Why is My Refrigerator Ice Maker Not Working?

Green Appliance Repair is experienced in refrigerator repair service in CITY, including services to repair ice makers that are not working. Learn about common ice maker failures below:

Refrigerator ice makers are possibly one of the most convenient inventions of all time. An ice maker is a small luxury most people take for granted. Refrigerator ice makers are relatively simple machines that do not have a lot of complex parts that will have issues.

Like with any repair, there are basic things that need to be reviewed before thinking the worst. And, it’s nice to know, if needed, you are able to replace your ice maker without replacing the entire refrigerator, depending on the model. First, let’s take a look at a couple of the causes for an ice maker not working.

When an ice maker is making ice but it isn’t dispensing the ice cubes it is usually means there’s a mechanical issue opposed to an electrical issue. This can occur when shifting things around in the freezer unit, you could accidentally shift the control switch up or down. A lot of the time the ice maker will get blocked with something else, even another piece of ice. First, check to see if there is anything blocking this from working properly.

Before beginning the steps of clearing out the freezer, check that your ice maker is turned on. This is done by pulling the control arm in the down position. Sometimes, moving things around in the freezer unit might put the control in the off position. If the control arm is free, then there could be food jammed inside of the ice maker or it’s not receiving a good connection.

Check the Control Arm

If the control arm is down and there’s ice but it is not dispensing it, this could be an electrical or mechanical issue. This will need some more troubleshooting. Ready to get started? First, we must inspect the electrical connection. This could become unplugged from the rear of the freezer when moving or shifting the freezer contents.

To inspect this, first unplug the freezer and pull it out away from the wall. Then, turn off the freezer’s water supply valve. Locate the connection on the rear of the inside of the freezer. Essentially this is what connects the ice maker into the freezer. Ensure that it’s plugged in the right way.

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

Once this is done, turn on the power to the refrigerator and then turn on the ice maker. It may take the solenoid a few seconds to engage and fill the mold. When the mold is full, wait around 4-5 hours or so to see if you have solved the problem.

Check for Frozen Lines

More ice maker failures that might cause your ice maker to not produce ice are frozen lines. The water lines have been clogged with frost. This is a pretty simple problem to fix.

Unplug the fridge and locate the shut off valve. Shut the water off and then grab a hair dryer to warm the line or just let the fridge sit turned off for a couple of hours and wait until the line is thawed.

There are some brands and 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 an ice maker isn’t making large enough cubes of ice, there is an issue with the settings. To adjust the the ice maker settings, take the upper part of the cover off and find a basic dial that has 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?