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Quick answer
Close the ice-maker water shutoff immediately and stop the freezer's power only from a safe, dry position if water is near electrical parts. Do not leave the valve open to flush the system or keep reconnecting it. Thermador identifies the T36IF900SP as a built-in freezer column with an internal ice maker, so water that starts flowing as soon as the wall valve is opened and continues into the tray or bucket is not the same as a brief normal fill. With the supply off, record whether the flow stops immediately, inspect only the accessible filter seating and visible line for a kink or leak, and confirm the full model suffix. If there is no external installation problem and the appliance-side flow returns as soon as water is supplied, leave the ice maker out of service and arrange model-matched Thermador service; do not open panels, energize a valve, or guess whether the valve, ice-maker control, or level feedback is at fault.
Work through in order
Diagnostic checks
Use only checks that match the exact appliance or system and its official guide.
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Check 1
Turn off the dedicated ice-maker water shutoff at the wall or water box immediately. If water is near the outlet, cord, or other electrical part, keep clear and disconnect power only from a dry, safe position; do not reach behind a wet built-in appliance.
Expected result: Flow stops promptly when the water shutoff closes, continues from an external hose or filter connection, or water has reached the floor, cabinet base, outlet, or electrical parts.
Next step: Keep the water off, remove standing water only from a safe dry area, and obtain qualified appliance, plumbing, or electrical help as appropriate. Do not reopen the supply to see whether it happens again.
Stop if: Do not repeat the connection, use towels behind a wet energized unit, or operate the freezer while water is contacting electrical parts.
Why this matters
Why: A supply shutoff that stops the flow establishes an active water path that must remain isolated. Water near electricity or a leak that continues with the appliance supply closed is an urgent property and electrical-safety issue.
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Check 2
Photograph the rating label and record the complete model suffix, such as the slash revision if present, before requesting instructions or service. Confirm that the unit is the Thermador T36IF900SP freezer column with an internal ice maker.
Expected result: The label matches T36IF900SP and a precise revision, or only a family name/partial model can be read.
Next step: Use the matching Thermador owner and installation instructions for the recorded identity. If the suffix is unclear, give the label photo to the service provider and do not borrow an ice-maker test sequence from another Thermador column.
Stop if: Do not pull a panel-ready column out of its opening or remove trim to find a hidden label while water is connected.
Why this matters
Why: Thermador publishes multiple service identities for the T36IF900SP family, and the product specification identifies the internal ice-maker configuration. A partial model cannot safely establish the exact control layout or water procedure.
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Check 3
With the water shutoff closed, inspect only the visible supply path: confirm the shutoff is fully closed, look for a kink or crushed section, and check whether an accessible filter cap is fully seated and aligned according to Thermador's filter instructions. Do not loosen a pressurized fitting or disconnect tubing.
Expected result: A visible kink, loose or misaligned filter, drip at an external connection, or no visible installation issue is present.
Next step: Correct only a plainly visible, accessible installation condition with the water still off. If there is a leak, damaged line, or no external explanation, leave the supply off and arrange service or qualified plumbing assessment.
Stop if: Do not straighten tubing under pressure, tap a valve, remove the filter housing, or open the appliance cabinet.
Why this matters
Why: Thermador identifies kinked connection lines and incorrect filter seating as water-path problems, but an external check cannot prove an internal inlet valve or ice-maker control fault. No visible issue makes repeated water connection less—not more—appropriate.
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Check 4
Reconstruct the exact timing without restoring water: note whether the ice maker had been enabled, whether any documented user command or self-test had been run, whether water entered the tray immediately on opening the wall valve, and whether the flow continued into the bucket.
Expected result: Flow began before any ice-maker command, began only after a documented command, or the timing cannot be established.
Next step: Give the technician the sequence, photos, and exact model suffix. Do not repeat a self-test or keep the supply open to distinguish the branches.
Stop if: Do not apply external voltage, probe a valve, bypass a control, or use a service-manual test that requires opening the powered mechanism.
