Why is My Refrigerator Ice Maker Not Working?

World Class Appliance Repair offers refrigerator repair in Rancho Cucamonga, including professional services to fix ice makers that aren’t working. Learn about some common ice maker issues below:

Refrigerator ice makers are possibly one of the most convenient inventions ever. An ice maker is a small luxury many people might take for granted. Ice makers are simple machines that don’t have a lot of complicated parts that will go wrong with them.

Like with any repair, there are some basic things that need to be reviewed before assuming the worst. And, remember, if necessary, you can replace the ice maker without replacing the entire refrigerator, depending on the model. First, let’s review some of the causes for an ice maker not working.

When the ice maker is making ice but it isn’t dispensing the ice cubes it is usually a mechanical failure opposed to an electrical failure. This happens when moving things around in the freezer unit, you shift the control arm up or down. Most of the time the ice maker might get jammed with something else, even another piece of ice. So, look to see if there is something blocking this from working properly.

Before beginning the process of clearing out the freezer, be sure the ice maker is turned on. This can be done by pulling the control arm in the down position. Sometimes, moving food around in the freezer unit can put the switch into the off position. If the control arm is free, then there could be food or ice stuck inside of the ice maker or it’s not receiving a good connection.

Check the Control Arm

When the control is down and there is ice but it’s not ejecting it, this might be a mechanical or electrical failure. This will require a bit more diagnosing. Ready to begin? First, we have to check the electrical connection. This could be unplugged from the back of the freezer when moving or shifting the freezer contents.

To check this, unplug the fridge and pull it out away from the kitchen wall. Turn off the freezer’s water supply valve. Locate the connection on the rear of the inside of the freezer. Basically this is what connects the ice maker into the freezer. Be sure that it’s plugged in the right way.

Then, remove any ice that’s in the ice maker. This can be completed by pouring in a small amount of water to help to get ice that’s in there out.

Once done, turn on the power to the fridge and turn on the ice maker. It may take the solenoid a couple of seconds to react and fill the mold. Once the mold is completely full, wait 4-5 hours or so to see if you’ve cleared the problem.

Check for Frozen Lines

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

Unplug the fridge and locate the shut off valve. Turn the water off and then get a hair dryer to heat up the water line or just let the freezer sit turned off for a few hours until the water line is thawed.

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

When your ice maker isn’t making large enough pieces of ice, there’s an issue with the settings. To adjust the settings, take the upper part of the cover off and locate a simple control that has plus and a minus signs. 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?