Why is My Refrigerator Ice Maker Not Working?

DC Appliance Repair ASAP performs refrigerator repair in Washington DC, including services to fix ice makers that aren’t working. Learn about some common ice maker problems below:

Refrigerator ice makers are possibly one of the best inventions ever. An ice maker is a small luxury a lot of people might take for granted. Ice makers are simple machines that do not have a lot of complex components that will go wrong with them.

Like with any repair, there are some basic things that need to be reviewed before assuming the worst. And, remember, if needed, you are able to replace an ice maker without replacing the entire refrigerator, dependent on the brand and model. First, let’s review some of the reasons for an ice maker failure.

If your ice maker is making ice but it is not dispensing it it is usually a mechanical issue versus an electrical issue. This can happen when moving things around in the freezer, you could accidentally push or pull the control switch up or down. A lot of the time the ice maker will get blocked with something, including a piece of ice. First, check to see if there’s anything blocking this part from operating the right way.

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

Check the Control Arm

When the switch is down and there’s ice but it’s not dispensing it, there might be an electrical or mechanical failure. This will need some more troubleshooting. Ready to begin? First, we must check the electrical connection. This can be unplugged from the rear of the freezer or refrigerator when shifting or moving the freezer contents.

To inspect this, first unplug the refrigerator and move it out away from the wall. Then, turn off the freezer’s water supply valve. Locate the valve on the rear of the inside of the freezer unit. Basically this is what connects the ice maker into the freezer unit. Ensure that it’s actually plugged in the right way.

Then, remove all of the ice that’s in the ice maker itself. This can be completed by pouring in a small amount of water to help to get the ice that is in there out.

Once this is done, turn on the power to the fridge and turn on the ice maker. It could take the solenoid a few seconds to react and fill the mold. After the mold is 100% full, wait around 4-5 hours or so to see if you’ve cleared the problem.

Check for Frozen Lines

More ice maker failures that might cause your ice maker to not produce ice are frozen lines. The water lines could be blocked with frost. This is a pretty simple problem to fix.

First, unplug the fridge and locate the water shut off valve. Shut the water off and then grab a hair dryer to warm the line or just let the fridge sit shut off for a few hours and wait until the water line is thawed.

Some models that have a water filter that can clog or ice over. For these situations, locating the water filter is the first step. Then repeat what was done for the iced line.

When your ice maker is not making big enough cubes of ice, there’s an issue with the settings. To adjust the settings, take the top part of the cover off and locate a basic knob that displays plus and a minus symbols. For this process, you might need a flat head screwdriver.

ADDITIONAL REFRIGERATOR RESOURCES

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