Why is My Refrigerator Ice Maker Not Working?

Anytime Ann Arbor Appliance Repair is experienced in refrigerator repair in Ann Arbor, including services to fix ice makers that aren’t working. Learn about common ice maker failures below:

Ice makers are perhaps one of the greatest 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 parts that can cause problems.

As with any appliance repair, there are some basic things that need to be looked at before assuming the worst. And, remember, if necessary, you are able to replace an ice maker without replacing an entire fridge, dependent on the brand and model. First, let’s review some of the causes for an ice maker not working.

When an ice maker is making ice but it is not dispensing the ice it is usually a mechanical problem vs. an electrical issue. This can happen when shifting things around in the freezer unit, you accidentally jam the control switch up or down. Most of the time the ice maker can be jammed with something else, including a chunk of ice. So, look to see if there is something blocking this from working correctly.

Before starting the steps of clearing out the freezer, ensure the ice maker is turned on. This can be done by moving the control arm down. From time to time, moving things around in the freezer unit can put the control 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’s ice but it is not dispensing it, this might be an electrical or mechanical problem. This is going to need a bit more diagnosing. Ready to begin? First, we must check the electrical connection. This could become unplugged from the rear of the freezer or refrigerator when shifting or moving the food in the freezer.

To inspect this, first unplug the fridge and pull away from the wall. Turn off the water supply. Locate the connection on the rear of the inside of the freezer unit. Essentially this is what connects the ice maker into the freezer. Be sure that it is plugged in the right way.

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

Once this is done, restore power to the refrigerator and then turn on the ice maker. It might take the solenoid component a couple of seconds to react and fill the mold. After the mold is completely full, wait 4-5 hours or so to see if you’ve cleared the problem.

Check for Frozen Lines

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

Unplug the freezer and locate the shut off valve. Turn the water off and grab a hair dryer to heat up the line or let the refrigerator sit turned off for a couple of hours and wait until the line is thawed.

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

If your ice maker isn’t making large enough cubes of ice, there is an issue with the ice maker settings. To adjust the settings, take the top part of the cover off and locate a standard dial that displays 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?