Premiere Plantation Appliance Repair performs refrigerator repair in Plantation, including professional services to repair ice makers that are not working. Learn about some common ice maker problems below:
Refrigerator ice makers are one of the most convenient inventions of all time. An ice maker is a small luxury a lot of people take for granted. Refrigerator ice makers are simple machines that don’t have a lot of complicated components that will have problems.
Like with any appliance repair, there are a few basic things that should be reviewed before assuming the worst. And, it’s nice to know, if necessary, you are able to replace the ice maker without replacing the entire fridge, dependent on the brand and model. First, let’s review some of the reasons for an ice maker breaking.
When the ice maker is making ice but it is not dispensing the ice it is usually means there is a mechanical failure versus an electrical issue. This can happen when reorganizing food around in the freezer unit, you could push or pull the control switch up or down. Often the ice maker will be jammed with something else, even another piece of ice. First, check to see if there is anything blocking this part from operating properly.
Before starting the steps of clearing out the freezer, check that your ice maker is on. This is done by moving the control arm in the down position. Sometimes, moving things around in the freezer unit can put the switch into the off position. If the the switch is clear, then there could be food or ice stuck inside the ice maker or it’s not getting a good connection.
Check the Control Arm
If the switch is down and there is ice but it’s not dispensing it, this might be an electrical or mechanical failure. This is going to need a bit more diagnosing. Ready to proceed? First, we must check the electrical connection. This could become unplugged from the back of the freezer when shifting or moving the freezer contents.
To check this, unplug the freezer and pull it out away from the kitchen wall. Then, turn off the freezer’s water supply valve. Locate the valve on the back of the inside of the freezer. Essentially this is what plugs the ice maker into the freezer. Ensure that it’s actually plugged in correctly.
After that, remove all of the ice that’s in the ice maker itself. This can be completed by adding a little water to help get any ice that’s inside of there out.
Once this is done, restore power to the fridge and turn on the ice maker. It may take the solenoid component a couple of seconds to react and fill the mold. Once the mold is 100% full, wait around 4-5 hours or so to see if you have solved the problem.
Check for Frozen Lines
Other ice maker failures that can cause your ice maker to not produce ice are frozen lines. The water lines might be blocked with frost. This is an easy fix.
First, unplug the refrigerator and find the shut off valve. Shut the water off and then grab a hair dryer to warm the water line or just let the freezer sit without being on for a couple of hours until the line is thawed.
There are some models that have a water filter that can clog or ice up. In these cases, finding the filter is the first step. Then repeat what was done for the frozen water line.
When your ice maker isn’t making big enough cubes of ice, there is an issue with the settings. To adjust the settings, take the top part of the cover of the ice maker off and locate a simple knob 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?