Westminster Appliance Repair performs refrigerator repair in Westminster, including professional services to fix ice makers that are not working. Learn about some common ice maker problems below:
Ice makers are perhaps one of the greatest inventions ever. An ice maker is a little luxury many people take for granted. Refrigerator ice makers are relatively simple machines that do not feature a lot of complicated components that will go wrong with them.
Like with any appliance repair, there are some basic things that should be looked at before assuming the worst. And, remember, if needed, you are able to replace the ice maker without replacing the entire refrigerator, dependent on the brand and model. First, let’s discuss a couple of the causes for an ice maker not working.
When your ice maker is making ice but it is not dispensing the ice cubes it is usually a mechanical problem vs. an electrical failure. This occurs when moving things around in the freezer, you accidentally push or pull the control lever up or down. Often the ice maker will be jammed with something else, including a chunk of ice. So, check to see if there is something blocking this part from working the right way.
Before beginning the process of clearing out the freezer, be sure the ice maker is turned on. This can be done by flipping the control arm in the down position. From time to time, moving things around in the freezer unit can put it in the off position. If the the switch is clear, then there might be food or ice stuck inside 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’s not ejecting it, there could be an electrical or mechanical issue. This is going to need some more troubleshooting. Ready to proceed? First, we must inspect the electrical connection. This could be unplugged from the back of the freezer or refrigerator when moving or shifting the freezer contents.
To inspect this, first unplug the freezer and pull it out away from the wall. Turn off the freezer’s water supply valve. Locate the connection on the rear of the inside of the freezer. Essentially this is what plugs the ice maker into the freezer unit. Ensure that it is actually plugged in properly.
Then, remove any ice that is inside of the ice maker itself. This can be accomplished by pouring in a small amount of water to help to get any ice that is inside of there out.
Once complete, restore power to the refrigerator and then turn on the ice maker. It may take the solenoid component a couple of seconds to engage and fill the mold. Once the mold is 100% full, wait 4-5 hours to see if you’ve cleared the issue.
Check for Frozen Lines
More ice maker issues that could cause your ice maker to not make ice are frozen water lines. The water lines could be clogged with frost. This is an easy fix.
First, unplug the refrigerator and locate the shut off valve. Turn the water off and grab a hair dryer to heat up the water line or just let the refrigerator sit turned off for a couple of hours until the line is thawed.
Some 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 what was done for the frozen line.
When an ice maker is not making large enough pieces of ice, there is a problem with the settings. To adjust the settings, take the upper part of the cover off and find a standard dial that displays plus and a minus signs. For this process, you might need a flat head screwdriver.
ADDITIONAL REFRIGERATOR RESOURCES
- Refrigerator Noisy
- Refrigerator Water Dispenser Not Working
- Refrigerator Not Cooling
- How Does a Refrigerator Work?