Why is My Refrigerator Ice Maker Not Working?

Select Appliance Repair performs 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 most convenient inventions ever. This is a little luxury most people might take for granted. Ice makers are simple machines that don’t have a lot of parts that will cause issues.

As with any repair, there are some basic things that need to be reviewed before thinking the worst. And, it’s good to know, if necessary, you are able to replace the ice maker without replacing an entire fridge, depending on the brand and model. First, let’s take a look at a couple of the causes for an ice maker failure.

If your ice maker is making ice but it is not dispensing the ice cubes it is usually means there’s a mechanical issue versus an electrical failure. This can happen when shifting things around in the freezer, you could accidentally jam the control switch up or down. Often the ice maker can get jammed with something, including a chunk of ice. So, look to see if there’s ice or food blocking this from operating properly.

Before beginning the steps of clearing out the freezer, check that the ice maker is on. This can be done by moving the control arm in the down position. From time to time, moving food around in the freezer may put the control in the off position. If the the switch is free, then there may be ice stuck inside the ice maker or it is 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 might be a mechanical or electrical issue. This is going to require some more troubleshooting. Ready to proceed? First, we have to inspect the electrical connection. This can become unplugged from behind the freezer when moving or shifting the food in the freezer.

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

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

Once complete, restore power to the refrigerator and turn on the ice maker. It might take the solenoid component a few seconds to engage and fill the mold. When the mold is full, wait around 4-5 hours or so to see if you’ve cleared the issue.

Check for Frozen Lines

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

First, unplug the freezer and find the shut off valve. Turn the water off and get a hair dryer to heat up the water line or let the fridge sit without being on for a couple of hours until the water line is thawed.

Some brands and models that feature a water filter that can clog or ice up. In these cases, locating the water filter is the first step. Then repeat the same process that was done for the frozen line.

If your ice maker is not making large enough cubes of ice, there’s an issue with the ice maker settings. To adjust the the ice maker settings, take the upper part of the cover off and locate a standard knob that displays plus and a minus signs. To do this, 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?