the Opal 2.0 because mine started to make a funny noise and I found out that it was the fan and I guess mine was so old. It couldn’t be replaced or whatever reason. I find that the 2.0 is a little better, but if you’re using it thinking that the Bluetooth Wi-Fi connection will help it does not. Thanks Again for your video
Ours was screaming…my husband blew in one of the hoses and all kinds of the black gunk came out…stopped the screaming. But we need to open it up and probably do the deep clean since we’ve never done the vinegar thing weekly (or ever actually). We use RO water…but still get that gunk.
Awesome video. I’ve been on the hunt for a take apart video to see how it works from the inside. My opal keeps going to defrost mode and doesn’t make any ice. Poor design from opal.
Thanks for the video. I was able to de-gunk my opal pretty well with your guide. Thanks!
A) Great video - THANK YOU for the instructions on how to take it apart. I was stuck at the lid/top. I just needed to pull harder. I would never have found out how to access the screws up front.
B) I am disappointed in the build/operation quality of this unit. I love the nugget ice. The GE brand used to a sign of top quality. Gunk! Yuck!
C) I use distilled or highly filtered water (0 dissolved particulates) and I still have gunk in the hoses after ~2 years.
D) It's not a closed system, so stuff will get in there and propagate.
E) Looks like I need to clean the thing more than once a year. LOL!
I REALLY REGRET PURCHASING THIS PIECE OF……! I SHOULD HAVE READ THE REVIEWS BEFORE I PURCHASED. MY UNIT IS THREE MONTHS OLD AND I HAVE FAITHFULLY SANITIZED IT WEEKLY. NOW THE UNIT SAYS ADD WATER AND IT IS FULL AND NOT WORKING. BEEN SEEING A GASTROLOGIST NOW BECAUSE OF GI DISTRESS. WONDER IF IT IS THIS ICE MACHINE NOW.
I'm on my second unit. First unit seized after a couple years use. The second one 5 month's old makes a little ice then goes into defrost mode then shuts down. Maybe pellet ice isn't worth it.
Try taking the ice bucket all the way out and then putting it back in. Sometimes mine gets finicky too
Revenge of the Nugget Ice maker huh............. You have to clean these new wonders of contraptions. You have standing water that has to be changed if you do not take teh ice out of the bin... I am not too keen on the "recycle" water bit has the new ice melts back into the reservoir... The manufactures claim of our machine produces xx pounds of ice per day is a marketing gimmick... one day is 24 hours so at 3AM in the morning you get up to remove the produced ice in the machine.. Then at 430AM, 530AM..... Ohhhh I see that is where you get the total pounds of ice produced... I think not.... Realistically I would say 20 to 25 pounds
This happens when the pump deprimes and runs dry, when its attempting to pull water, put your finger in the tank and push water into the inlet port, this will reprime the pump and it will begin pulling water again
Should try using C L R alone then use the bleach
AT LEAST YOU ARE HONEST.... " I have not been as diligent about cleaning out the unit, and this was the outcome." i would agree here......
"I will disassemble the ice maker and thoroughly clean out the muck and dust." Dust is terrible with any machine that has fans for cooling.... You should see when I blow out the dust from the PC fan vents...... Phooey cough cough cough........
Can I send you my Opal and you clean it for me.... Im afraid I wouldn't get it back together or it looks so bad I will throw it out!!🤢 I love my opal!
I've discovered mine is leaking from the bottom only when I use my side tank. How do you get to that tube?
I usually run it with vinegar about seven times distilled water helps for deep cleaning I would recommend tea tree oil as well versus Bleach
It's disappointing to see that with the 2.0 they haven't redesigned this system for direct waterline hookup. The 1.0 and 2.0 both have a float, a pump and a reservoir so this comes down to the fact they do not want to implement it.. The could also benefit from redesigning that secondary internal reservoir. I'm shocked at this point they haven't replaced that whole thing with a carbon filter like they have in a refrigerator. Just goes to show i doesn't matter how big a company is their is always room for improvement.
Thanks for this video. Seeing the internals on the 2.0 are extremely helpful when deciding on what to buy next.
Once I opened the top some of my wires are not attached. A black & white one & then a red & white. Is it suppose to be that way??
Omg. I’ve had my Opal for probably a year and a half and I love it, but I have seen flecks in the water when I clean it so I figured I needed to descale it more often (I bleach clean it more than descale). But what you found in there is scary.
It is a good start. Mine is making the exact same sound. BUT mine is because the ice is coming out shaved and not solid. This is causing an ice build up and no ice can come out of the ports.
Yeah this is not the machine for lazy people who do not clean it regularly. It’s a pain in the ass, but a must do!