Why this matters
Why: Flow that starts solely when supply pressure is introduced, before a user command, points to an appliance-side shutoff or control path that needs service. Flow after a command leaves the ice-maker level, harvest, or fill-control sequence unresolved; neither pattern selects a part by itself.
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Check 5
Document the consequence: photograph the tray, bucket, floor, and any ice buildup, and record whether the freezer remained cold and whether any water reached food, wiring, or cabinetry. Keep the ice maker and water supply out of service while arranging help.
Expected result: The tray or bucket overflowed, water froze in the fill path, an external connection leaked, or there was no visible damage after the supply was closed.
Next step: Share the record with Thermador service and, if applicable, the installer or insurer. Do not thaw a hidden line with heat or restart the ice maker to check production.
Stop if: Stop immediately for smoke, burning odor, sparking, shock, a tripped breaker, or water at electrical components and obtain qualified emergency help from a safe location.
Why this matters
Why: Overflow or freeze-up confirms that the event was not a harmless first-fill wait. The extent of water exposure affects whether appliance service, plumbing repair, cabinet drying, or electrical assessment is needed.
Use your observations
Decision map
Find the observation that best matches what you see, then follow the next safe action.
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PATH 01Next step
What you see
Water flow stops when the wall shutoff is closed and there is no visible external leak, but it had started immediately when the supply was opened before any ice-maker command.
Do this next
Keep the water off and arrange model-matched Thermador service. Provide the full model suffix, timing, photos, and whether the tray or bucket overflowed; do not test a valve live.
Why this path and its safety boundary
Why it matters: An appliance-side fill shutoff or control path is more concerning than a normal first-fill delay. The exact community report describes the same timing, but its conflicting follow-up does not identify a confirmed universal repair.
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PATH 02Next step
What you see
A kinked line, mis-seated filter, or drip is visible at the accessible supply side while the water is shut off.
Do this next
Leave the shutoff closed and correct only the plainly accessible condition according to the matching instructions. Use a qualified installer or plumber for a damaged line, fitting, or built-in connection.
Why this path and its safety boundary
Why it matters: The immediate next decision is installation or water-path correction, not a guessed ice-maker part. Thermador specifically directs users to address connection-line kinks and filter seating in its refrigeration guidance.
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PATH 03Next step
What you see
The flow occurred only after a documented ice-maker command or test, then stopped between cycles, but the tray still overfilled or the fill never terminated correctly.
Do this next
Do not repeat the test. Keep water isolated and have a technician diagnose the exact T36IF900SP revision using the service documentation and the recorded fill behavior.
Why this path and its safety boundary
Why it matters: This pattern leaves the ice-maker level, harvest, fill-control, or feedback sequence unresolved. It is not enough to call the inlet valve or control board defective.
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PATH 04Next step
What you see
Water reached an outlet, cord, wiring, or cabinet base, or there is smoke, odor, sparking, shock, or a repeated breaker trip.
Do this next
Stay clear, close the water supply only if reachable without touching wet electrical parts, and obtain qualified electrical and appliance help. Do not restore power or water for a test.
Why this path and its safety boundary
Why it matters: The water event has crossed into an electrical and property-safety boundary; continued ice-maker troubleshooting is unsafe.
Helpful context
Understand the symptom
Why first connection changes the first check
The reported sequence matters: this T36IF900SP had not previously been connected to water, and flow began when the wall shutoff was opened. Thermador's product information identifies the model as a freezer column with an internal ice maker, not a dispenser-equipped refrigerator. A short, controlled fill during an ice-making command is different from water that keeps running into the tray and bucket while the supply remains open. Treat the latter as a flood-risk condition, not a cleaning cycle.
Keep installation evidence separate from an appliance fault
The accessible checks are limited to the supply side: shutoff position, visible line routing, filter seating where fitted, and external leakage. Thermador's general guidance covers kinks, shutoff state, and filter fit, but it does not authorize opening the freezer or assigning a valve or control-board failure from the symptom alone. An exact community report has conflicting follow-up theories, which reinforces the need for a written, model-specific diagnosis rather than a guessed part.
