Why is My Refrigerator Ice Maker Not Working?

Champion Deltona Appliance Repair is experienced in refrigerator repair in Deltona, including services to repair ice makers that are not working. Learn about some common ice maker issues below:

Refrigerator ice makers are one of the greatest inventions of all time. This is a small luxury most people take for granted. Ice makers are relatively simple machines that don’t feature a lot of parts that can have issues.

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

When the ice maker is making ice but it is not ejecting it it is usually means there’s a mechanical failure vs. an electrical problem. This occurs when shifting food around in the freezer, you jam the control switch up or down. Most of the time the ice maker might be blocked with something, possibly a piece of ice. First, look to see if there is anything blocking this part from operating properly.

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

Check the Control Arm

If the control is down and there’s ice but it is not ejecting it, there could be an electrical or mechanical issue. This is going to require 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 food in the freezer.

To inspect this, unplug the fridge and move it out away from the kitchen wall. Then, turn off the water supply valve. Locate the connection on the back of the inside of the freezer. Basically this is what connects the ice maker into the freezer. Be sure that it is actually plugged in the right way.

Then, remove any ice that’s in the ice maker. This can be completed by adding a little water to help get any 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 a couple of seconds to engage and fill the mold. Once the mold is completely full, wait around 4-5 hours to see if you have cleared the problem.

Check for Frozen Lines

More ice maker problems that could cause your ice maker to not make any ice are frozen water lines. The water lines might be blocked with frost. This is a pretty simple fix.

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

There are some brands and models that have a water filter that can clog or ice over. In these situations, finding the water filter is the first step. Then repeat the same process that was done for the iced water line.

If your ice maker is not making big enough pieces of ice, there’s an issue 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 basic knob that has plus and a minus symbols. To do this, you could need a flat head screwdriver.

ADDITIONAL REFRIGERATOR RESOURCES

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