Why is My Refrigerator Ice Maker Not Working?

refrigerator ice maker not working

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

Ice makers are possibly one of the best inventions ever. An ice maker is a little luxury a lot of people certainly not appreciate. Refrigerator ice makers are relatively simple machines that don’t feature a lot of complex parts that might have problems.

As with any appliance repair, there are basic things that should be looked at before thinking the worst. And, remember, if needed, you can replace the ice maker without replacing the entire fridge, dependent on the brand and model. First, let’s take a look at a few of the reasons for an ice maker failure.

If the ice maker is making ice but it is not dispensing it it is usually means there is a mechanical problem versus an electrical failure. This occurs when moving food around in the freezer, you might jam the control switch up or down. A lot of the time the ice maker might get jammed with something else, possibly a piece of ice. So, check to see if there’s ice or food blocking this part from working the right way.

Before beginning the process of clearing out the freezer, ensure your ice maker is on. This can be done by pulling the metal control arm in the down position. From time to time, moving things around in the freezer unit can put the switch in the off position. If the control arm is clear, then there could be food jammed inside the ice maker or it is not getting a good connection.

Check the Control Arm

If the switch is down and there is ice but it’s not ejecting it, there could be an electrical or mechanical problem. This will require some more troubleshooting. Ready to get started? First, we need to inspect the electrical connection. This can become unplugged from behind the freezer or refrigerator when shifting or moving the freezer contents.

To inspect this, first unplug the freezer and pull it out away from the kitchen wall. Turn off the freezer’s water supply. Locate the valve on the rear of the inside of the freezer. Basically this is what connects the ice maker into the freezer unit. Ensure that it is plugged in correctly.

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

Once this is done, restore 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. When the mold is full, wait 4-5 hours or so to see if you’ve cleared the issue.

Check for Frozen Lines

Other ice maker problems that can cause your ice maker to not make any ice are frozen water lines. The water lines might be blocked with frost. This is an easy fix.

Unplug the refrigerator and locate the shut off valve. Shut the water off and get a hair dryer to heat up the line or just let the refrigerator sit shut off for a couple of hours until the line is thawed.

Some models that feature a water filter that can clog or ice up. In these cases, locating the filter is the first step. Then repeat what was done for the iced line.

If an ice maker is not making big enough cubes of ice, there’s a problem with the settings. To adjust the settings, take the top part of the cover of the ice maker off and find a simple 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?