Why is My Refrigerator Ice Maker Not Working?

Lynn Appliance Repair provides refrigerator repair service in California, including services to fix broken ice makers. Learn about some common ice maker failures below:

Refrigerator ice makers are possibly one of the best inventions ever. An ice maker is a small luxury a lot of people certainly not appreciate. Ice makers are simple machines that don’t feature a lot of complicated components that can cause problems.

Like with any repair, there are some basic things that need to be reviewed before thinking the worst. And, it’s good to know, if needed, you are able to replace an ice maker without replacing the entire refrigerator, depending on the brand and model. First, let’s take a look at a few of the causes for an ice maker not working.

When the ice maker is making ice but it is not dispensing it it is usually means there’s a mechanical failure opposed to an electrical problem. This occurs when moving things around in the freezer, you might accidentally push or pull the control lever up or down. A lot of the time the ice maker might get blocked with something else, possibly a chunk of ice. So, look to see if there is anything blocking this from operating the right way.

Before starting the process of clearing out the freezer, check that your ice maker is on. This can be done by flipping the metal control arm in the down position. Sometimes, moving things around in the freezer unit can put the switch in the off position. If the the switch is free, then there could be food stuck inside of the ice maker or it’s not receiving a good connection.

Check the Control Arm

If the control is down and there is ice but it’s not ejecting it, this could be an electrical or mechanical problem. This is going to require a bit more diagnosing. Ready to begin? First, we must check the electrical connection. This could be unplugged from the back of the freezer or refrigerator when moving or shifting the food in the freezer.

To inspect this, unplug the fridge and pull it out from the kitchen wall. Turn off the water supply. Locate the valve on the rear of the inside of the freezer unit. Basically this is what plugs the ice maker into the freezer. Be sure that it is plugged in correctly.

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

Once done, restore power to the refrigerator and then turn on the ice maker. It could take the solenoid a couple of seconds to react and fill the mold. After the mold is 100% full, wait around 4-5 hours to see if you have solved the problem.

Check for Frozen Lines

Other ice maker failures that can cause your ice maker to not make any ice are frozen lines. The water lines have been blocked with frost. This is a pretty simple fix.

First, unplug the freezer and find the water shut off valve. Turn the water off and grab a hair dryer to heat up the water line or just 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 clog or ice up. For these situations, finding the filter is the first step. Then repeat what was done for the iced line.

If your ice maker isn’t making large enough cubes of ice, there is a problem with the settings. To adjust the settings, take the top part of the cover off and find a standard knob that has plus and a minus symbols. For this process, 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?