Great video! Thank you so much for holding our hands and walking us thru this! We just put it back together and its working great. And now I will be sure to do the sanitizing on a regular basis.
We did this and used the comment to remove the bottom. Ours does not have a UV light??
Thanks for making this video. We recently took ours apart using your video. Not too bad but helped us.
Funny, I just got mine and I took my shell off, like in this video and there are quite a few design differences (not the shell) on the inside. GE Opal 2.0 in stainless. I am wrapping the stainless in a pearl matte white. It is looking great so far.
Thank you so much for taking the time to put this video together. Very thorough and thoughtful.
I've had the same unit for about a year and a half. I've always wondered if it was really clean inside and how I'd really know without tearing it down and risk screwing it up. Walking through the indications was very helpful and gives me some reassurance (as I see no slime in the water tank and residual water drained before cleaning is crystal clear).
Similar to what you mentioned, I typically clean it monthly (not weekly as recommended). However, I only run distilled water in it (not tap with hard water minerals and whatever else). This is also the main source of ice for the family (1 bin/day), so water is moving daily and doesn't get stagnant. I imagine those two things help with managing the mold growth opportunity.
Next cleaning, I'll probably open her up and confirm the insides are truly clean and do some work if not.
Thank you!
Such an informative video and the comment on how to remove the front panel is crucial. Our unit is one year old next month and I plan on breaking it down one Saturday when I have the time to devote to it for a good, deep cleaning. Thanks again for a great video.
Can you address how you handled the squealing noises. I’ve tried to add 3-1 oil to the gear box and it doesn’t seem to help but I may not being doing it correctly.
Very impressed by this. I keep thinking, if this guy is not a an engineer, he should be.
How did you get the top off so easily??? Mine won’t slide back like you showed in the beginning.
with cleaning the plug on the ice bin, which side is up in the bin and which side is down in the bin (side with the hole vs side without the hole)?
I had an add water issue where it never went away and never made ice! Followed this video now it works great!!! Thank you!
did you change filter every 2 or3 mounth
Hey great video I have the 1.0 man I had to open it and it’s so nasty the tubes and reservoir I don’t think these machines are healthy
I think people who can afford these just throw away and buy new ones when the time comes, sad but true
Just wanted to tell you thank you. Hopefully, mines will start to work.
This video is basically a commercial for why you shouldn't buy one of these devices. Thanks for saving me $600!
To be honest, any nugget ice maker has the potential of this issue. All of them have a reservoir of essentially stagnant room temperature water and they all recirculate the melted ice. And just about anything -- impurities in your water, dirty hands when scooping the ice, etc. -- can start the cycle of mold/algae. If I do eventually give up on the Opal 2.0 (or if it decides to totally give up on me), I would probably look at the cheaper knockoffs that go for about half the price.
This machine is awesome
Before I run mine I always flush it out with DI water. Distilled is also fine. But when I make ice I only use reverse osmosis water. After I am done making ice, I flush it out 4 times with the DI water. You never wanna make ice with DI or distilled water. It's actually not good for you. I haven't seen anything nasty. I only use mine every 3 months.
Edit: After watching this video I did run bleach through mine at 1 part bleach and probably 4 or 5 parts water and I did see some stuff. Very tiny amount of stuff. It does flow better now from what I can see. I do think you should run your water through a filter. Zero water filter or even a Brita. Should help. My RO water's TDS is 12ppm. My DI water is 0ppm.
Using distilled water is safe and actually recommended in this machine.
Thanks for this video. I'm going to have to do this deep cleaning and this is going to be a life saver! My unit is stuck on "Add Water" so I know something is clogged or some sensor is blocked with built-up calcium. I dread what I'm going to find when I get inside this unit. Your video is very thorough and most helpful. Can't thank you enough for taking the time to make this available and making it look so easy. I did it 6 months ago and am cleaning it again today. (I'm not good about cleaning it weekly as I should. 😮)
I took mine apart and realize the big fan isn’t spinning idk what I did wrong
It appears mines is locked up. I took out the spindle, clean it and put it back in. It doesn't appear to spin.
Great video. I’m 100 percent convinced. I’ll NEVER buy this machine. To go through the trouble you did to take it to 3rd world country standards. Oof.
The machines awesome, my wife and I are fully addicted to nugget ice now. Your loss.
arent you using the filters that you install in the front compartment?
use distilled water to make ice, will mitigate algae/mold growth
great video! ready to jump in a clean mine.
How do I get the gray filter out inside the bin?
Thanks for the great video.
Ours was pretty clean thankfully
Great video. Thank you!