Why is My Refrigerator Ice Maker Not Working?

Durham Appliance Repair offers refrigerator repair in Durham, including services to fix ice makers that aren’t working. 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 a lot of people might not appreciate. Ice makers are relatively simple machines that don’t have a lot of complicated parts that could go wrong with them.

As with any repair, there are basic things that need to be looked at before assuming the worst. And, it’s good to know, if needed, you are able to replace the ice maker without replacing an entire fridge, depending on the brand and model. First, let’s take a look at some of the causes for an ice maker not working.

When your ice maker is making ice but it is not ejecting it it is usually a mechanical problem opposed to an electrical problem. This occurs when shifting food around in the freezer unit, you could jam the control lever up or down. Often the ice maker will be blocked with something else, even another piece of ice. First, look to see if there’s anything blocking this from operating the right way.

Before starting the steps of clearing out the freezer, be sure the ice maker is on. This can be done by flipping the control arm down. Sometimes, moving things around in the freezer might put it in the off position. If the the switch is free, then there may be food or ice stuck inside the ice maker or it’s not receiving a good connection.

Check the Control Arm

When the control arm is down and there’s ice but it is not dispensing it, there could be an electrical or mechanical problem. This is going to need some more troubleshooting. Ready to proceed? First, we need to check the electrical connection. This can become unplugged from the back of the freezer or refrigerator when moving or shifting the freezer contents.

To check this, first unplug the fridge and slide it out away from the wall. Turn off the water supply valve. Locate the valve on the back of the inside of the freezer. Basically this is what plugs the ice maker into the freezer unit. Ensure that it is actually plugged in the right way.

Next, remove all of the ice that’s inside of the ice maker. This can be accomplished by adding a bit of water to help get the ice that’s inside of there out.

Once complete, restore power to the fridge and then turn on the ice maker. It may take the solenoid component a couple of seconds to engage and fill the mold. After the mold is completely full, wait around 4-5 hours or so to see if you have solved the problem.

Check for Frozen Lines

Other ice maker problems that will 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 freezer and find the shut off valve. Shut the water off and then grab a hair dryer to warm the line or let the refrigerator sit turned off for a couple of hours and wait until the water line is thawed.

Some models that feature a water filter that can freeze or ice over. In these cases, locating the filter is the first step. Then repeat the same process that was done for the frozen water line.

If your ice maker is not making big enough cubes of ice, there’s a problem with the settings. To adjust the the ice maker settings, take the top part of the cover off and locate a simple knob that displays plus and a minus signs. To do this, 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?