Why is My Refrigerator Ice Maker Not Working?

A+ Aurora Appliance Repair performs refrigerator repair in Aurora, including services to fix broken ice makers. Learn about some common ice maker problems below:

Refrigerator ice makers are possibly one of the best inventions of all time. This is a small luxury many people might take for granted. Refrigerator ice makers are simple machines that don’t feature a lot of complicated parts that will have issues.

As with any appliance repair, there are some basic things that need to be looked at before assuming the worst. And, it’s good to know, if needed, you are able to replace the ice maker without replacing the entire fridge, dependent on the brand and model. First, let’s review some of the reasons for an ice maker failure.

When an ice maker is making ice but it isn’t dispensing it it is usually a mechanical failure opposed to an electrical failure. This can happen when reorganizing food around in the freezer, you accidentally shift the control lever up or down. A lot of the time the ice maker can get jammed with something, possibly a piece of ice. So, check to see if there is ice or food blocking this from operating the right way.

Before beginning the steps of clearing out the freezer, be sure the ice maker is on. This is done by flipping the control arm down. Sometimes, moving food around in the freezer unit might put it in the off position. If the control arm is free, then there may be ice stuck inside 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 might be a mechanical or electrical failure. This will need some more troubleshooting. Ready to proceed? First, we have to inspect the electrical connection. This could be unplugged from the back of the freezer when moving or shifting the food in the freezer.

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

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

Once this is done, turn on the power to the refrigerator and then turn on the ice maker. It might take the solenoid a couple of seconds to react and fill the mold. When the mold is completely full, wait 4-5 hours to see if you have cleared the issue.

Check for Frozen Lines

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

Unplug the fridge and find the shut off valve. Turn the water off and then get a hair dryer to heat up the water line or let the fridge sit without being on 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 the same process that was done for the iced line.

If your ice maker isn’t making big enough pieces of ice, there is an issue with the settings. To adjust the settings, take the top part of the cover off and locate a standard knob that has plus and a minus symbols. 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?