You have heard that making ice takes time, so you take your sweet time. You check your ice maker after a few minutes, and there is nothing. You come back after a few hours and still, nothing.
What could be wrong? You wonder.
A properly functioning ice maker should produce ice, so if yours isn’t, you have a problem you should address as soon as possible. To help you out, here are tips given by refrigerator ice maker repair experts on how to fix ice maker not making ice:
The failure of the appliance to make ice is most likely due to poor water connections. Since the connections vary depending on the refrigerator models, it’s hard to pinpoint where the connections are located, so check the instructions in your appliance’s user manual.
If you don’t have the hard copy manual, you can always download it online. Before you touch the connections, first confirm they are correctly in place and unobstructed.
Since you are inexperienced, avoid tinkering with connections in hard to reach areas as you can easily damage your appliance.
Check the power connections.
Sometimes you might get your pants in a bunch for nothing. You might think your appliance is faulty, but in a real sense, it’s simply switched off. Check the power connection to the ice maker. Is it switched off? If it is, switch it on.
Check the water supply line.
If you can see the arm swing into motion accompanied by a buzz, and yet the appliance isn’t making ice, it means the water valve is asking for water that isn’t arriving.
This often happens when the valve and the solenoid function properly, but the water supply isn’t.
Check your appliance’s water supply that will most likely be located behind or beneath the refrigerator. Find the shut-off valve behind the fridge or under the sink, turn it off, unscrew the copper line from the back of the fridge, put the copper line in a bucket, turn on the valve and see whether water pours out.
Confirm whether the filter has clogged up
Like a furnace and other appliances in your home, the ice maker will fail to make ice if the filters are clogged up. A dirty filter reduces the amount of water getting into the ice machine, reducing the ice maker’s chances of making ice.
If you find out the filter is clogged, clean it following the owner’s manual instructions.
Check the tap valve
The tap valve is a small device that connects the ice maker’s water supply tube to the water pipe. In some cases, the valve develops problems, so water fails to get to the ice maker.
If you do the inspection and find the valve malfunctioning, replace it together with the inlet valve. When undertaking the replacement, go for a valve that requires you to drill a ¼ inch hole instead of the self-piercing type.
You can purchase the connection kit and work yourself or hire a repair professional to do the work for you.
Take a look at the solenoid.
The solenoid attaches to the water line at the back and bottom of the fridge then travels to the ice maker. Sometimes the solenoid gets defective or fails to receive power resulting in plenty of problems.
Inspect the solenoid, unplug the refrigerator, and then remove the sediment screen inside and flush it with water. While at it, take a look at the seals and confirm they are in perfect working condition. If not in good shape, replace them.
Look out for a frozen line.
It’s common to have a frozen water line, especially if you live in icy areas. To fix the frozen line, unplug the fridge, then locate the shut-off valve, often located under the sink or behind the fridge.
You should then turn the valve to the closed or off position then fill the turkey baster with warm water. You can also defrost the line with a hairdryer or by letting the fridge sit unplugged for at least two hours.
If you do this and still the ice maker doesn’t make ice, ask an experienced commercial appliance repair Northern VA professional to inspect the appliance. It might be having a more serious problem.
