Why is My Refrigerator Ice Maker Not Working?

refrigerator ice maker not working

Prime Provo Appliance Repair is experienced in refrigerator repair in Provo, including services to repair broken ice makers. Learn about some common ice maker issues below:

Ice makers are one of the most convenient inventions ever. An ice maker is a small luxury many people might not appreciate. Ice makers are relatively simple machines that don’t have a lot of complex components that could have issues.

Like with any appliance repair, there are basic things that need to be reviewed before thinking the worst. And, remember, if necessary, you can replace the ice maker without replacing an entire fridge, dependent on the model. First, let’s review a few of the causes for an ice maker failure.

If your ice maker is making ice but it is not dispensing the ice it is usually a mechanical failure vs. an electrical problem. This happens when reorganizing things around in the freezer unit, you shift the control lever up or down. Most of the time the ice maker might be jammed with something, possibly a chunk of ice. So, look to see if there is something blocking this part from working properly.

Before starting the steps of clearing out the freezer, be sure the ice maker is on. This is done by flipping the control arm in the down position. Sometimes, moving things around in the freezer can put the control in the off position. If the the switch is clear, then there could be food or ice stuck 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, this might be an electrical or mechanical problem. This is going to need a bit more troubleshooting. Ready to get started? First, we must check 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, unplug the freezer and slide from the kitchen wall. Then, turn off the water supply. Locate the connection on the rear of the inside of the freezer. Basically this is what connects the ice maker into the freezer unit. Ensure that it’s actually plugged in correctly.

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

Once done, restore power to the refrigerator and then turn on the ice maker. It might take the solenoid a couple of seconds to engage and fill the mold. Once 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 problems that will cause your ice maker to not produce any ice are frozen lines. The water lines could be clogged with frost. This is an easy issue to fix.

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

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

When your ice maker isn’t making big enough cubes of ice, there is an issue with the settings. To adjust the settings, take the upper part of the cover of the ice maker off and locate a simple control that displays plus and a minus symbols. 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?