Why is My Refrigerator Ice Maker Not Working?

Hub City Appliance Repair performs refrigerator repair service in CITY, including services to repair broken ice makers. Learn about some common ice maker problems below:

Refrigerator ice makers are possibly one of the greatest inventions of all time. This is a little luxury most people might not appreciate. Ice makers are simple machines that don’t have a lot of complex components that can go wrong with them.

As with any appliance repair, there are some basic things that need to be reviewed before assuming the worst. And, it’s good to know, if necessary, you are able to replace your ice maker without replacing the entire fridge, depending on the model. First, let’s discuss a couple of the reasons for an ice maker breaking.

If an ice maker is making ice but it isn’t ejecting it it is usually a mechanical issue versus an electrical failure. This can occur when moving food around in the freezer, you might accidentally push or pull the control lever up or down. A lot of the time the ice maker will be blocked with something, even another piece of ice. So, check to see if there’s ice or food blocking this part from operating the right way.

Before beginning the steps of clearing out the freezer, check that your ice maker is turned on. This can be done by pulling the metal control arm in the down position. Sometimes, moving things around in the freezer can put the switch in the off position. If the the switch is free, then there may be something 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 is ice but it is not dispensing it, there could be an electrical or mechanical problem. This is going to need a bit more diagnosing. Ready to begin? First, we have to inspect the electrical connection. This could be unplugged from behind the freezer or refrigerator when moving or shifting the food in the freezer.

To check this, first unplug the freezer and slide away from the wall. Turn off the water supply. Locate the connection on the rear of the inside of the freezer unit. Basically this is what connects the ice maker into the freezer unit. Ensure that it’s actually plugged in properly.

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

Once this is done, turn on the power to the refrigerator and turn on the ice maker. It might take the solenoid component a couple of seconds to react and fill the mold. After the mold is 100% full, wait 4-5 hours or so to see if you’ve solved the problem.

Check for Frozen Lines

More ice maker failures that may cause your ice maker to not make ice are frozen water lines. The water lines might be clogged with frost. This is an easy problem to fix.

First, unplug the fridge and locate the shut off valve. Shut the water off and then get a hair dryer to heat up the line or let the fridge sit shut off for a few hours and wait 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 frozen line.

If your ice maker isn’t making big enough pieces of ice, there is a problem with the ice maker settings. To adjust the settings, take the upper part of the cover off and locate a simple control that has plus and a minus symbols. 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?