Why is My Refrigerator Ice Maker Not Working?

Magic Appliance Repair provides refrigerator repair service in Nebraska, including services to fix broken ice makers. Learn about some common ice maker problems below:

Ice makers are perhaps one of the best inventions ever. This is a small luxury most people certainly not appreciate. Refrigerator ice makers are simple machines that don’t have a lot of complex parts that can have issues.

Like with any appliance repair, there are a few basic things that should be reviewed before thinking the worst. And, it’s good to know, if necessary, you are able to replace an ice maker without replacing an entire refrigerator, depending on the brand and model. First, let’s discuss a couple of the reasons for an ice maker not working.

If an ice maker is making ice but it isn’t dispensing the ice it is usually a mechanical issue versus an electrical failure. This can occur when shifting things around in the freezer, you accidentally jam the control arm up or down. Most of the time the ice maker might be jammed with something, even another chunk of ice. So, look to see if there’s something blocking this part from working the right way.

Before beginning the process of clearing out the freezer, be sure the ice maker is on. This can be done by moving the control arm in the down position. Sometimes, moving food around in the freezer unit may put the control into the off position. If the the switch is free, then there may be food or ice jammed inside of the ice maker or it is not getting a good connection.

Check the Control Arm

If the control arm is down and there’s ice but it’s not dispensing it, there might be a mechanical or electrical problem. This will need a bit more diagnosing. Ready to begin? First, we must inspect the electrical connection. This can be unplugged from behind the freezer when shifting or moving the freezer contents.

To check this, unplug the refrigerator and slide away from the kitchen wall. Then, turn off the freezer’s water supply valve. 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 the right way.

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

Once done, turn on the power to the refrigerator and turn on the ice maker. It could take the solenoid a couple of seconds to engage and fill the mold. Once the mold is completely full, wait around 4-5 hours to see if you have cleared the problem.

Check for Frozen Lines

More ice maker issues that may cause your ice maker to not produce any ice are frozen water lines. The water lines have been 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 get a hair dryer to heat up the line or just let the refrigerator sit without being on for a few hours until the water line is thawed.

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

If an ice maker is not making large enough pieces of ice, there’s a problem with the settings. To adjust the settings, take the upper part of the cover of the ice maker off and locate a basic dial that displays plus and a minus signs. To do this, you may need a flat head screwdriver.

ADDITIONAL REFRIGERATOR RESOURCES

• Refrigerator Noisy
• Refrigerator Water Dispenser Not Working
• Refrigerator Not Cooling
• How Does a Refrigerator Work?