Why is My Refrigerator Ice Maker Not Working?

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

Ice makers are one of the greatest inventions ever. An ice maker is a small luxury most people certainly take for granted. Ice makers are simple machines that don’t have a lot of complex parts that could cause issues.

As with any repair, there are basic things that should be reviewed before thinking the worst. And, remember, if needed, you can replace an ice maker without replacing the entire refrigerator, depending on the model. First, let’s review a couple of the causes for an ice maker breaking.

When the ice maker is making ice but it is not ejecting it it is usually means there’s a mechanical problem vs. an electrical failure. This can occur when moving things around in the freezer, you accidentally shift the control lever up or down. Often the ice maker might get blocked with something, including a piece of ice. First, check to see if there’s anything blocking this from operating the right way.

Before starting the process of clearing out the freezer, ensure the ice maker is on. This can be done by moving the metal control arm in the down position. Sometimes, moving things around in the freezer can put it in the off position. If the control arm is clear, then there might be food jammed inside of 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 an electrical or mechanical issue. This is going to require some more diagnosing. Ready to get started? First, we have to check the electrical connection. This could be unplugged from behind the freezer or refrigerator when moving or shifting the food in the freezer.

To check this, unplug the freezer and pull it out from the kitchen 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. Be sure that it’s actually plugged in correctly.

After that, remove all of the ice that’s in the ice maker itself. This can be done by pouring in a bit of water to help to get any ice that’s 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 few seconds to react and fill the mold. After the mold is full, wait 4-5 hours to see if you have cleared the issue.

Check for Frozen Lines

More 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 a pretty simple fix.

Unplug the refrigerator and find the water shut off valve. Turn the water off and grab a hair dryer to warm the line or let the refrigerator sit without being on for a few hours and wait until the line is thawed.

There are some models that have a water filter that can clog or ice over. For these situations, locating the filter is the first step. Then repeat the same process that was done for the frozen line.

When your ice maker isn’t making large enough cubes of ice, there’s an issue with the ice maker settings. To adjust the settings, take the top part of the cover off and locate a simple control that displays plus and a minus signs. To do this, 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?