Quick symptom overview
Samsung French-door refrigerators (RF28H, RF263, RF260, RF28R, RF23R, RF22K and related Family Hub / 4-door platforms) put the ice maker in an insulated ice room in the upper-left fresh-food cabinet, not in the freezer. Service kits use the DA97- part prefix (ice maker, ice-room liner, bucket). The dispenser in the door is only the chute.
A freeze-up is moisture plus a sub-zero surface. Humid Port St. Lucie air leaks past the ice-room gasket or chute flap, condenses on the cold plate, and becomes frost, then a clear ice brick around the tray, ejector, and auger. A too-long fill tube sprays the cavity and does the same job faster. A dead ice-room fan (Error 40) or ice-room defrost heater (later platforms) lets that ice stay.
This is not the same failure as a working door dispenser with an empty freezer ice maker—see ice maker not making ice, water dispenser works. Homeowner thaw steps and air-leak context: Samsung ice maker freezing up.
Safety: Unplug or open the refrigerator breaker before pulling the ice-room cover, fan, or DA97 harness. Do not chip ice with metal tools. The ice-room evaporator plate is a sealed-system component. Puncture = recovery, leak repair, evacuate, weigh-in (EPA Section 608). Shut off household water before cracking fill fittings. Ice-room plastic is brittle when frozen—use nylon tools.
Step-by-step diagnostic hierarchy
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Capture codes before you thaw — On the dispenser/UI, enter self-diagnosis (model overlay; typically freezer + lighting keys 8–12 seconds). Log 39 / 39E (ice maker), 40 / 40E (ice-room fan), 22E / 22C (main evap fan—different compartment), 5E / 4C (drain / ice-system water). Photograph the display. Do not clear history until the ice pattern is documented.
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Prove the ice room is actually frozen — If the ice-room door will not unlatch, do not pry on the liner. Ice maker Off, doors closed as much as possible, 12–24 hour natural thaw—or a controlled warm-air source aimed at the gasket gap, never a heat gun on the cold plate. Once open: bucket iced to the auger? Fill cup glazed? Fan blade locked? Tray buried?
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Separate overspray from air-leak frost — Clear ice under the fill cup / rear of tray = fill-tube overshoot or a weeping ice-maker valve. White frost on the door gasket, chute, and fan shroud = air leak. Both can coexist in Florida humidity.
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Inspect fill-tube stick-out — With the DA97 ice maker lowered or the fill cover off, the tube should enter the fill cup without spraying the cavity. Factory tubes that protrude too far are a known RF-series defect. Trim/replace the tube to OEM length; do not leave a drip path onto the auger.
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Free the auger and bucket, then retest — Remove the bucket. Confirm the helical auger turns by hand when ice is gone. Ice-locked augers stall the 12 VDC auger motor and the dispenser just hums. A cracked DA97 bucket or stripped auger coupler mimics a dead motor.
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Prove ice-room airflow (Error 40 path) — Door switches closed / ice-room switch defeated as required. You should feel discharge in the ice room when the control calls for the ice fan. Silent fan + ice on the blade = clear ice first. Silent fan + dry cavity = electrical.
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Prove harvest (Error 39 path) — With the cavity dry, press the ice-maker TEST button (hold ~3 seconds on most DA97 assemblies). The ejector should rotate a full cycle and the mold heater should warm. No motion, or a click then stall, condemns the DA97 kit after you confirm 120 VAC / module supply at the harness.
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Ice-room defrost heater (equipped models) — Later RF23R / RF28R / some 4-door units run a dedicated ice-box heater. If the room ice-bricks on a repeating cycle with a good gasket and correct fill, test that heater before replacing another DA97 ice maker.
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Only then consider the cold plate — Oil film, a hiss, or a warm ice room with a running ice fan and a cold freezer points at the ice-room evaporator, not another ice maker. That is sealed-system work.
Multimeter and safety checks
Power off, connectors isolated from the board, unless the row says live voltage.
| Test | Setup | Typical result | Fail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Line voltage | Wall or fridge terminal block | 108–132 VAC | Correct supply before parts |
| Ice-maker valve coil | Dual/triple inlet valve, ice-maker terminals | 300–500 Ω; 120 VAC for ~7–10 s on fill / TEST | ∞ Ω open coil; voltage + no water = diaphragm or restriction |
| DA97 mold heater | Isolated heater leads on ice-maker assembly | 50–150 Ω (many kits 80–120 Ω) | ∞ Ω: cubes never release; Error 39 after freeze |
| Ice-maker / ice-room NTC | Isolated sensor | ~5 kΩ @ 77°F (25°C); ~16 kΩ @ 32°F (0°C); ~40 kΩ @ 0°F (−18°C) | Far off curve → Error 39 / wrong harvest timing |
| Ice-room fan (12 VDC ECM) | Live, ice-room calling for fan | 11–13 VDC at power/ground; FG pulse while spinning | Voltage, no spin: iced or dead fan. No voltage: harness / board (Error 40) |
| Ice-room fan winding (if accessible) | Ohms, unplugged | 8–25 Ω typical | ∞ Ω open; ~0 Ω shorted |
| Auger motor | Unplugged ohms; live at crush/cube dispense | 10–30 Ω; 12 VDC at harness when dispensing | Voltage + free auger + no rotation: replace motor |
| Ice-room defrost heater (if equipped) | Isolated heater | 50–120 Ω; 120 VAC on ice-room defrost | ∞ Ω: repeating ice brick with a dry fill cup |
| Door / ice-room switch | Ohms, plunger free vs pressed | One state ~0 Ω, the other open | Open both ways: fan and dispenser stay dead |
Do not jumper 120 VAC to the mold heater on the bench as a “quick test” while the assembly sits on a foam liner. Do not megger or pierce the ice-room evaporator to “see if it is charged.”
