Waukegan Appliance Repair is experienced in refrigerator repair in Waukegan, including services to repair ice makers that are not working. Learn about common ice maker failures below:
Refrigerator ice makers are one of the most convenient inventions of all time. This is a small luxury a lot of people certainly take for granted. Ice makers are relatively simple machines that do not have a lot of complicated components that might go wrong with them.
As with any appliance repair, there are basic things that should be looked at before assuming the worst. And, it’s nice to know, if needed, you can replace the ice maker without replacing the entire refrigerator, depending on the brand and model. First, let’s review a couple of the reasons for an ice maker not working.
If the ice maker is making ice but it isn’t dispensing it it is usually means there’s a mechanical issue versus an electrical issue. This happens when moving food around in the freezer unit, you could shift the control arm up or down. Often the ice maker can be blocked with something, even another piece of ice. So, check to see if there’s anything blocking this from working correctly.
Before beginning the steps of clearing out the freezer, check that the ice maker is on. This is done by flipping the metal control arm down. From time to time, moving food around in the freezer may put the switch in the off position. If the the switch is clear, then there could be ice stuck inside of 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 is not dispensing it, this might be a mechanical or electrical failure. This will require some more diagnosing. Ready to proceed? First, we need to inspect the electrical connection. This could be unplugged from the rear of the freezer when moving or shifting the freezer contents.
To check this, first unplug the freezer and slide 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. Be sure that it’s plugged in properly.
Then, remove any ice that’s inside of the ice maker. This can be accomplished by adding a bit of water to help get ice that is inside of there out.
Once complete, restore power to the refrigerator and then turn on the ice maker. It could take the solenoid component a couple of seconds to react and fill the mold. When the mold is completely full, wait 4-5 hours to see if you’ve solved the issue.
Check for Frozen Lines
More ice maker failures that might cause your ice maker to not make any ice are frozen lines. The water lines have been clogged with frost. This is a pretty simple issue to fix.
Unplug the fridge and locate the shut off valve. Turn the water off and get a hair dryer to warm the water line or let the refrigerator sit turned off for a few hours until the water line is thawed.
Some brands and models that feature a water filter that can clog or ice up. In these cases, finding the filter is the first step. Then repeat the same process that was done for the iced water line.
If your ice maker isn’t making big enough pieces of ice, there’s an issue with the settings. To adjust the settings, take the top part of the cover off and find a standard dial that has plus and a minus symbols. To do this, 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?