Why is My Refrigerator Ice Maker Not Working?

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

Ice makers are one of the most convenient inventions of all time. This is a little luxury most people take for granted. Refrigerator ice makers are simple machines that do not feature a lot of complex components that can go wrong with them.

Like with any appliance repair, there are basic things that need to be looked at before assuming the worst. And, remember, if necessary, you are able to replace an ice maker without replacing the entire fridge, depending on the brand and model. First, let’s take a look at a couple of the causes for an ice maker failure.

When your ice maker is making ice but it isn’t ejecting it it is usually a mechanical issue versus an electrical issue. This can happen when moving things around in the freezer unit, you could jam the control lever up or down. Often the ice maker will get blocked with something, including a chunk of ice. First, check to see if there is ice or food blocking this from operating properly.

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

Check the Control Arm

If the control is down and there’s ice but it’s not dispensing it, this could be a mechanical or electrical problem. This will need some more troubleshooting. Ready to get started? First, we must check the electrical connection. This could become unplugged from the back of the freezer when moving or shifting the food in the freezer.

To inspect this, first unplug the fridge and move away from the kitchen wall. Turn off the freezer’s water supply valve. Locate the connection on the back of the inside of the freezer unit. Essentially this is what connects the ice maker into the freezer. Ensure that it’s actually plugged in correctly.

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

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

Check for Frozen Lines

Other ice maker problems that could cause your ice maker to not produce any ice are frozen lines. The water lines could be clogged with frost. This is a pretty simple fix.

Unplug the fridge and find the water shut off valve. Turn the water off and grab a hair dryer to warm the line or just let the refrigerator sit without being on for a few 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 situations, locating the water filter is the first step. Then repeat the same process that was done for the frozen water line.

When an ice maker isn’t making large enough pieces of ice, there is a problem with the ice maker settings. To adjust the settings, take the top part of the cover off and find a basic 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?