Root cause vs repair
| Finding | Fault | Action |
|---|---|---|
| White frost on gasket/chute, fan iced, Error 40 | Air leak + locked ice fan | Full thaw, dry, replace ice-room gasket / chute flap, confirm fan 12 VDC |
| Clear ice at fill cup only | Fill-tube overspray or weeping valve | Correct tube length; test ice-maker coil 300–500 Ω and 120 VAC fill |
| Bucket locked to helical auger, motor 12 VDC | Ice-locked or failed auger | Thaw; replace DA97 bucket/auger or motor if it will not turn dry |
| TEST cycle dead, mold heater ∞ Ω or Error 39 dry | DA97 ice-maker kit | Replace ice-maker assembly (match DA97 revision to model) |
| Repeating brick, heater open, gasket good | Ice-room defrost heater | Replace heater; do not keep swapping ice makers |
| Warm ice room, fan runs, oil on cold plate | Ice-room sealed-system leak | EPA-608 recovery and evaporator / charge repair |
Match the DA97 kit to the exact model (DA97-15217, DA97-17376, DA97-12626 and supersessions differ by RF series). The wrong revision brings the same freeze-up back.
FAQ
Why does my Samsung French-door ice maker keep freezing into a solid block?
The ice room is a sub-zero box inside a ~37°F cabinet. Any gasket, chute, or cabinet-seal leak pulls in humid air. Frost melts off-cycle and refreezes on the DA97 tray and auger. An over-long fill tube adds liquid water to the same surfaces.
Should I chip the ice out with a screwdriver?
No. The ice-room floor and walls often hide an evaporator plate. A puncture is a sealed-system failure, not a cleaning shortcut. Thaw with the ice maker off, or use gentle air at the gasket—never metal on the cold plate.
What is the difference between Error 39 and Error 40?
Error 39 is ice-maker function/sensor: harvest motor, DA97 thermistor, or open mold heater. Error 40 is ice-fan feedback: iced blade or no 12 VDC / FG signal. Thaw and prove the fan before you condemn the ice maker.
Do I have to replace the whole DA97 ice maker if the auger is frozen?
Not if a complete thaw frees the bucket and TEST completes a harvest. Replace the DA97 kit when Error 39 returns dry or the heater/motor fails TEST. Replace the auger motor when 12 VDC is present and a free auger still will not turn.
When to schedule professional service
Book service when Error 39/40 returns after a dry ice room, when the fill tube and gasket are already corrected, when the ice-room heater is open, or when you see oil on the cold plate. Schedule a Samsung refrigerator diagnostic →
FAQ · Family-owned Port St. Lucie
Frequently Asked Questions About Samsung Refrigerator 39 / 40
Why does my Samsung French-door ice maker keep freezing into a solid block?
The ice room is a sub-zero box inside a 37°F fresh-food cabinet. A weak ice-room gasket, chute flap, or cabinet seal lets humid Florida air in. Frost melts during off-cycle and refreezes around the DA97 tray and auger until the bucket is locked. Overspray from an over-long fill tube accelerates it.
Should I chip the ice out with a screwdriver?
No. Many Samsung French-door ice rooms have a dedicated evaporator plate and refrigerant loop in the ice-box floor and walls. Puncturing it is a sealed-system failure. Thaw with the ice maker off, or use controlled low heat—never metal tools on the cold plate.
What is the difference between Error 39 and Error 40?
Error 39 is an ice-maker function or sensor fault—locked harvest motor, failed DA97 thermistor, or open mold heater. Error 40 is ice-room fan feedback missing, almost always an iced fan blade or an open 12 VDC fan harness. Clear ice and prove the fan before replacing the ice maker.
Do I have to replace the whole DA97 ice maker if the auger is frozen?
Not if the bucket and auger motor free up after a complete thaw and the harvest test cycles. Replace the DA97 ice-maker kit when Error 39 returns dry, the mold heater is open, or the harvest motor will not complete a test cycle. Replace the auger motor if 12 VDC is present at the harness and the motor will not turn a free bucket.