Only after diagnosis
Potential parts
- water inlet valve
Consider only if qualified model-specific testing shows that the appliance-side valve does not close correctly; continuous flow alone does not distinguish the valve from its control path or an installation leak.
Confirm the complete T36IF900SP revision and the manufacturer's fit information before ordering; do not use a generic valve or perform live testing. - ice-maker control or ice-maker assembly
Consider only if service establishes an incorrect fill command, level/harvest feedback fault, or failed ice-maker control after the external water path is ruled out.
The public symptom does not prove this part. Match the exact model suffix and service documentation rather than relying on a similar Thermador or BSH appliance.
When checks do not resolve it
Need a professional?
Keep the ice-maker water supply closed and arrange Thermador or qualified appliance service when water starts flowing continuously on first connection, the tray or bucket overflows, the flow returns with no visible installation explanation, or the ice maker will not stop after a documented command. Use a qualified installer or plumber for a damaged or leaking supply line. For water near electrical parts, smoke, burning odor, sparking, shock, or a repeated breaker trip, stay clear and obtain qualified electrical help; do not restart the freezer or open its panels.
Common questions
FAQ
Should I leave the water on to let the new ice maker fill?
No. If water continues flowing into the tray or bucket, close the wall shutoff and keep it closed. That is a flood-risk symptom, not a normal wait period.
Does continuous flow prove the inlet valve is bad?
No. It makes an appliance-side fill-control problem possible, but an installation leak, filter/line issue, valve, or control/level path must be separated by model-matched diagnosis. Do not test the valve live.
What should I check before service?
With water off, record the full model suffix and inspect only the visible line, shutoff, filter seating, tray, bucket, and any leak. Do not pull out the built-in column or remove panels.
Is T36IF900SP a refrigerator with a water dispenser?
Thermador's product information identifies it as a built-in freezer column with an internal ice maker and no chilled-water or ice dispenser. Confirm your label before using any different model's procedure.
When is this an electrical emergency?
Treat water at an outlet, cord, or wiring, or any smoke, odor, sparking, shock, or repeated breaker trip as an immediate stop condition. Stay clear and obtain qualified electrical help instead of restoring power to test.
Read the exact guide
Official sources
- Please Help! Thermador T36IF900SP Ice Maker Water Never Stops Running (flooding the tray below eventually)Reddit · Opened the exact Reddit post. It is a user report, not manufacturer confirmation; its later replies are conflicting and are used only to preserve the symptom sequence and uncertainty.
- T36IF900SP 36-INCH BUILT-IN FREEZER COLUMN WITH INTERNAL ICE MAKERThermador · Opened official BSH/Thermador specification PDF for the exact T36IF900SP; it confirms the internal Diamond Ice configuration and distinguishes the freezer column from dispenser-equipped models.
- T36IF900SP built-in freezer | THERMADOR USThermador · Opened official Thermador product page for the exact T36IF900SP family; it identifies the unit as a built-in freezer and lists an internal filtered automatic ice maker. It does not diagnose continuous water flow.
- Refrigerator Troubleshooting | Problems & Solutions | ThermadorThermador · Opened official Thermador refrigeration troubleshooting page. Its water-line, filter, shutoff, ice-maker, and safety guidance is general to Thermador refrigeration; exact T36IF900SP operating sequences still require the matching manual.
- Service Assistance - T36IF900SP/04 | THERMADOR USThermador · Opened official Thermador service-assistance page for one exact T36IF900SP revision to confirm that slash revisions have separate manuals and service resources; the article does not assume /04 is the user's revision.
- How to Replace Your Water Filter | ThermadorThermador · Opened official Thermador filter instructions to support the limited external check of filter seating; the page does not define the T36IF900SP's internal valve or ice-maker fault.
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