Why is My Refrigerator Ice Maker Not Working?

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

Ice makers are one of the best inventions ever. An ice maker is a little luxury a lot of people take for granted. Ice makers are simple machines that do not feature a lot of complicated components that could go wrong with them.

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

If the ice maker is making ice but it is not dispensing the ice cubes it is usually means there is a mechanical problem vs. an electrical failure. This happens when moving things around in the freezer, you might accidentally jam the control lever up or down. A lot of the time the ice maker can get blocked with something, even another piece of ice. First, look to see if there is something blocking this part from working correctly.

Before starting the steps of clearing out the freezer, be sure the ice maker is turned on. This is done by moving the 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 the switch is free, then there might be something stuck inside of the ice maker or it’s not receiving a good connection.

Check the Control Arm

If the control arm is down and there is ice but it’s not ejecting it, there might be a mechanical or electrical failure. This is going to require some more troubleshooting. Ready to get started? First, we must inspect the electrical connection. This could be unplugged from the rear of the freezer or refrigerator when moving or shifting the food in the freezer.

To check this, first unplug the freezer and move it out away from the wall. Turn off the freezer’s water supply. Locate the valve on the back of the inside of the freezer unit. Essentially this is what connects the ice maker into the freezer. Ensure that it’s actually plugged in correctly.

Then, remove all of the ice that’s inside of the ice maker. This can be done by adding a little water to help get the ice that’s in there out.

Once done, restore power to the refrigerator and then turn on the ice maker. It may take the solenoid a few seconds to react and fill the mold. After the mold is 100% full, wait around 4-5 hours or so to see if you’ve cleared the issue.

Check for Frozen Lines

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

First, unplug the freezer and locate the water shut off valve. Turn the water off and then get a hair dryer to warm the line or let the freezer sit shut off for a few hours until the water line is thawed.

Some brands and models that have a water filter that can clog or ice over. In these cases, locating the filter is the first step. Then repeat what was done for the iced water line.

When an ice maker isn’t making big enough cubes of ice, there’s an issue with the ice maker settings. To adjust the the ice maker settings, take the upper part of the cover of the ice maker off and find a standard dial that displays plus and a minus signs. For this process, 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?