Troubleshooting an Ice Maker that Won't Make Ice

Ice makers are a great feature of modern refrigerators. They save you the hassle of refilling trays and trying to manipulate the ice back out once that water freezes. If you are suffering from problems with your ice maker, then there are a few simple things that you can do to diagnose and correct the problem yourself. Here are some components to check.

1. Blocked Lines

The first thing that you should do is to check the water supply lines to ensure that they are not blocked. Sometimes ice can block the lines which may mean that they need to be cleaned out. Look inside the ice maker to see if the tray is filling with water. If not, pull your fridge out and check the line from one end to the other. If the fill tube is frozen try defrosting it so that you can use it again.

2. Broken Lines

If the lines break or become pinched or damaged then they can prevent water from getting to the ice maker. In this case, the lines will need to be replaced so that you can restore the function of your ice maker.

3. Not Connected to Water

It's also worthwhile checking the connections between your freezer and the water lines. If your freezer is not connected to the water lines, or if the tap is turned off, then this will cause the same problems. There will not be any water available to make ice. This is a very easy problem to correct and shouldn't take long to identify.

If you are not able to get any water from your freezer either then this suggests it could be a problem with the water supply. You will probably hear a buzzing noise when you're trying to make ice, this could mean that the freezer is trying to pump water which isn't available.

4. Valves

The valve which is connected to the tap could also be damaged or broken. Check that the valve opens and closes correctly and consider replacing it if it is damaged.

5. Temperature

If the freezer is set to a too warm temperature, then this will also create problems with producing ice. You will also notice that this isn't keeping your food as cold as it should. To correct this problem you will need to turn down the temperature or test and replace a faulty thermostat so the freezer will maintain the correct temperature.

6. Malfunctioning Bail Wire

There is a bail wire inside the ice maker which will lift when the ice maker is full of ice. This is designed to prevent too much ice from being produced. If the bail wire is stuck in the up position then this will be preventing ice production. If it is stuck in the lower position, the ice will not dump out of the tray and will not continue to make ice.

Check the position of the bail wire by locating it inside your freezer. The instruction manual should help you to locate this wire.

7. Solenoid

Unplug the freezer and pull it out from the wall. The water will travel to a solenoid valve located at the back of your freezer before being sent to the ice maker. If the solenoid is not working or is not getting power then this could be a reason for concern. If you're not skilled at home electronics then you might want to hire a specialist to help complete this task for you.