Why is My Refrigerator Ice Maker Not Working?

Hayes Appliance Repair performs refrigerator repair service, including services to fix broken ice makers. Learn about common ice maker problems below:

Ice makers are possibly one of the best inventions of all time. An ice maker is a little luxury most people certainly not appreciate. Ice makers are simple machines that do not have a lot of complex components that could cause issues.

Like with any appliance repair, there are some basic things that need to be looked at before assuming the worst. And, remember, if necessary, you can replace your ice maker without replacing an entire refrigerator, dependent on the brand and model. First, let’s discuss a couple of the causes for an ice maker breaking.

When the ice maker is making ice but it isn’t dispensing it it is usually means there is a mechanical failure versus an electrical issue. This happens when moving things around in the freezer, you accidentally shift the control lever up or down. Often the ice maker might be jammed with something else, including a chunk of ice. First, look to see if there is anything blocking this part from working correctly.

Before beginning the process of clearing out the freezer, be sure the ice maker is turned on. This is done by flipping the control arm down. Sometimes, moving food around in the freezer may put it in the off position. If the the switch is clear, then there may be food or ice jammed inside of the ice maker or it’s not getting a good connection.

Check the Control Arm

When the control is down and there is ice but it’s not ejecting it, this might be a mechanical or electrical problem. This is going to need some more diagnosing. Ready to get started? First, we must inspect the electrical connection. This can be 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 pull it out away from the wall. Then, turn off the water supply valve. Locate the valve on the rear of the inside of the freezer unit. Basically this is what connects the ice maker into the freezer unit. Be sure that it is plugged in properly.

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

Once this is done, turn on the power to the fridge and turn on the ice maker. It could take the solenoid a couple of seconds to react and fill the mold. After the mold is completely full, wait 4-5 hours or so to see if you’ve cleared the problem.

Check for Frozen Lines

Other ice maker problems that might cause your ice maker to not produce ice are frozen lines. The water lines have been clogged with frost. This is a pretty simple issue to fix.

First, unplug the freezer and find the water shut off valve. Shut the water off and then get a hair dryer to heat up the line or let the freezer 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 over. In these cases, locating the water filter is the first step. Then repeat the same process that was done for the iced line.

When your ice maker isn’t making big enough pieces of ice, there is an issue with the settings. To adjust the settings, take the upper part of the cover off and find a basic knob that displays plus and a minus symbols. For this process, 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?