Why is My Refrigerator Ice Maker Not Working?

Livermore Appliance Repair Pros is experienced in professional refrigerator repair, including services to repair broken ice makers. Learn about some common ice maker failures below:

Refrigerator ice makers are one of the greatest inventions ever. An ice maker is a small luxury a lot of people certainly take for granted. Ice makers are relatively simple machines that don’t have a lot of complex components that might go wrong with them.

Like with any appliance repair, there are some basic things that need to be looked at before assuming the worst. And, it’s nice to know, if necessary, you can replace your ice maker without replacing the entire fridge, depending on the model. First, let’s discuss a couple of the causes for an ice maker failure.

When an ice maker is making ice but it is not ejecting it it is usually a mechanical issue versus an electrical problem. This can occur when shifting food around in the freezer, you could accidentally shift the control lever up or down. A lot of the time the ice maker will get blocked with something else, possibly a chunk of ice. First, check to see if there’s something blocking this from operating the right way.

Before starting the process of clearing out the freezer, check that the ice maker is on. This can be done by flipping the metal control arm in the down position. Sometimes, moving things around in the freezer unit might put the switch in the off position. If the the switch is clear, then there could be ice stuck inside of the ice maker or it is not receiving a good connection.

Check the Control Arm

If the switch is down and there’s ice but it’s not dispensing it, there might be a mechanical or electrical failure. This will require a bit more troubleshooting. Ready to get started? First, we must check the electrical connection. This can become unplugged from the rear of the freezer or refrigerator when moving or shifting the food in the freezer.

To inspect this, first unplug the refrigerator and move away from the wall. Then, turn off the water supply valve. Locate the connection on the back of the inside of the freezer unit. Essentially this is what plugs the ice maker into the freezer. Be sure that it’s actually plugged in correctly.

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

Once done, turn on the power to the fridge and turn on the ice maker. It might take the solenoid a couple of seconds to engage and fill the mold. After the mold is 100% full, wait around 4-5 hours to see if you’ve cleared the issue.

Check for Frozen Lines

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

First, unplug the refrigerator and locate the shut off valve. Shut the water off and then grab a hair dryer to heat up the water line or let the fridge sit turned off for a few hours until the water line is thawed.

Some brands and models that have a water filter that can clog or ice up. In these situations, finding the water filter is the first step. Then repeat the same process that was done for the iced water line.

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