Why is My Refrigerator Ice Maker Not Working?

Martin Appliance Repair is experienced in refrigerator repair in Spokane, including services to fix ice makers that are not working. Learn about common ice maker issues below:

Ice makers are one of the greatest inventions of all time. An ice maker is a small luxury many people might take for granted. Refrigerator ice makers are simple machines that do not feature a lot of complex parts that will go wrong with them.

As with any repair, there are a few basic things that should be looked at before thinking the worst. And, it’s nice to know, if necessary, you can replace an ice maker without replacing an entire refrigerator, dependent on the brand and model. First, let’s discuss some of the reasons for an ice maker not working.

If your ice maker is making ice but it is not dispensing it it is usually a mechanical issue opposed to an electrical problem. This can happen when reorganizing things around in the freezer unit, you might shift the control lever up or down. Often the ice maker can be jammed with something else, even another chunk of ice. First, check to see if there’s anything blocking this from working the right way.

Before beginning the process of clearing out the freezer, ensure your ice maker is on. This can be done by flipping the control arm in the down position. Sometimes, moving food around in the freezer can put it into the off position. If the the switch is free, then there may be food or ice jammed inside the ice maker or it’s not receiving a good connection.

Check the Control Arm

When the control is down and there’s ice but it’s not dispensing it, this might be a mechanical or electrical issue. This is going to need a bit more troubleshooting. Ready to begin? First, we have to inspect the electrical connection. This can become unplugged from behind the freezer or refrigerator when moving or shifting the freezer contents.

To inspect this, first unplug the fridge and slide away from the wall. Turn off the freezer’s water supply valve. 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 any ice that is in the ice maker itself. This can be done by pouring in a bit of water to help to get the ice that is in there out.

Once complete, restore power to the fridge and then turn on the ice maker. It may take the solenoid component a couple of seconds to react and fill the mold. When the mold is full, wait 4-5 hours to see if you’ve cleared the problem.

Check for Frozen Lines

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

First, unplug the fridge and locate the water shut off valve. Turn the water off and then get a hair dryer to heat up the water line or just let the refrigerator sit without being on for a few hours and wait until the line is thawed.

There are some brands and models that feature a water filter that can clog or ice up. For these situations, locating the filter is the first step. Then repeat what was done for the frozen water line.

If an ice maker isn’t making large enough pieces of ice, there is an issue with the ice maker settings. To adjust the settings, take the top part of the cover off and find a basic dial that has plus and a minus symbols. To do this, 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?