Why is My Refrigerator Ice Maker Not Working?

refrigerator ice maker not working

Done-Right Davie Appliance Repair offers refrigerator repair service in Florida, including professional services to repair broken ice makers. Learn about common ice maker issues below:

Refrigerator ice makers are perhaps one of the most convenient inventions ever. An ice maker is a little luxury most people certainly not appreciate. Ice makers are relatively simple machines that do not have a lot of complex parts that can cause issues.

Like with any repair, there are a few basic things that should be looked at before assuming the worst. And, remember, if needed, you can replace an ice maker without replacing the entire refrigerator, dependent on the brand and model. First, let’s take a look at a few of the reasons for an ice maker breaking.

If your ice maker is making ice but it isn’t ejecting it it is usually means there is a mechanical problem vs. an electrical issue. This can happen when shifting things around in the freezer, you could accidentally shift the control switch up or down. Often the ice maker might be jammed with something, possibly a piece of ice. First, check to see if there’s ice or food blocking this from working correctly.

Before beginning the steps of clearing out the freezer, ensure the ice maker is on. This can be done by flipping the metal control arm in the down position. Sometimes, moving things around in the freezer may put it into the off position. If the control arm is clear, 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 arm is down and there is ice but it’s not dispensing it, this could be an electrical or mechanical problem. This will need a bit more troubleshooting. Ready to begin? First, we must inspect the electrical connection. This can be unplugged from the rear of the freezer or refrigerator when moving or shifting the food in the freezer.

To inspect this, unplug the fridge and pull away from the kitchen wall. Then, turn off the water supply. Locate the connection on the back of the inside of the freezer unit. Basically this is what plugs the ice maker into the freezer. Be sure that it’s actually plugged in correctly.

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

Once done, turn on the power to the fridge and then turn on the ice maker. It could take the solenoid component a few seconds to react and fill the mold. When the mold is full, wait 4-5 hours to see if you’ve solved the issue.

Check for Frozen Lines

More ice maker issues that may cause your ice maker to not produce any ice are frozen lines. The water lines could be blocked with frost. This is a pretty simple fix.

First, unplug the freezer and locate the water shut off valve. Turn the water off and grab a hair dryer to warm the water line or just 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 freeze or ice over. In these cases, finding the water filter is the first step. Then repeat the same process that was done for the iced water line.

When your ice maker isn’t making big enough cubes of ice, there’s a problem with the settings. To adjust the the ice maker settings, take the upper part of the cover off and locate a simple knob that displays 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?