Why is My Refrigerator Ice Maker Not Working?

Tate Appliance Repair offers refrigerator repair service in California, including services to repair ice makers that aren’t working. Learn about some common ice maker problems below:

Refrigerator ice makers are possibly one of the most convenient inventions of all time. An ice maker is a small luxury a lot of people not appreciate. Ice makers are simple machines that do not have a lot of complex components that could go wrong with them.

Like with any appliance repair, there are some basic things that need to be reviewed before assuming the worst. And, it’s good to know, if necessary, you can replace an ice maker without replacing an entire refrigerator, depending on the brand and model. First, let’s review some of the causes for an ice maker breaking.

If an ice maker is making ice but it is not dispensing it it is usually a mechanical problem vs. an electrical failure. This can happen when shifting things around in the freezer, you could accidentally push or pull the control arm up or down. Often the ice maker can get blocked with something else, even another piece of ice. So, look to see if there’s anything blocking this part from operating properly.

Before starting the process of clearing out the freezer, be sure your ice maker is turned on. This is done by pulling the metal control arm in the down position. Sometimes, moving things around in the freezer unit might put the switch into the off position. If the control arm is free, then there might be something stuck inside 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 is not dispensing it, there might be an electrical or mechanical failure. This will need a bit more troubleshooting. Ready to get started? First, we must check the electrical connection. This can be unplugged from the back of the freezer when moving or shifting the freezer contents.

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

After that, remove any ice that’s inside of the ice maker. This can be done by adding a bit of water to help get ice that is 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 100% full, wait around 4-5 hours to see if you’ve solved the problem.

Check for Frozen Lines

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

Unplug the refrigerator and locate the shut off valve. Shut the water off and get a hair dryer to heat up the water line or just let the fridge sit without being on for a couple of hours until the line is thawed.

Some models that have a water filter that can freeze or ice over. For these situations, finding the filter is the first step. Then repeat the same process that was done for the iced water line.

When an ice maker isn’t making big enough cubes of ice, there’s a problem with the ice maker settings. To adjust the settings, take the top part of the cover off and locate a basic control that has 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?