Why is My Refrigerator Ice Maker Not Working?

Carter’s Appliance Repair performs refrigerator repair service in Pennsylvania, including services to repair ice makers that are not working. Learn about common ice maker failures below:

Refrigerator ice makers are perhaps one of the most convenient inventions of all time. This is a small luxury most people might not appreciate. Ice makers are relatively simple machines that do not feature a lot of complex parts that can have issues.

As with any appliance repair, there are some basic things that should be reviewed before thinking the worst. And, it’s good to know, if needed, you can replace the ice maker without replacing the entire fridge, dependent on the brand and model. First, let’s discuss a couple of the causes for an ice maker failure.

When the ice maker is making ice but it isn’t ejecting it it is usually a mechanical problem vs. an electrical problem. This can occur when shifting food around in the freezer, you could jam the control arm up or down. Often the ice maker can get jammed with something else, even another piece of ice. So, look to see if there’s anything blocking this from operating properly.

Before starting the process of clearing out the freezer, be sure the ice maker is turned on. This can be done by moving the control arm down. From time to time, moving things around in the freezer may put the switch into the off position. If the the switch is free, then there may be food or ice jammed inside the ice maker or it’s not receiving a good connection.

Check the Control Arm

When the control arm is down and there is ice but it is not dispensing it, there might be an electrical or mechanical failure. This will need some more diagnosing. Ready to proceed? First, we must check the electrical connection. This could become unplugged from the back of the freezer when moving or shifting the freezer contents.

To check this, unplug the freezer and slide away from the kitchen wall. Then, turn off the water supply valve. Locate the connection on the rear 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 all of the ice that’s inside of the ice maker. This can be accomplished by adding a bit of water to help to get ice that is in there out.

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

Check for Frozen Lines

Other ice maker failures that could cause your ice maker to not make any ice are frozen lines. The water lines have been clogged with frost. This is an easy fix.

First, unplug the refrigerator and find the shut off valve. Turn the water off and then grab a hair dryer to heat up the line or let the fridge sit turned off for a few hours until the line is thawed.

There are some models that feature a water filter that can freeze or ice over. In these situations, finding the filter is the first step. Then repeat the same process that was done for the frozen water line.

If an ice maker isn’t making large enough cubes of ice, there is a problem with the ice maker settings. To adjust the settings, take the top part of the cover off and find a standard control that has 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?