Why is My Refrigerator Ice Maker Not Working?

Guthrie Appliance Repair performs refrigerator repair service in CITY, including services to repair broken ice makers. Learn about some common ice maker problems below:

Ice makers are one of the best inventions ever. An ice maker is a small luxury many people take for granted. Ice makers are relatively simple machines that don’t feature a lot of complicated components that can cause issues.

As with any repair, there are basic things that should be looked at before thinking the worst. And, remember, if needed, you can replace your ice maker without replacing an entire fridge, depending on the brand and model. First, let’s take a look at some of the causes for an ice maker not working.

If the ice maker is making ice but it isn’t ejecting the ice cubes it is usually a mechanical failure versus an electrical issue. This can happen when shifting things around in the freezer unit, you could push or pull the control switch up or down. Most of the time the ice maker can get jammed with something, possibly a chunk of ice. First, check to see if there is something blocking this from operating the right way.

Before beginning the process of clearing out the freezer, check that your ice maker is turned on. This can be done by pulling the metal control arm in the down position. From time to time, moving things around in the freezer unit may put it in the off position. If the control arm is clear, then there may be something stuck inside the ice maker or it’s not getting a good connection.

Check the Control Arm

If the control is down and there’s ice but it is not ejecting it, this might be a mechanical or electrical problem. This will need a bit more diagnosing. Ready to get started? First, we have to inspect the electrical connection. This could be unplugged from the rear of the freezer when shifting or moving the freezer contents.

To check this, unplug the freezer and pull away from the kitchen wall. Then, turn off the water supply valve. Locate the valve on the back of the inside of the freezer unit. Essentially this is what plugs the ice maker into the freezer. Be sure that it’s actually plugged in properly.

After that, remove any ice that is inside of the ice maker. This can be completed by pouring in a bit of water to help get any ice that’s in there out.

Once complete, turn on the power to the refrigerator and then turn on the ice maker. It may take the solenoid component a couple of seconds to engage and fill the mold. Once the mold is 100% full, wait 4-5 hours or so to see if you’ve solved the issue.

Check for Frozen Lines

Other ice maker failures that can cause your ice maker to not make any ice are frozen water lines. The water lines could be clogged with frost. This is a pretty simple problem to fix.

Unplug the fridge and locate the water shut off valve. Turn the water off and get a hair dryer to warm the line or let the refrigerator sit turned off for a couple of hours and wait until the line is thawed.

There are some models that feature a water filter that can freeze or ice up. In these situations, finding the water filter is the first step. Then repeat what was done for the frozen line.

If an ice maker is not making big enough cubes of ice, there’s a problem with the settings. To adjust the the ice maker settings, take the top part of the cover off and find a simple dial that displays plus and a minus signs. 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?