Accurate Gilbert Appliance Repair provides refrigerator repair in Gilbert, including professional services to fix broken ice makers. Learn about common ice maker issues below:
Ice makers are possibly one of the greatest inventions of all time. An ice maker is a small luxury a lot of people certainly not appreciate. Refrigerator ice makers are relatively simple machines that don’t feature a lot of complex parts that could go wrong with them.
Like with any appliance repair, there are a few basic things that need to be looked at before thinking the worst. And, it’s good to know, if necessary, you are able to replace an ice maker without replacing an entire fridge, dependent on the model. First, let’s take a look at some of the causes for an ice maker breaking.
If your ice maker is making ice but it isn’t ejecting the ice it is usually a mechanical problem versus an electrical failure. This can happen when shifting things around in the freezer unit, you jam the control switch up or down. A lot of the time the ice maker might be jammed with something else, including a piece of ice. So, check to see if there’s ice or food blocking this part from working the right way.
Before beginning the steps of clearing out the freezer, check that your ice maker is turned on. This can be done by flipping the metal control arm down. From time to time, moving food around in the freezer may put it in the off position. If the the switch is free, then there may be ice stuck inside of the ice maker or it’s not receiving a good connection.
Check the Control Arm
If the control arm is down and there is ice but it is not dispensing it, there could be an electrical or mechanical failure. This is going to require some more troubleshooting. Ready to begin? First, we need to inspect the electrical connection. This could be unplugged from the back of the freezer or refrigerator when moving or shifting the food in the freezer.
To check this, unplug the fridge and move from the kitchen wall. Turn off the freezer’s water supply. Locate the valve on the back of the inside of the freezer unit. Essentially this is what plugs the ice maker into the freezer. Ensure that it’s actually plugged in properly.
Then, remove all of the ice that’s inside of the ice maker itself. This can be accomplished by adding a small amount of water to help get ice that’s inside of there out.
Once complete, turn on the power to the fridge and then turn on the ice maker. It may take the solenoid a few seconds to engage and fill the mold. Once the mold is 100% full, wait around 4-5 hours to see if you have solved the problem.
Check for Frozen Lines
Other ice maker issues that will cause your ice maker to not produce any ice are frozen lines. The water lines have been blocked with frost. This is an easy fix.
Unplug the fridge and locate the shut off valve. Shut the water off and get a hair dryer to warm the line or let the freezer sit without being on for a couple of hours until the line is thawed.
Some models that have a water filter that can clog or ice up. In these situations, finding the filter is the first step. Then repeat the same process that was done for the frozen line.
When your ice maker is not making big enough pieces of ice, there’s an issue with the settings. To adjust the the ice maker settings, take the upper part of the cover of the ice maker off and locate a basic knob that displays plus and a minus signs. For this process, 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?