Why is My Refrigerator Ice Maker Not Working?

Lynch Appliance Repair performs refrigerator repair in San Bernardino, including services to fix broken ice makers. Learn about some common ice maker failures below:

Ice makers are possibly one of the greatest inventions ever. This is a small luxury a lot of people certainly not appreciate. Ice makers are simple machines that do not have a lot of complicated parts that could go wrong with them.

As with any appliance repair, there are a few basic things that should be reviewed before thinking the worst. And, it’s good to know, if necessary, you can replace an ice maker without replacing an entire refrigerator, depending on the brand and model. First, let’s discuss some of the reasons for an ice maker failure.

If your ice maker is making ice but it isn’t dispensing it it is usually a mechanical problem vs. an electrical failure. This occurs when moving food around in the freezer unit, you might push or pull the control arm up or down. Often the ice maker might get blocked with something, even another piece of ice. First, look to see if there’s ice or food blocking this from operating the right way.

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

Check the Control Arm

When the switch is down and there is ice but it is not dispensing it, there could be an electrical or mechanical issue. This will require some more diagnosing. Ready to get started? First, we have to inspect the electrical connection. This can be unplugged from behind the freezer when moving or shifting the freezer contents.

To inspect this, unplug the refrigerator and pull it out from the wall. Turn off the water supply. Locate the connection on the back 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 the right way.

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

Once this is done, restore power to the fridge and then turn on the ice maker. It could take the solenoid component a few seconds to react and fill the mold. After the mold is full, wait around 4-5 hours or so to see if you’ve cleared the issue.

Check for Frozen Lines

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

Unplug the freezer and find the shut off valve. Turn the water off and grab a hair dryer to heat up the line or just let the freezer sit shut off for a few hours and wait until the line is thawed.

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

If your ice maker is not making large enough pieces of ice, there is an issue with the settings. To adjust the the ice maker settings, take the upper part of the cover off and find a standard control that displays plus and a minus symbols. To do this, 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?