Why is My Refrigerator Ice Maker Not Working?

Cardinal Appliance Repair is experienced in refrigerator repair service, including services to repair broken ice makers. Learn about some common ice maker problems below:

Refrigerator ice makers are perhaps one of the most convenient inventions ever. This is a little luxury most people certainly take for granted. Refrigerator ice makers are relatively simple machines that do not have a lot of parts that might go wrong with them.

Like with any appliance repair, there are a few basic things that should be reviewed before thinking the worst. And, remember, if necessary, you are able to replace an 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 not working.

If an ice maker is making ice but it isn’t dispensing the ice cubes it is usually a mechanical issue versus an electrical issue. This happens when moving food around in the freezer, you could accidentally jam the control lever up or down. A lot of the time the ice maker will be blocked with something else, including a chunk of ice. So, check to see if there is ice or food blocking this part from working correctly.

Before beginning the steps of clearing out the freezer, check that the ice maker is turned on. This can be done by moving the metal control arm down. From time to time, moving things around in the freezer unit might put it in the off position. If the the switch is free, then there could be food jammed inside of the ice maker or it is not receiving a good connection.

Check the Control Arm

When the control is down and there’s ice but it is not ejecting it, there might be an electrical or mechanical failure. This will require some more diagnosing. Ready to begin? First, we must check the electrical connection. This could become unplugged from the rear of the freezer or refrigerator when shifting or moving the food in the freezer.

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

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

Once complete, turn on the power to the refrigerator and turn on the ice maker. It could take the solenoid a couple of seconds to react and fill the mold. Once the mold is 100% full, wait around 4-5 hours to see if you have solved the issue.

Check for Frozen Lines

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

Unplug the freezer and find the shut off valve. Shut the water off and grab a hair dryer to heat up the line or let the refrigerator sit shut off for a few hours until the water line is thawed.

Some models that have a water filter that can clog or ice over. For these situations, locating the water filter is the first step. Then repeat what was done for the frozen line.

When an ice maker is not making big enough cubes of ice, there’s an issue with the ice maker settings. To adjust the settings, take the upper part of the cover of the ice maker off and locate a simple knob that has plus and a minus signs. To do this, you could need a flat head screwdriver.

ADDITIONAL REFRIGERATOR RESOURCES

• Refrigerator Noisy
• Refrigerator Water Dispenser Not Working
• Refrigerator Not Cooling
• How Does a Refrigerator Work?