Why is My Refrigerator Ice Maker Not Working?

Vaughn’s Appliance Repair provides refrigerator repair service in CITY, including services to repair broken ice makers. Learn about common ice maker issues below:

Ice makers are one of the best inventions of all time. This is a small luxury many people might take for granted. Ice makers are relatively simple machines that don’t have a lot of complex parts that might cause issues.

As with any appliance repair, there are basic things that should be reviewed before assuming the worst. And, remember, if needed, you can replace your ice maker without replacing an entire fridge, depending on the brand and model. First, let’s take a look at some of the reasons 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 opposed to an electrical problem. This occurs when shifting food around in the freezer, you might accidentally jam the control lever up or down. Often the ice maker will get blocked with something, including a piece of ice. So, check to see if there is something blocking this from operating properly.

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

Check the Control Arm

If the control is down and there is ice but it is not dispensing it, this might be a mechanical or electrical problem. This will need a bit more diagnosing. Ready to proceed? First, we must check the electrical connection. This could be unplugged from behind the freezer or refrigerator when shifting or moving the food in the freezer.

To check this, first unplug the refrigerator and pull it out from the kitchen wall. Then, turn off the freezer’s water supply. Locate the connection on the rear of the inside of the freezer. Basically this is what plugs the ice maker into the freezer. Be sure that it is actually plugged in properly.

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

Once complete, turn on the power to the fridge and turn on the ice maker. It may take the solenoid a few seconds to react and fill the mold. When the mold is 100% full, wait 4-5 hours or so to see if you have cleared the issue.

Check for Frozen Lines

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

Unplug the freezer and locate the shut off valve. Shut the water off and then get a hair dryer to warm the line or just let the fridge sit without being on 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 up. For these cases, finding the water filter is the first step. Then repeat what was done for the iced line.

If your ice maker is not making big enough pieces of ice, there is an issue with the ice maker settings. To adjust the settings, take the upper part of the cover of the ice maker off and find a simple control that displays plus and a minus signs. 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?