Why is My Refrigerator Ice Maker Not Working?

Metro Appliance Repair performs refrigerator repair service in Maryland, including professional services to fix broken ice makers. Learn about some common ice maker issues below:

Refrigerator ice makers are perhaps one of the most convenient inventions of all time. This is a small luxury most people certainly not appreciate. Ice makers are simple machines that don’t feature a lot of components that can go wrong with them.

Like with any appliance repair, there are a few basic things that need to be reviewed before thinking the worst. And, remember, if needed, you are able to replace an ice maker without replacing the entire refrigerator, depending on the brand and model. First, let’s review a couple of the causes for an ice maker breaking.

When an ice maker is making ice but it isn’t ejecting it it is usually means there is a mechanical failure versus an electrical issue. This can occur when reorganizing food around in the freezer, you might accidentally shift the control switch up or down. Often the ice maker can be jammed with something else, possibly a piece of ice. So, look to see if there’s anything blocking this from working the right way.

Before starting the process of clearing out the freezer, be sure the ice maker is turned on. This is done by moving the control arm down. From time to time, moving food around in the freezer might put it in the off position. If the control arm is clear, then there could be food or ice jammed inside of the ice maker or it is not getting a good connection.

Check the Control Arm

When the switch is down and there is ice but it is not ejecting it, there might be an electrical or mechanical failure. This is going to need some more diagnosing. Ready to proceed? First, we need to check the electrical connection. This can be unplugged from the rear of the freezer or refrigerator when moving or shifting the food in the freezer.

To inspect this, first unplug the fridge and slide from the kitchen wall. Then, turn off the water supply valve. 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 plugged in correctly.

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

Once this is done, turn on the power to the refrigerator and turn on the ice maker. It could take the solenoid a few seconds to engage and fill the mold. After the mold is full, wait around 4-5 hours to see if you’ve cleared the problem.

Check for Frozen Lines

Other ice maker issues that can cause your ice maker to not produce any ice are frozen water lines. The water lines could be clogged with frost. This is an easy fix.

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

Some models that feature a water filter that can clog or ice up. In these cases, locating the water filter is the first step. Then repeat what was done for the frozen water line.

When your ice maker isn’t making large enough pieces of ice, there is a problem with the settings. To adjust the settings, take the upper part of the cover off and locate a simple dial 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?