Spokane Valley Appliance Repair is experienced in refrigerator repair in Spokane Valley, including services to repair broken ice makers. Learn about some common ice maker issues below:
Refrigerator ice makers are one of the most convenient inventions of all time. This is a small luxury a lot of people might take for granted. Refrigerator ice makers are simple machines that do not feature a lot of complicated components that could cause problems.
As with any appliance repair, there are basic things that should be reviewed before thinking the worst. And, it’s good to know, if necessary, you are able to replace your ice maker without replacing the entire refrigerator, depending on the model. First, let’s discuss a couple of the reasons for an ice maker not working.
When your ice maker is making ice but it is not dispensing the ice cubes it is usually a mechanical problem opposed to an electrical problem. This can occur when reorganizing food around in the freezer unit, you might accidentally shift the control lever up or down. A lot of the time the ice maker might be blocked with something else, including a piece of ice. So, check to see if there is anything blocking this from operating the right way.
Before beginning the process of clearing out the freezer, ensure your ice maker is on. This can be done by flipping the control arm down. Sometimes, moving things around in the freezer unit may put it into the off position. If the control arm is free, then there might be food or ice jammed inside of the ice maker or it’s not receiving a good connection.
Check the Control Arm
When the switch is down and there’s ice but it’s not ejecting it, this could be an electrical or mechanical problem. This is going to require some more troubleshooting. Ready to begin? First, we must inspect the electrical connection. This can be unplugged from the rear of the freezer when shifting or moving the food in the freezer.
To inspect this, first unplug the refrigerator and pull it out away from the kitchen wall. Then, turn off the freezer’s water supply. Locate the valve on the rear of the inside of the freezer unit. Essentially this is what connects the ice maker into the freezer. Ensure that it is actually plugged in the right way.
Then, remove any ice that is inside of the ice maker itself. This can be done by pouring in a bit of water to help get the ice that is inside of there out.
Once done, turn on the power to the refrigerator and turn on the ice maker. It might take the solenoid a fewseconds to engage and fill the mold. When the mold is completely full, wait around 4-5 hours to see if you’ve cleared the problem.
Check for Frozen Lines
More ice maker issues that may cause your ice maker to not produce ice are frozen lines. The water lines might be blocked with frost. This is a pretty simple fix.
Unplug the fridge and locate the water shut off valve. Turn the water off and then grab a hair dryer to warm the line or just let the fridge sit without being on for a few hours and wait until the water line is thawed.
There are some models that feature a water filter that can clog or ice over. In these situations, finding the filter is the first step. Then repeat the same process that was done for the iced water line.
If your ice maker is not making large enough pieces of ice, there’s an issue with the settings. To adjust the the ice maker settings, take the top part of the cover of the ice maker off and locate a standard knob that displays plus and a minus symbols. To do this, you might need a flat head screwdriver.
ADDITIONAL REFRIGERATOR RESOURCES
- Refrigerator Noisy
- Refrigerator Water Dispenser Not Working
- Refrigerator Not Cooling
- How Does a Refrigerator Work?