Champion Chandler Appliance Repair performs refrigerator repair in Chandler, including professional services to repair broken ice makers. Learn about common ice maker issues below:
Ice makers are possibly one of the most convenient inventions of all time. An ice maker is a small luxury most people might not appreciate. Ice makers are simple machines that do not have a lot of complex components that will cause issues.
As with any repair, there are a few basic things that should be reviewed before thinking the worst. And, remember, if needed, you are able to replace the ice maker without replacing an entire fridge, depending on the brand and model. First, let’s discuss a few of the causes for an ice maker failure.
If your ice maker is making ice but it isn’t ejecting it it is usually a mechanical failure vs. an electrical issue. This happens when shifting things around in the freezer, you could push or pull the control lever up or down. A lot of the time the ice maker will get blocked with something else, possibly a chunk of ice. So, check to see if there’s something blocking this part from working the right way.
Before starting the steps of clearing out the freezer, be sure your ice maker is turned on. This can be done by pulling the control arm in the down position. Sometimes, moving food around in the freezer might put the switch into the off position. If the the switch is free, then there could be food or ice stuck inside of the ice maker or it is not receiving a good connection.
Check the Control Arm
If the control is down and there’s ice but it is not ejecting it, this could be a mechanical or electrical problem. This is going to require a bit more diagnosing. Ready to begin? First, we have to check 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, first unplug the fridge and pull it out from the wall. Turn off the freezer’s water supply valve. Locate the connection on the rear of the inside of the freezer unit. Basically this is what plugs the ice maker into the freezer unit. Ensure that it is plugged in correctly.
Then, remove all of the ice that is in the ice maker. This can be completed by pouring in a little water to help to get any ice that’s in there out.
Once complete, restore power to the fridge and turn on the ice maker. It may take the solenoid component a couple of seconds to engage and fill the mold. When the mold is full, wait 4-5 hours to see if you have solved the problem.
Check for Frozen Lines
Other ice maker failures that might cause your ice maker to not produce ice are frozen water lines. The water lines could be blocked with frost. This is a pretty simple fix.
Unplug the freezer and find the 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 couple of hours and wait until the line is thawed.
Some models that feature a water filter that can freeze or ice over. In these situations, locating the water filter is the first step. Then repeat what was done for the iced water line.
If an ice maker is not making large enough cubes of ice, there’s a problem with the settings. To adjust the settings, take the upper part of the cover of the ice maker off and locate a standard control that has 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?