Why is My Refrigerator Ice Maker Not Working?

Hoboken Appliance Repair offers refrigerator repair in Hoboken, including services to fix ice makers that aren’t working. Learn about common ice maker problems below:

Refrigerator ice makers are possibly one of the best inventions ever. This is a little luxury a lot of people might not appreciate. Refrigerator ice makers are relatively simple machines that do not feature a lot of complicated parts that could cause problems.

Like with any repair, there are a few basic things that should be looked at before assuming the worst. And, it’s nice to know, if needed, you are able to replace your 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 breaking.

If your ice maker is making ice but it is not dispensing it it is usually means there is a mechanical problem vs. an electrical issue. This happens when shifting things around in the freezer, you might accidentally push or pull the control switch up or down. Most of the time the ice maker can get blocked with something else, possibly a piece of ice. So, look to see if there’s something blocking this from operating the right way.

Before starting the process of clearing out the freezer, check that the ice maker is on. This can be done by pulling the metal control arm down. Sometimes, moving things around in the freezer unit might put the control in the off position. If the control arm is free, then there may be food stuck inside the ice maker or it is not getting a good connection.

Check the Control Arm

If the control is down and there is ice but it’s not ejecting it, this might be an electrical or mechanical problem. This will need some more diagnosing. Ready to get started? First, we must inspect the electrical connection. This can be unplugged from the rear of the freezer when shifting or moving the food in the freezer.

To inspect this, unplug the freezer and pull it out from the kitchen wall. Turn off the water supply. Locate the valve on the back of the inside of the freezer. Essentially this is what connects the ice maker into the freezer. Ensure that it is actually plugged in properly.

After that, remove any ice that is in the ice maker itself. This can be completed by pouring in a little water to help get the ice that’s in there out.

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

Check for Frozen Lines

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

First, unplug the refrigerator and locate the shut off valve. Turn the water off and then grab a hair dryer to heat up the water line or let the fridge sit without being on for a few hours until the water line is thawed.

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

If your ice maker isn’t making big enough cubes 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 standard control that has plus and a minus signs. 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?