Why is My Refrigerator Ice Maker Not Working?

Giles Appliance Repair offers refrigerator repair service in California, including services to fix broken ice makers. Learn about some common ice maker problems below:

Ice makers are possibly one of the most convenient inventions of all time. An ice maker is a little luxury most people certainly not appreciate. Refrigerator ice makers are simple machines that don’t have a lot of complex parts that might go wrong with them.

As with any repair, there are basic things that need to be reviewed before thinking the worst. And, it’s nice to know, if necessary, you can replace the ice maker without replacing an entire fridge, depending on the model. First, let’s review some of the causes for an ice maker failure.

When an ice maker is making ice but it is not ejecting it it is usually means there is a mechanical issue versus an electrical failure. This occurs when moving things around in the freezer unit, you accidentally jam the control switch up or down. A lot of the time the ice maker will be jammed with something, including a piece of ice. First, look to see if there’s ice or food blocking this part from working properly.

Before starting the steps of clearing out the freezer, ensure the ice maker is turned on. This can be done by moving the metal control arm down. Sometimes, moving food around in the freezer unit may put it in the off position. If the the switch is clear, then there may be food jammed inside of the ice maker or it is not getting a good connection.

Check the Control Arm

When the switch is down and there’s ice but it’s not ejecting it, there might be an electrical or mechanical issue. This is going to require some more troubleshooting. Ready to begin? First, we have to inspect the electrical connection. This can be unplugged from the back of the freezer or refrigerator when shifting or moving the food in the freezer.

To check this, first unplug the freezer and pull away from the wall. Turn off the water supply. Locate the connection on the rear of the inside of the freezer. Essentially this is what plugs the ice maker into the freezer. Ensure that it’s plugged in properly.

Then, remove any ice that’s in the ice maker. This can be accomplished by adding a little water to help to get any ice that’s in there out.

Once complete, turn on the power to the fridge and turn on the ice maker. It might take the solenoid component a few seconds to react and fill the mold. When the mold is 100% full, wait 4-5 hours or so to see if you have solved the problem.

Check for Frozen Lines

Other ice maker issues that will cause your ice maker to not produce any ice are frozen water lines. The water lines have been blocked with frost. This is an easy fix.

First, unplug the fridge and find the shut off valve. Shut the water off and then grab a hair dryer to warm the water line or just let the refrigerator sit without being on for a couple of hours and wait until the line is thawed.

There are some brands and models that have a water filter that can freeze or ice up. In these cases, locating the water filter is the first step. Then repeat what was done for the iced water line.

If your ice maker isn’t making big enough cubes of ice, there’s an issue with the settings. To adjust the settings, take the upper part of the cover of the ice maker off and find a standard control that displays plus and a minus symbols. For this process, you may need a flat head screwdriver.

ADDITIONAL REFRIGERATOR RESOURCES

• Refrigerator Noisy
• Refrigerator Water Dispenser Not Working
• Refrigerator Not Cooling
• How Does a Refrigerator Work?