Why is My Refrigerator Ice Maker Not Working?

Premiere Chicago Appliance Repair performs refrigerator repair in Chicago, including professional services to repair broken ice makers. Learn about some common ice maker problems below:

Ice makers are one of the most convenient inventions of all time. An ice maker is a small luxury many people certainly take for granted. Refrigerator ice makers are relatively simple machines that do not feature a lot of parts that will go wrong with them.

Like with any appliance repair, there are a few basic things that should be looked at before thinking the worst. And, it’s nice to know, if needed, you can replace your ice maker without replacing the entire fridge, depending on the model. First, let’s take a look at a few of the causes for an ice maker failure.

When the ice maker is making ice but it is not dispensing it it is usually means there’s a mechanical issue opposed to an electrical problem. This can happen when shifting things around in the freezer unit, you might jam the control arm up or down. Often the ice maker will be blocked with something else, even another piece of ice. First, check to see if there’s anything blocking this from operating the right way.

Before beginning the steps of clearing out the freezer, ensure the ice maker is on. This can be done by flipping the control arm in the down position. Sometimes, moving food around in the freezer unit may put the switch in the off position. If the control arm is free, then there may be something jammed inside of the ice maker or it’s not receiving a good connection.

Check the Control Arm

When the control arm is down and there is ice but it is not dispensing it, this might be a mechanical or electrical problem. This will require some more troubleshooting. Ready to proceed? First, we must inspect the electrical connection. This can become unplugged from the rear of the freezer when shifting or moving the freezer contents.

To inspect this, unplug the refrigerator and slide from the kitchen wall. Then, turn off the freezer’s water supply valve. Locate the connection on the rear of the inside of the freezer. Essentially this is what plugs the ice maker into the freezer. Be sure that it’s actually plugged in correctly.

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

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

Check for Frozen Lines

More ice maker issues that will cause your ice maker to not make any ice are frozen lines. The water lines might be blocked with frost. This is a pretty simple fix.

Unplug the refrigerator and locate the shut off valve. Turn the water off and grab a hair dryer to heat up the water line or let the freezer 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 line.

If an ice maker isn’t making big enough pieces of ice, there’s a problem 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 locate a basic control 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?