Why is My Refrigerator Ice Maker Not Working?

broken refrigerator ice maker

Chico Appliance Repair provides refrigerator repair in Chico, including services to fix ice makers that aren’t working. Learn about common ice maker issues below:

Refrigerator ice makers are one of the best inventions ever. This is a small luxury many people might not appreciate. Ice makers are relatively simple machines that do not have a lot of components that might go wrong with them.

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

If your ice maker is making ice but it is not ejecting the ice cubes it is usually means there’s a mechanical problem versus an electrical problem. This can occur when moving things around in the freezer, you might shift the control lever up or down. A lot of the time the ice maker might be blocked with something else, possibly a chunk of ice. First, look to see if there is something blocking this from working the right way.

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

Check the Control Arm

If the control arm is down and there’s ice but it is not dispensing it, there might be a mechanical or electrical failure. This is going to require some more diagnosing. Ready to get started? First, we must inspect the electrical connection. This can become unplugged from behind the freezer when shifting or moving the freezer contents.

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

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

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

Check for Frozen Lines

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

First, unplug the fridge and locate the water shut off valve. Turn the water off and grab a hair dryer to warm the water line or let the fridge sit shut off for a couple of hours until the water line is thawed.

There are some models that have a water filter that can clog or ice over. In these cases, finding the filter is the first step. Then repeat the same process that was done for the iced water line.

When your ice maker is not making big enough cubes of ice, there is 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 dial that has plus and a minus signs. For this process, 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?