Rapid Rockford Appliance Repair is experienced in refrigerator repair in Rockford, including services to repair broken ice makers. Learn about some common ice maker problems below:
Ice makers are perhaps one of the most convenient inventions ever. An ice maker is a little luxury many people take for granted. Refrigerator ice makers are relatively simple machines that do not have a lot of complex components that could go wrong with them.
As with any appliance repair, there are some basic things that need to be looked at before thinking the worst. And, remember, if necessary, you can replace an ice maker without replacing the entire fridge, dependent on the brand and model. First, let’s review a couple of the reasons for an ice maker failure.
If the ice maker is making ice but it is not ejecting it it is usually means there is a mechanical failure opposed to an electrical failure. This can happen when reorganizing food around in the freezer, you could push or pull the control lever up or down. Often the ice maker might be blocked with something else, even another piece of ice. So, check to see if there is anything blocking this part from working correctly.
Before beginning the process of clearing out the freezer, check that your ice maker is turned on. This is done by pulling the metal control arm in the down position. Sometimes, moving food around in the freezer may put it in the off position. If the control arm is clear, then there might be food or ice jammed inside of the ice maker or it is not receiving a good connection.
Check the Control Arm
When the control is down and there is ice but it’s not dispensing it, there might be a mechanical or electrical problem. This is going to need a bit more diagnosing. Ready to proceed? First, we need to check the electrical connection. This could become unplugged from the back of the freezer when shifting or moving the food in the freezer.
To check this, unplug the fridge and move away from the 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 connects the ice maker into the freezer unit. Ensure that it is actually plugged in properly.
After that, remove all of the ice that is in the ice maker itself. This can be completed by pouring in a bit of water to help get the ice that’s in there out.
Once this is done, restore power to the fridge and then 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 full, wait 4-5 hours or so to see if you have solved the issue.
Check for Frozen Lines
Other ice maker issues that may cause your ice maker to not make any ice are frozen water lines. The water lines might be clogged with frost. This is a pretty simple fix.
First, unplug the fridge and find the water shut off valve. Turn the water off and grab a hair dryer to heat up the water line or just let the fridge sit turned off for a couple of hours until the line is thawed.
Some brands and models that feature a water filter that can clog or ice up. In these situations, locating the filter is the first step. Then repeat the same process that was done for the iced water line.
When your ice maker isn’t making big enough pieces of ice, there is an issue with the ice maker settings. To adjust the settings, take the top part of the cover off and locate a standard control that has plus and a minus symbols. 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?