Pride Vacaville Appliance Repair performs refrigerator repair in Vacaville, including professional services to fix ice makers that aren’t working. Learn about some common ice maker problems below:
Ice makers are possibly one of the greatest inventions of all time. This is a little luxury many people might take for granted. Refrigerator ice makers are relatively simple machines that do not feature a lot of complex parts that can go wrong with them.
Like with any repair, there are a few basic things that need to be reviewed before assuming the worst. And, remember, if needed, you are able to replace an ice maker without replacing an entire fridge, depending on the model. First, let’s take a look at a few of the causes for an ice maker breaking.
If an ice maker is making ice but it is not ejecting it it is usually means there is a mechanical problem versus an electrical issue. This occurs when moving things around in the freezer unit, you could shift the control switch up or down. Most of the time the ice maker will get blocked with something, including a piece of ice. First, look to see if there is anything blocking this part from operating correctly.
Before starting the steps of clearing out the freezer, ensure the ice maker is on. This is done by moving the control arm down. From time to time, moving food around in the freezer unit might put it in the off position. If the the switch is free, then there might be food or ice stuck inside of the ice maker or it’s not receiving a good connection.
Check the Control Arm
When the switch is down and there is ice but it is not dispensing it, there might be an electrical or mechanical failure. This is going to require some more troubleshooting. Ready to get started? First, we must inspect the electrical connection. This can be unplugged from the back of the freezer or refrigerator when shifting or moving the food in the freezer.
To inspect this, unplug the freezer and move away from the wall. Turn off the water supply valve. Locate the connection on the back of the inside of the freezer. Essentially this is what connects the ice maker into the freezer. Ensure that it is actually plugged in correctly.
After that, remove any ice that is in the ice maker. This can be accomplished by pouring in a little water to help get ice that is inside of there out.
Once done, turn on the power to the refrigerator and turn on the ice maker. It might take the solenoid a few seconds to engage and fill the mold. After the mold is completely full, wait around 4-5 hours to see if you’ve cleared the issue.
Check for Frozen Lines
More ice maker issues that will cause your ice maker to not produce ice are frozen lines. The water lines could be clogged with frost. This is an easy fix.
Unplug the fridge and locate the shut off valve. Turn the water off and get a hair dryer to warm the line or just let the fridge sit shut off for a couple of hours until the line is thawed.
There are some brands and models that have a water filter that can clog or ice up. For these cases, finding the filter is the first step. Then repeat the same process that was done for the frozen line.
If your ice maker is not making big enough cubes of ice, there’s an issue with the settings. To adjust the the ice maker settings, take the top part of the cover off and find a basic control 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?