Why is My Refrigerator Ice Maker Not Working?

Horizon Appliance Repair performs refrigerator repair service, including services to fix broken ice makers. Learn about common ice maker issues below:

Refrigerator ice makers are one of the best inventions ever. An ice maker is a small luxury many people certainly take for granted. Ice makers are relatively simple machines that don’t have a lot of complicated parts that could go wrong with them.

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

When an ice maker is making ice but it isn’t ejecting the ice it is usually means there is a mechanical problem versus an electrical failure. This occurs when shifting things around in the freezer, you might accidentally jam the control arm up or down. Often the ice maker might be blocked with something, possibly a piece of ice. So, check to see if there is ice or food blocking this from operating the right way.

Before starting the steps of clearing out the freezer, check that the ice maker is turned on. This is done by pulling the control arm in the down position. From time to time, moving things around in the freezer may put the control into the off position. If the the switch is clear, then there might be food stuck inside the ice maker or it is not receiving a good connection.

Check the Control Arm

If the control arm is down and there’s ice but it is not ejecting it, there could be a mechanical or electrical failure. This will need a bit more troubleshooting. Ready to get started? First, we have to 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 pull it out away from the wall. Turn off the water supply valve. Locate the connection on the back of the inside of the freezer unit. Essentially this is what plugs the ice maker into the freezer. Be sure that it’s actually plugged in properly.

Then, remove any ice that is in the ice maker. This can be accomplished by adding a little water to help to get the ice that is in there out.

Once this is done, turn on the power to the refrigerator and turn on the ice maker. It could take the solenoid a few seconds to engage and fill the mold. After the mold is 100% full, wait 4-5 hours or so to see if you’ve solved the problem.

Check for Frozen Lines

Other ice maker failures that may cause your ice maker to not make ice are frozen lines. The water lines might be clogged with frost. This is a pretty simple problem to fix.

Unplug the freezer and locate the water shut off valve. Turn the water off and get a hair dryer to warm the water line or let the refrigerator sit shut off for a few hours until the water line is thawed.

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

If your ice maker is not making big enough cubes of ice, there is a problem with the settings. To adjust the the ice maker settings, take the upper part of the cover of the ice maker off and locate a standard dial that displays plus and a minus signs. 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?