Why is My Refrigerator Ice Maker Not Working?

Accel Appliance Repair is experienced in refrigerator repair in Auburn, including professional services to repair ice makers that aren’t working. Learn about common ice maker issues below:

Refrigerator ice makers are one of the most convenient inventions ever. This is a small luxury most people might take for granted. Ice makers are relatively simple machines that don’t have a lot of complex parts that might cause problems.

Like with any appliance repair, there are a few basic things that should be reviewed before assuming the worst. And, it’s good to know, if needed, you are able to replace an ice maker without replacing an entire refrigerator, dependent on the brand and model. First, let’s discuss a couple of the causes for an ice maker not working.

If the ice maker is making ice but it isn’t dispensing it it is usually a mechanical issue versus an electrical issue. This occurs when shifting things around in the freezer, you might push or pull the control arm up or down. Often the ice maker might get jammed with something, including a chunk of ice. So, check to see if there is ice or food blocking this from working properly.

Before beginning the process of clearing out the freezer, be sure your ice maker is on. This is done by moving the control arm down. From time to time, moving food around in the freezer may put it into the off position. If the the switch is clear, then there could be food stuck inside of the ice maker or it’s not getting a good connection.

Check the Control Arm

When the control is down and there’s ice but it’s not dispensing it, there might be an electrical or mechanical failure. This is going to need some more diagnosing. Ready to get started? First, we need to inspect the electrical connection. This could be unplugged from the back of the freezer or refrigerator when moving or shifting the freezer contents.

To inspect this, unplug the refrigerator and slide it out away from the kitchen wall. Turn off the freezer’s water supply valve. Locate the valve on the rear of the inside of the freezer. Essentially this is what plugs the ice maker into the freezer. Ensure that it is actually plugged in properly.

After that, remove all of the ice that is in the ice maker itself. This can be accomplished by pouring in a bit of water to help get ice that is inside of there out.

Once this is done, turn on the power to the fridge and then turn on the ice maker. It may take the solenoid a couple of seconds to react and fill the mold. Once the mold is 100% full, wait around 4-5 hours or so to see if you have cleared the issue.

Check for Frozen Lines

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

First, unplug the refrigerator and find the shut off valve. Turn the water off and then grab a hair dryer to warm the line or just let the fridge sit shut off for a few hours and wait until the water line is thawed.

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

When an ice maker isn’t making large enough pieces of ice, there’s an issue with the settings. To adjust the settings, take the top part of the cover of the ice maker off and locate a standard knob that has plus and a minus symbols. To do this, 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?