Why is My Refrigerator Ice Maker Not Working?

Campbell Appliance Repair performs refrigerator repair in Arlington, including services to repair ice makers that aren’t working. Learn about some common ice maker problems below:

Refrigerator ice makers are one of the greatest inventions ever. This is a small luxury many people certainly take for granted. Ice makers are simple machines that do not feature a lot of complicated parts that might go wrong with them.

As with any appliance repair, there are basic things that need to be looked at before thinking the worst. And, it’s nice to know, if needed, you are able to replace the ice maker without replacing the entire refrigerator, dependent on the model. First, let’s take a look at a few of the reasons for an ice maker breaking.

If the ice maker is making ice but it is not ejecting it it is usually means there’s a mechanical issue versus an electrical issue. This occurs when reorganizing food around in the freezer unit, you jam the control arm up or down. Most of the time the ice maker can be blocked with something, including a chunk of ice. So, check to see if there is anything blocking this part from working correctly.

Before starting the process of clearing out the freezer, be sure the ice maker is turned on. This is done by pulling the control arm in the down position. From time to time, moving food around in the freezer unit can put the control into the off position. If the the switch is clear, then there could be food jammed inside 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 dispensing it, this might be an electrical or mechanical issue. This will need a bit more diagnosing. Ready to begin? First, we must check the electrical connection. This could become unplugged from behind the freezer or refrigerator when shifting or moving the freezer contents.

To inspect this, first unplug the refrigerator and move it out from the wall. Then, turn off the freezer’s water supply. Locate the valve on the rear 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 correctly.

Then, remove all of the ice that is inside of the ice maker itself. This can be accomplished by adding a small amount of water to help get the ice that is inside of there out.

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

Check for Frozen Lines

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

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

Some brands and models that have a water filter that can freeze or ice up. For these cases, finding the filter is the first step. Then repeat what was done for the frozen water line.

When your ice maker isn’t making large enough pieces of ice, there is an issue with the settings. To adjust the settings, take the upper part of the cover off and locate a standard control that displays plus and a minus symbols. For this process, you might need a flat head screwdriver.

ADDITIONAL REFRIGERATOR RESOURCES

• Refrigerator Noisy
• Refrigerator Water Dispenser Not Working
• Refrigerator Not Cooling
• How Does a Refrigerator Work?