Why is My Refrigerator Ice Maker Not Working?

Precise Appliance Repair provides refrigerator repair service, including services to repair ice makers that are not working. Learn about common ice maker problems below:

Ice makers are possibly one of the greatest inventions ever. An ice maker is a little luxury most people might not appreciate. Ice makers are relatively simple machines that do not have a lot of complex components that could have issues.

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

If an ice maker is making ice but it is not ejecting the ice it is usually a mechanical issue versus an electrical problem. This happens when reorganizing food around in the freezer unit, you shift the control arm up or down. Often the ice maker will be jammed with something else, including a piece of ice. First, check to see if there’s ice or food blocking this part from operating the right way.

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

Check the Control Arm

If the control arm is down and there is ice but it is not dispensing it, there might be an electrical or mechanical issue. This is going to require some more troubleshooting. Ready to begin? First, we must check the electrical connection. This can become unplugged from behind the freezer or refrigerator when moving or shifting the food in the freezer.

To inspect this, unplug the freezer and move it out from the wall. Then, turn off the freezer’s water supply valve. Locate the connection on the rear of the inside of the freezer. Essentially this is what plugs the ice maker into the freezer unit. Ensure that it’s plugged in correctly.

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

Once complete, restore power to the refrigerator and turn on the ice maker. It could take the solenoid a few seconds to react and fill the mold. Once the mold is 100% full, wait 4-5 hours or so to see if you’ve solved the problem.

Check for Frozen Lines

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

First, unplug the freezer and locate the water shut off valve. Shut the water off and then get a hair dryer to heat up the line or just let the freezer sit turned off for a few hours until the line is thawed.

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

If an ice maker isn’t making large enough pieces of ice, there is an issue with the settings. To adjust the settings, take the upper part of the cover off and find a basic dial that has plus and a minus signs. To do this, you could need a flat head screwdriver.

ADDITIONAL REFRIGERATOR RESOURCES

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