Why is My Refrigerator Ice Maker Not Working?

Rhodes Appliance Repair is experienced in refrigerator repair service in Massachusetts, including services to repair broken ice makers. Learn about some common ice maker problems below:

Ice makers are possibly one of the most convenient inventions of all time. An ice maker is a small luxury many people not appreciate. Refrigerator ice makers are relatively simple machines that do not feature a lot of complicated components that can go wrong with them.

Like with any appliance repair, there are basic things that should be looked at before thinking the worst. And, remember, if needed, you can replace an ice maker without replacing the entire refrigerator, dependent on the model. First, let’s discuss some of the causes for an ice maker failure.

If an ice maker is making ice but it is not dispensing it it is usually a mechanical problem versus an electrical issue. This occurs when shifting things around in the freezer unit, you push or pull the control lever up or down. Most of the time the ice maker might get jammed with something, possibly a chunk of ice. First, check to see if there’s anything blocking this from operating properly.

Before beginning the process of clearing out the freezer, check that your ice maker is turned on. This can be done by moving the metal control arm in the down position. From time to time, moving food around in the freezer unit might put it in the off position. If the control arm is free, then there may be food stuck inside the ice maker or it is not receiving a good connection.

Check the Control Arm

When the control arm is down and there is ice but it is not ejecting it, this might be an electrical or mechanical problem. This will need some more troubleshooting. Ready to begin? First, we must check the electrical connection. This could be unplugged from behind the freezer when moving or shifting the food in the freezer.

To inspect this, unplug the refrigerator and slide from the kitchen wall. Turn off the freezer’s water supply valve. Locate the valve on the back of the inside of the freezer. Basically this is what plugs the ice maker into the freezer unit. Be sure that it’s actually plugged in properly.

Then, remove any ice that is in the ice maker. This can be done by adding a small amount of water to help to get any ice that is in there out.

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

Check for Frozen Lines

More ice maker issues that can cause your ice maker to not make any ice are frozen lines. The water lines have been clogged with frost. This is a pretty simple fix.

Unplug the refrigerator and find the shut off valve. Turn the water off and then get a hair dryer to warm the line or just let the fridge sit turned off for a few hours and wait until the line is thawed.

There are some models that feature a water filter that can freeze or ice up. In these cases, locating the filter is the first step. Then repeat the same process that was done for the frozen line.

If an ice maker is not making large enough cubes of ice, there is an issue with the settings. To adjust the the ice maker settings, take the upper part of the cover of the ice maker off and locate a standard dial 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?