Why is My Refrigerator Ice Maker Not Working?

Dynamic Dayton Appliance Repair offers refrigerator repair in Dayton, including professional services to fix broken ice makers. Learn about common ice maker failures below:

Refrigerator ice makers are perhaps one of the greatest inventions of all time. This is a small luxury many people certainly not appreciate. Refrigerator ice makers are relatively simple machines that do not have a lot of parts that might have problems.

Like with any repair, there are some basic things that should be looked at before thinking the worst. And, remember, if necessary, you are able to replace the ice maker without replacing an entire fridge, dependent on the brand and model. First, let’s review a few of the reasons for an ice maker breaking.

If your ice maker is making ice but it is not dispensing the ice it is usually means there’s a mechanical failure versus an electrical failure. This occurs when shifting food around in the freezer unit, you push or pull the control switch up or down. A lot of the time the ice maker will be jammed with something, including a chunk of ice. First, check to see if there’s something blocking this from operating correctly.

Before starting the process of clearing out the freezer, check that your ice maker is on. This is done by flipping the control arm down. From time to time, moving food around in the freezer unit can put it in the off position. If the control arm is clear, then there could be ice jammed inside of the ice maker or it’s not getting a good connection.

Check the Control Arm

When the switch is down and there is ice but it is not dispensing it, this could be an electrical or mechanical issue. This will need a bit more troubleshooting. Ready to get started? First, we must check the electrical connection. This could be unplugged from behind the freezer or refrigerator when shifting or moving the freezer contents.

To inspect this, unplug the freezer and move away from the wall. Then, turn off the water supply. Locate the connection on the rear of the inside of the freezer. Essentially this is what plugs the ice maker into the freezer unit. Ensure that it’s plugged in properly.

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

Once complete, turn on the power to the fridge and turn on the ice maker. It may take the solenoid component a couple of seconds to engage and fill the mold. After the mold is 100% full, wait around 4-5 hours or so to see if you have solved the problem.

Check for Frozen Lines

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

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

Some models that have a water filter that can clog or ice over. For these cases, locating the 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 cubes of ice, there’s a problem with the settings. To adjust the settings, take the upper part of the cover off and find a simple dial that displays plus and a minus signs. For this process, 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?