Why is My Refrigerator Ice Maker Not Working?

Bethesda Appliance Repair performs refrigerator repair in Bethesda, including services to fix broken ice makers. Learn about some common ice maker problems below:

Ice makers are one of the greatest inventions ever. An ice maker is a little luxury most people certainly take for granted. Refrigerator ice makers are simple machines that don’t feature a lot of components that can cause issues.

As with any appliance repair, there are basic things that need to be looked at before thinking the worst. And, it’s good to know, if needed, you can replace the ice maker without replacing the entire refrigerator, dependent on the model. First, let’s take a look at a few of the causes for an ice maker failure.

When an ice maker is making ice but it isn’t dispensing it it is usually a mechanical failure versus an electrical issue. This can happen when moving food around in the freezer unit, you push or pull the control lever up or down. A lot of the time the ice maker might be blocked with something, including a piece of ice. First, check to see if there is anything blocking this part from operating the right way.

Before beginning the steps of clearing out the freezer, be sure the ice maker is on. This is done by moving the control arm down. Sometimes, moving things around in the freezer might put the switch into the off position. If the the switch is clear, then there might be something jammed inside of the ice maker or it is not getting a good connection.

Check the Control Arm

If the control arm is down and there is ice but it is not dispensing it, this might be a mechanical or electrical issue. This will require some more diagnosing. Ready to get started? First, we need to inspect the electrical connection. This can become unplugged from behind the freezer or refrigerator when moving or shifting the food in the freezer.

To check this, first unplug the freezer and pull it out away from the wall. Then, turn off the water supply valve. Locate the connection on the back of the inside of the freezer. Basically this is what plugs the ice maker into the freezer. Ensure that it is plugged in the right way.

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

Once this is done, restore power to the refrigerator and then turn on the ice maker. It could take the solenoid a few seconds to react and fill the mold. When the mold is 100% full, wait 4-5 hours to see if you have cleared the problem.

Check for Frozen Lines

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

First, unplug the refrigerator and locate the shut off valve. Shut the water off and then grab a hair dryer to warm the line or just let the freezer sit shut off for a few hours and wait until the water line is thawed.

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

When an ice maker isn’t making big enough pieces of ice, there’s a problem with the settings. To adjust the the ice maker settings, take the top part of the cover of the ice maker off and find a simple knob that has plus and a minus signs. For this process, you may need a flat head screwdriver.


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