Why is My Refrigerator Ice Maker Not Working?

Elite Appliance Repair is experienced in refrigerator repair in East Orange, including services to fix broken ice makers. Learn about some common ice maker issues below:

Ice makers are possibly one of the greatest inventions ever. This is a little luxury most people might take for granted. Ice makers are simple machines that don’t feature a lot of complex components that can have issues.

Like with any repair, there are some basic things that need to be looked at before thinking the worst. And, it’s nice to know, if needed, you can replace your ice maker without replacing an entire refrigerator, depending on the brand and model. First, let’s take a look at a couple of the causes for an ice maker not working.

When an ice maker is making ice but it isn’t dispensing the ice it is usually means there is a mechanical problem opposed to an electrical problem. This occurs when moving things around in the freezer unit, you might shift the control switch up or down. Often the ice maker can be jammed with something, including a piece of ice. First, check to see if there is ice or food blocking this part from operating correctly.

Before starting the process of clearing out the freezer, be sure the ice maker is on. This is done by flipping the metal control arm down. Sometimes, moving things around in the freezer may put the control in the off position. If the the switch is clear, then there may be ice stuck inside the ice maker or it is not getting a good connection.

Check the Control Arm

If the control arm is down and there’s ice but it is not ejecting it, there could be an electrical or mechanical failure. This is going to need a bit more troubleshooting. Ready to proceed? First, we need to inspect the electrical connection. This could be unplugged from the back of the freezer or refrigerator when moving or shifting the freezer contents.

To check this, first unplug the fridge and move it out from the wall. Turn off the water supply valve. Locate the connection on the back of the inside of the freezer unit. Essentially this is what connects the ice maker into the freezer. Be sure that it is plugged in the right way.

Next, remove any ice that’s in the ice maker itself. This can be done by pouring in a little water to help to get any ice that’s inside of there out.

Once this is done, restore power to the fridge and turn on the ice maker. It could take the solenoid component a few seconds to engage and fill the mold. When the mold is completely full, wait 4-5 hours to see if you’ve solved the problem.

Check for Frozen Lines

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

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

Some brands and models that feature a water filter that can clog or ice up. In these cases, locating the water filter is the first step. Then repeat the same process that was done for the frozen line.

When an ice maker isn’t making big enough pieces of ice, there is a problem with the settings. To adjust the settings, take the upper part of the cover off and find a standard dial 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?