Introduction
Your ice maker is probably one of the most highly appreciated features of modern refrigerators and that’s why it sucks when it stops working. You frantically search for “refrigerator repair near me” to hire a professional and get it repaired. However, if it’s a minor problem, you can fix it yourself. Let’s check out how you can fix your ice maker when it goes on a strike:
The Details
- Ice Maker is turned off or paused – You’d be surprised to know that most times ice maker problems aren’t even a problem at all. More often than not the settings are changed by mistake or due to a software bug and your ice maker is turned off or paused. If it isn’t you, it may be one of your family members who accidentally turned off the ice maker.
It may also be caused due to an accidental swipe on the digital control panel of your refrigerator. Either way, changing the settings helps to fix the problem. Go to the digital control panel of your refrigerator and locate the icemaker settings to check if it’s turned off. You may have to refer to the user manual of your refrigerator if you can’t locate the ice maker settings.
Your ice maker may also be paused for other reasons. For instance, the ice maker has a metal bar that gets pushed up as the ice maker gets filled with ice. When the bar hits the top or reaches a certain manufacturer set level, the ice maker is paused to prevent overfilling and the formation of new ice.
If you want to fix this issue the traditional way, you can flip down the fill bar inside the ice bin. To prevent this problem in the future, clear out the ice bin and make sure that no counterweight or obstruction makes the metal bar flip up on its own.
- Ice stuck in mold – While the ice maker is convenient, the technology is flawed, and you may not get perfectly shaped ice cubes every time. Sometimes you get fluffy frosted ice while other times you get fractured or misshapen ice.
Misshapen ice can often obstruct the release of ice and create other problems with the icemaker. One of the most common causes of misshapen ice is ice bits stuck inside the ice mold. When a whole batch of ice gets stuck on the mold, the icemaker can’t create new ice. The problem gets worsened when water accumulates in the ice bin instead of the ice mold.
This problem is another easy fix. You can turn off the ice maker manually by flipping the bar or through the control panel and pouring warm water over the ice maker tray slowly with a pitcher. The warm water helps you to get rid of ice bits without the use of salt or chemical agents. This makes the ice tray ready for use without any wait time.
- Ice maker out of balance – This is an overlooked problem that may cause your ice maker to malfunction. If your ice maker isn’t leveled properly, the ice won’t be formed properly in your ice tray and the ejector assembly won’t function properly.
To fix this problem, you need to check if your fridge is level. Get a spirit level and rest it at the top of your refrigerator and on the bottom shelf. If the refrigerator is leveled properly, the next step is to check the mounting screws of your ice maker. Make sure that the mounting brackets are laid flat while the screws are tightened well enough. If there is a bent screw or bracket, you need to replace them.
- Leaking or clogged water lines – The water line connection to your ice maker ensures smooth refilling of water into the mold so that the ice maker can keep making ice efficiently. However, problems arise when you have a clogged or leaky water line. Water won’t come out and fill up the ice tray to make new ice.
The problem gets worse if the clog is formed by an organic substance and adds harmful bacteria and fungus. In this case, even if the ice maker makes ice, it will smell foul. A leaky water line isn’t any better either. Even if there is no organic intrusion, you’ll have a frozen mess or get runny ice.
To fix this issue, you need to open the access panels and reach for the waterline. Unfasten the water line and check for clogs and leaks. If the water line is frozen, you can thaw it with warm water, and to get rid of clogs, you can hold it under the tap. If the leak isn’t too big, you can fix it with waterproof industrial tape. Otherwise, you need to replace it with a brand-new water line.
- Water filter is out of order – This problem is common with homeowners who own very old refrigerators. Your refrigerator maybe half a decade old and you may have forgotten to replace the water filter. This accumulates more debris inside the filter and eventually, the filter loses its efficacy.
When that happens, your water filter gets clogged and filled with crud. This will result in low water pressure or completely obstruct the flow of water. Your ice maker won’t be able to produce ice and if water gets in at low pressure, it will create dirty and grimy ice that won’t be usable. The obvious fix, in this case, is to change the water filter.
- Problems with the ejector assembly – The ejector assembly pulls ice out of the ice bin and pushes it down the chute to the door. An ejector assembly has many components including a motor, gears, and flaps, and one of them failing will bring the mechanism to a halt. In this case, you have to call the repairman to fix your problem.
Conclusion
By now you should be familiar with all the major problems that may cause your ice maker to malfunction or not work properly. If you’re savvy enough, you can fix it yourself. Otherwise, you can search for “refrigerator repair near me” and hire a professional to do it for you.
