Shine Sunrise Appliance Repair is experienced in refrigerator repair in Sunrise, including professional services to fix broken ice makers. Learn about some common ice maker problems below:
Ice makers are one of the best inventions of all time. An ice maker is a small luxury most people might take for granted. Ice makers are relatively simple machines that don’t feature a lot of complicated parts that can cause issues.
Like with any repair, there are some basic things that need to be reviewed before assuming the worst. And, it’s nice to know, if necessary, you are able to replace an ice maker without replacing the entire fridge, depending on the model. First, let’s take a look at some of the reasons for an ice maker breaking.
When an ice maker is making ice but it is not dispensing the ice cubes it is usually a mechanical issue versus an electrical issue. This occurs when moving things around in the freezer, you accidentally push or pull the control lever up or down. A lot of the time the ice maker will be blocked with something, possibly a piece of ice. First, look to see if there is something blocking this part from working properly.
Before beginning the process of clearing out the freezer, be sure the ice maker is on. This is done by moving the metal control arm down. Sometimes, moving things around in the freezer unit may put the control in the off position. If the control arm is clear, then there could be something jammed inside of the ice maker or it is not receiving a good connection.
Check the Control Arm
If the switch is down and there is ice but it’s not dispensing it, this might be an electrical or mechanical issue. This will require a bit more troubleshooting. Ready to proceed? First, we have to inspect the electrical connection. This can become unplugged from the rear of the freezer when shifting or moving the food in the freezer.
To check this, first unplug the refrigerator and pull it out from the kitchen wall. Turn off the water supply. Locate the valve on the rear of the inside of the freezer unit. Basically this is what connects the ice maker into the freezer. Ensure that it’s actually plugged in properly.
Then, remove any ice that is in the ice maker. This can be done by pouring in a little water to help to get the ice that is in there out.
Once this is done, restore power to the refrigerator and turn on the ice maker. It could take the solenoid component a couple of seconds to engage and fill the mold. After the mold is completely full, wait around 4-5 hours or so to see if you have solved the issue.
Check for Frozen Lines
Other ice maker problems that will cause your ice maker to not produce ice are frozen water lines. The water lines have been blocked with frost. This is an easy fix.
First, unplug the refrigerator and locate the shut off valve. Turn the water off and then grab a hair dryer to heat up the line or let the refrigerator sit turned off for a few hours and wait until the water line is thawed.
There are some brands and models that feature a water filter that can clog or ice over. For these situations, finding the filter is the first step. Then repeat the same process that was done for the iced line.
If an ice maker is not making big enough cubes of ice, there is a problem with the ice maker settings. To adjust the settings, take the upper part of the cover off and locate a basic control that displays plus and a minus signs. To do this, 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?