Delta Des Moines Appliance Repair performs refrigerator repair in Des Moines, including services to repair ice makers that aren’t working. Learn about some common ice maker problems below:
Ice makers are perhaps one of the best inventions ever. An ice maker is a little luxury many people certainly not appreciate. Refrigerator ice makers are simple machines that do not have a lot of complicated components that will go wrong with them.
Like with any repair, there are basic things that should be looked at before assuming the worst. And, remember, if needed, you are able to replace an ice maker without replacing an entire refrigerator, dependent on the model. First, let’s discuss some of the causes for an ice maker not working.
When your ice maker is making ice but it is not ejecting it it is usually means there’s a mechanical failure versus an electrical problem. This occurs when shifting food around in the freezer unit, you jam the control arm up or down. A lot of the time the ice maker can get blocked with something else, including a chunk of ice. First, look to see if there is anything blocking this from operating correctly.
Before starting the steps of clearing out the freezer, check that the ice maker is on. This can be done by moving the metal control arm down. From time to time, moving food around in the freezer may put the switch into the off position. If the control arm is clear, then there could be ice jammed inside the ice maker or it’s not getting a good connection.
Check the Control Arm
When the control is down and there is ice but it’s not dispensing it, there could be an electrical or mechanical problem. This is going to require a bit more troubleshooting. Ready to proceed? First, we need to check the electrical connection. This could be unplugged from behind the freezer when shifting or moving the freezer contents.
To inspect this, unplug the fridge and slide from the kitchen wall. Then, turn off the water supply valve. Locate the connection on the back of the inside of the freezer unit. Basically this is what connects the ice maker into the freezer. Be sure that it’s plugged in the right way.
Next, remove all of the ice that is in the ice maker. This can be completed by pouring in a small amount of water to help get the ice that is inside of there out.
Once done, turn on the power to the refrigerator and then turn on the ice maker. It might take the solenoid a couple of seconds to react and fill the mold. When the mold is full, wait 4-5 hours to see if you have cleared the issue.
Check for Frozen Lines
More ice maker issues that might cause your ice maker to not produce any ice are frozen water lines. The water lines have been clogged with frost. This is an easy problem to fix.
First, unplug the freezer and locate the water shut off valve. Turn the water off and grab a hair dryer to heat up the line or let the fridge sit turned off for a few hours until the line is thawed.
Some models that feature a water filter that can clog or ice up. In these situations, locating the water filter is the first step. Then repeat what was done for the frozen water line.
When your ice maker isn’t making large enough cubes of ice, there is an issue with the ice maker settings. To adjust the the ice maker settings, take the top part of the cover off and find a basic knob that displays plus and a minus symbols. For this process, you could need a flat head screwdriver.
ADDITIONAL REFRIGERATOR RESOURCES
- Refrigerator Noisy
- Refrigerator Water Dispenser Not Working
- Refrigerator Not Cooling
- How Does a Refrigerator Work?