Why is My Refrigerator Ice Maker Not Working?

Duncan Appliance Repair performs refrigerator repair in Jersey City, including services to fix broken ice makers. Learn about common ice maker failures below:

Refrigerator ice makers are perhaps one of the most convenient inventions of all time. This is a little luxury many people certainly not appreciate. Refrigerator ice makers are simple machines that do not have a lot of complicated components that might cause problems.

As with any repair, there are a few basic things that need to be reviewed before assuming the worst. And, remember, if necessary, you can replace your ice maker without replacing an entire fridge, dependent on the model. First, let’s review a few of the causes for an ice maker not working.

When an ice maker is making ice but it is not ejecting it it is usually means there’s a mechanical issue versus an electrical issue. This can occur when moving food around in the freezer, you could accidentally shift the control switch up or down. Often the ice maker might be blocked with something else, including a piece of ice. So, check to see if there is anything blocking this part from operating the right way.

Before beginning the steps of clearing out the freezer, ensure your ice maker is on. This can be done by moving the metal control arm down. Sometimes, moving food around in the freezer can put the switch into the off position. If the the switch is clear, then there could be food or ice stuck inside of the ice maker or it’s not getting a good connection.

Check the Control Arm

If the control is down and there is ice but it’s not dispensing it, there could be a mechanical or electrical problem. This is going to need some more troubleshooting. Ready to get started? First, we must inspect the electrical connection. This could become unplugged from the back of the freezer when moving or shifting the food in the freezer.

To check this, first unplug the refrigerator and pull it out from the kitchen wall. Then, turn off the water supply. Locate the valve on the rear of the inside of the freezer. Basically this is what plugs the ice maker into the freezer. Be sure that it’s plugged in correctly.

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

Once this is done, turn on the 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 full, wait 4-5 hours to see if you have cleared the problem.

Check for Frozen Lines

More ice maker issues that can cause your ice maker to not make any ice are frozen lines. The water lines have been clogged with frost. This is an easy problem to fix.

Unplug the fridge and locate the water shut off valve. Turn the water off and get a hair dryer to warm the line or just let the refrigerator sit turned off for a couple of hours and wait until the water line is thawed.


When an ice maker isn’t making large enough pieces of ice, there’s a problem with the settings. To adjust the settings, take the top part of the cover of the ice maker off and locate a standard control that displays plus and a minus signs. To do this, you might need a flat head screwdriver.


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