Why is My Refrigerator Ice Maker Not Working?

Swift Appliance Repair provides refrigerator repair service, including professional services to fix broken ice makers. Learn about common ice maker issues below:

Refrigerator ice makers are possibly one of the most convenient inventions of all time. An ice maker is a little luxury a lot of people not appreciate. Refrigerator ice makers are relatively simple machines that do not have a lot of complicated components that can cause problems.

Like with any appliance repair, there are a few basic things that should be looked at before assuming the worst. And, it’s good to know, if necessary, you can replace your ice maker without replacing an entire refrigerator, depending on the model. First, let’s take a look at some of the causes for an ice maker failure.

When your ice maker is making ice but it is not ejecting the ice it is usually means there’s a mechanical failure versus an electrical problem. This can occur when shifting food around in the freezer, you jam the control arm up or down. Often the ice maker can get blocked with something, even another piece of ice. First, look to see if there is ice or food blocking this from working the right way.

Before beginning the process of clearing out the freezer, be sure your ice maker is turned on. This is done by flipping the metal control arm down. Sometimes, moving food around in the freezer unit can put it in the off position. If the the switch is clear, then there could be something jammed inside the ice maker or it’s not receiving a good connection.

Check the Control Arm

If the control is down and there is ice but it’s not ejecting it, this could be a mechanical or electrical issue. This will require a bit more troubleshooting. Ready to get started? First, we must check the electrical connection. This could become unplugged from behind the freezer when shifting or moving the food in the freezer.

To check this, first unplug the refrigerator and move from the wall. Turn off the water supply valve. Locate the connection on the back of the inside of the freezer unit. Basically this is what plugs the ice maker into the freezer unit. Ensure that it is plugged in properly.

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

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

Check for Frozen Lines

More ice maker failures that can cause your ice maker to not make ice are frozen water lines. The water lines have been clogged with frost. This is a pretty simple fix.

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

There are some models that feature 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 line.

If an ice maker isn’t making big enough cubes of ice, there’s an issue with the ice maker settings. To adjust the the ice maker settings, take the top part of the cover of the ice maker off and find a standard knob that displays plus and a minus signs. To do this, 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?