Why is My Refrigerator Ice Maker Not Working?

refrigerator ice maker not working

Choice Appliance Repair provides refrigerator repair in Cypress, including services to repair ice makers that are not working. Learn about common ice maker issues below:

Refrigerator ice makers are perhaps one of the best inventions ever. An ice maker is a small luxury many people take for granted. Ice makers are simple machines that don’t have a lot of parts 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 your ice maker without replacing the entire fridge, depending on the model. First, let’s discuss some of the causes for an ice maker not working.

If an ice maker is making ice but it is not ejecting it it is usually means there’s a mechanical failure vs. an electrical issue. This occurs when moving things around in the freezer unit, you might push or pull the control switch up or down. Often the ice maker will be blocked with something, possibly a piece of ice. First, look to see if there is something blocking this from working correctly.

Before beginning the process of clearing out the freezer, ensure the ice maker is turned on. This is done by pulling the metal control arm down. Sometimes, moving food around in the freezer might put it into the off position. If the control arm is clear, then there may be food or ice stuck 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’s not ejecting it, this could be a mechanical or electrical problem. This is going to require some more diagnosing. Ready to proceed? First, we must inspect the electrical connection. This can be unplugged from the back of the freezer or refrigerator when moving or shifting the food in the freezer.

To check this, first unplug the freezer and slide from the kitchen wall. Then, turn off the freezer’s water supply. Locate the valve on the rear of the inside of the freezer. Basically this is what plugs the ice maker into the freezer unit. Ensure that it’s plugged in the right way.

Then, remove all of the ice that is in the ice maker itself. This can be done by pouring in a small amount of water to help get any ice that is in there out.

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

Check for Frozen Lines

Other ice maker problems that can cause your ice maker to not make any ice are frozen water lines. The water lines have been blocked with frost. This is an easy issue to fix.

First, unplug the refrigerator and find the shut off valve. Turn the water off and then get a hair dryer to warm the water line or just let the refrigerator sit turned off for a couple of hours and wait until the line is thawed.

Some brands and models that have a water filter that can clog or ice up. For these cases, finding the filter is the first step. Then repeat what was done for the frozen line.

If an ice maker isn’t making large enough pieces of ice, there’s an issue with the ice maker settings. To adjust the settings, take the top part of the cover of the ice maker off and locate a standard knob that displays plus and a minus symbols. 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?