Why is My Refrigerator Ice Maker Not Working?

Achieve Appliance Repair performs refrigerator repair in Arlington, including services to fix ice makers that are not working. Learn about some common ice maker issues below:

Refrigerator ice makers are perhaps one of the best inventions ever. This is a little luxury a lot of people take for granted. Refrigerator ice makers are simple machines that do not feature a lot of complex components that can have problems.

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

If the ice maker is making ice but it is not ejecting it it is usually a mechanical issue versus an electrical issue. This happens when moving food around in the freezer unit, you might push or pull the control arm up or down. Most of the time the ice maker will be jammed with something, possibly a chunk of ice. First, check to see if there’s anything blocking this from working properly.

Before beginning the steps of clearing out the freezer, ensure your ice maker is turned on. This is done by moving the control arm down. Sometimes, moving things around in the freezer unit may put the switch into the off position. If the control arm is clear, then there could be food jammed inside the ice maker or it is not receiving a good connection.

Check the Control Arm

When the control arm is down and there’s ice but it’s not dispensing it, there might be a mechanical or electrical issue. This will require a bit more diagnosing. Ready to get started? First, we must inspect the electrical connection. This could be unplugged from the rear of the freezer or refrigerator when shifting or moving the food in the freezer.

To inspect this, first unplug the freezer and pull it out from the kitchen wall. Turn off the freezer’s water supply valve. Locate the valve on the back of the inside of the freezer. Essentially this is what connects the ice maker into the freezer. Ensure that it’s plugged in correctly.

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

Once this is done, restore power to the fridge and turn on the ice maker. It could take the solenoid component a few seconds to engage and fill the mold. When the mold is 100% full, wait 4-5 hours or so to see if you’ve cleared the issue.

Check for Frozen Lines

Other ice maker failures that may cause your ice maker to not produce ice are frozen water lines. The water lines have been clogged with frost. This is a pretty simple problem to fix.

Unplug the fridge and find the water shut off valve. Shut the water off and grab a hair dryer to heat up the line or just let the freezer sit without being on for a few hours until the line is thawed.

Some brands and models that have a water filter that can clog or ice up. In these cases, locating the 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 large enough cubes of ice, there is an issue with the ice maker settings. To adjust the the ice maker settings, take the upper part of the cover off and locate a basic knob that has plus and a minus symbols. For this process, you might need a flat head screwdriver.


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