Why is My Refrigerator Ice Maker Not Working?

Storm Appliance Repair offers refrigerator repair service, including professional services to fix ice makers that aren’t working. Learn about common ice maker failures below:

Ice makers are perhaps one of the best inventions of all time. This is a little luxury most people not appreciate. Refrigerator ice makers are simple machines that do not have a lot of components that might go wrong with them.

As with any repair, there are a few basic things that need to be reviewed before assuming the worst. And, it’s nice to know, if needed, you can replace your ice maker without replacing the entire fridge, depending on the model. First, let’s review some of the reasons for an ice maker breaking.

If your ice maker is making ice but it isn’t dispensing it it is usually a mechanical problem opposed to an electrical problem. This can happen when shifting things around in the freezer unit, you accidentally push or pull the control arm up or down. Often the ice maker can be blocked with something else, including a piece of ice. So, check to see if there is anything blocking this part from operating properly.

Before beginning the steps of clearing out the freezer, check that your ice maker is turned on. This is done by moving the control arm in the down position. Sometimes, moving food around in the freezer unit might put the control in the off position. If the control arm is clear, then there might be food or ice stuck inside of the ice maker or it is not receiving a good connection.

Check the Control Arm

When the switch is down and there’s ice but it’s not dispensing it, this could be a mechanical or electrical failure. This is going to require a bit more troubleshooting. Ready to begin? First, we need to inspect the electrical connection. This could be unplugged from the back of the freezer or refrigerator when moving or shifting the freezer contents.

To inspect this, first unplug the freezer and pull from the kitchen wall. Turn off the freezer’s water supply. Locate the connection on the back of the inside of the freezer unit. Essentially this is what connects the ice maker into the freezer unit. Be sure that it is plugged in correctly.

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

Once this is done, restore power to the fridge and then turn on the ice maker. It might take the solenoid component a few seconds to engage and fill the mold. After the mold is 100% full, wait 4-5 hours or so to see if you have solved the problem.

Check for Frozen Lines

Other ice maker failures that will cause your ice maker to not make any ice are frozen water lines. The water lines have been blocked with frost. This is a pretty simple issue to fix.

First, unplug the freezer and locate the water shut off valve. Turn the water off and then grab a hair dryer to heat up the line or just let the refrigerator sit shut off for a couple of hours until the water line is thawed.

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

When your ice maker is not making big enough pieces 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 locate a standard knob that has plus and a minus symbols. 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?