Why is My Refrigerator Ice Maker Not Working?

C&L Fort Lauderdale Appliance Repair is experienced in refrigerator repair in Fort Lauderdale, including services to repair broken ice makers. Learn about some common ice maker problems below:

Ice makers are possibly one of the best inventions of all time. An ice maker is a little luxury most people certainly take for granted. Ice makers are relatively simple machines that do not have a lot of complicated parts that might cause problems.

Like with any repair, there are a few basic things that should be looked at before assuming the worst. And, it’s good to know, if needed, you can replace your ice maker without replacing an entire fridge, depending on the brand and model. First, let’s discuss a couple of the causes for an ice maker failure.

If the ice maker is making ice but it isn’t dispensing it it is usually means there’s a mechanical problem versus an electrical issue. This can happen when reorganizing food around in the freezer unit, you push or pull the control lever up or down. Often the ice maker will be blocked with something else, including a piece of ice. First, look to see if there’s ice or food blocking this part from operating correctly.

Before beginning the steps of clearing out the freezer, check that the ice maker is on. This can be done by pulling the control arm down. Sometimes, moving food around in the freezer unit can put it into the off position. If the control arm is free, then there may be something jammed 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 is not ejecting it, there might be a mechanical or electrical failure. This will require some more diagnosing. Ready to begin? First, we need to check the electrical connection. This could become unplugged from the back of the freezer or refrigerator when shifting or moving the food in the freezer.

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

Then, remove any ice that’s inside of the ice maker. This can be accomplished by pouring in a bit of water to help to get ice that is inside of there out.

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

Check for Frozen Lines

Other ice maker failures that may cause your ice maker to not make any ice are frozen lines. The water lines have been blocked with frost. This is an easy problem to fix.

Unplug the refrigerator and locate the water shut off valve. Turn the water off and get a hair dryer to warm the line or let the fridge sit without being on for a couple of hours until the line is thawed.

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

If your ice maker is not making big enough cubes of ice, there’s a problem with the settings. To adjust the the ice maker settings, take the top part of the cover of the ice maker off and locate a standard knob that displays plus and a minus symbols. 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?