Why is My Refrigerator Ice Maker Not Working?

Sims Appliance Repair provides refrigerator repair service in CITY, including professional services to fix broken ice makers. Learn about common ice maker failures below:

Refrigerator ice makers are one of the greatest inventions of all time. This is a small luxury many people might not appreciate. Refrigerator ice makers are simple machines that don’t have a lot of complicated components that might go wrong with them.

Like with any appliance repair, there are some basic things that should be looked at before assuming the worst. And, it’s good to know, if needed, you are able to replace an ice maker without replacing the entire refrigerator, dependent on the model. First, let’s review some of the reasons for an ice maker not working.

If the ice maker is making ice but it is not dispensing it it is usually a mechanical issue opposed to an electrical problem. This occurs when reorganizing food around in the freezer, you push or pull the control switch up or down. A lot of the time the ice maker might get jammed with something, including a chunk of ice. So, check to see if there is something blocking this part from operating the right way.

Before starting 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. From time to time, moving things around in the freezer unit might put the control in the off position. If the the switch is free, then there may be food or ice jammed inside the ice maker or it is not receiving a good connection.

Check the Control Arm

When the switch is down and there is ice but it is not dispensing it, there might be an electrical or mechanical issue. This is going to need some more diagnosing. Ready to get started? First, we need to check the electrical connection. This can be unplugged from the back of the freezer when shifting or moving the freezer contents.

To check this, unplug the refrigerator and pull away from the kitchen wall. Then, 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 unit. Ensure that it’s actually plugged in properly.

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

Once done, turn on the power to the refrigerator and then turn on the ice maker. It may take the solenoid component a few seconds to react and fill the mold. After the mold is completely full, wait around 4-5 hours to see if you’ve solved the issue.

Check for Frozen Lines

Other ice maker failures that can cause your ice maker to not make ice are frozen water lines. The water lines have been clogged with frost. This is an easy fix.

Unplug the refrigerator and find the water shut off valve. Turn the water off and get a hair dryer to warm the line or just let the freezer sit without being on for a couple of hours and wait until the line is thawed.

There are some brands and models that have a water filter that can freeze or ice over. In these cases, locating the filter is the first step. Then repeat what was done for the frozen water line.

When an ice maker is not making big enough cubes of ice, there is an issue with the ice maker settings. To adjust the the ice maker settings, take the top part of the cover of the ice maker off and find a simple control that has 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?