Ice Maker Not Making Ice: Safe Checks and Repairs

What this symptom might mean

An ice maker needs three things: to be switched on, to be cold enough, and to get water. Most no-ice calls trace back to one of them. Whirlpool says a switched-off ice maker is one of the most common reasons, and it's easy to bump the arm or the button. GE notes its ice makers won't start a cycle until the mould reaches about −9 °C (16 °F), so a freezer running warm, overpacked or with a door ajar simply makes no ice. Water problems include a closed or partly closed supply valve, a kinked line behind the fridge, a filter that is overdue or not seated, or a fill tube that has frozen. A new fridge, or one just moved, can take 24 hours to produce its first batch.

Once those are ruled out, the likely faults are in the ice maker itself (a stalled motor or rake, a heater that isn't releasing the cubes), the water inlet valve, or low water pressure at the house. Samsung's rule of thumb is that the dispenser should fill about 180 mL in under 10 seconds; slower than that suggests supply or filter trouble rather than the ice maker. In-door ice makers on French-door fridges also freeze up around the ice chute, which stops the auger rather than the ice making.

Stop and call if: Water leaking from the ice maker area onto the freezer floor or out of the fridge (switch the ice maker off and see refrigerator leaking water).

Safe checks you can do first

Switch or arm. Make sure the ice maker is on: the wire arm down, the paddle not held up by the bin, or the Ice Off icon dark on the display. Some fridges also have a separate ice-maker power switch inside.
Freezer temperature. Set the freezer to −18 °C (0 °F); Whirlpool recommends between about −17 °C and −15 °C for good ice production. If the freezer is warm, sort that out first (see freezer not freezing). Ice production needs the freezer roughly three-quarters full to hold a stable temperature, according to GE.
Water supply. Check the shut-off valve behind the fridge or under the sink is fully open and the line isn't kinked or pinched against the wall. Dispense a glass of water: if the flow is weak or takes more than 10 seconds for a small glass, the problem is the supply or the filter, not the ice maker.
Water filter. If the filter is more than six months old or the indicator is on, replace it and run a few litres through the dispenser to purge air. If water dispenses better with the filter removed and the bypass plug in, the filter was the restriction.
Reset and wait. Many ice makers have a test or reset button (Samsung's needs to be held until it chimes). After any change, allow 8 to 24 hours; a normal ice maker makes only a few batches a day.
Ice bin and chute. Empty the bin and look for a clump of fused ice or a block over the chute. Ice that hasn't been used for a while can weld together and hold the arm up.

Nothing above involves gas, wiring, refrigerant or removing panels. Those are technician-only: Replacing the inlet valve or any pressurised water fitting; Opening the ice maker module or its heater and motor; Changing the household shut-off valve or water line (a plumber, if not the fridge itself).

Repairs a technician may recommend

After inspection, not from the symptom alone.

Ice maker assembly replacement. When the freezer is cold, water reaches it, and the ice maker still doesn't cycle or eject. On most models the assembly is replaced as a unit.
Water inlet valve replacement. When the ice maker calls for water but nothing fills, or the fill is weak with good house pressure.
Fill tube thawing and heater or tube replacement. When the fill tube is frozen solid and refreezes after thawing.
Water filter housing or line repair. When the housing leaks or the line is crushed behind the fridge.
Ice chute door, auger motor or bin repair. When ice is made but won't dispense, or the in-door bin is freezing up.
Control board or sensor replacement. When the ice maker is receiving no signal to cycle.

When to book

Book if there is still no ice 24 hours after you've confirmed the ice maker is on, the freezer is at −18 °C, water dispenses well and the filter is fresh. Book sooner if you hear the ice maker trying to fill and nothing arrives, if the fill tube keeps freezing, or if there is water where it shouldn't be. Tell us the model and whether the ice maker is in the freezer or in the door; the parts differ. We'll also tell you honestly when an ice maker on an older fridge isn't worth the part. The visit is $89 with a written finding, waived if you proceed. See ice maker repair.

The visit: $89 diagnostic with a written finding, waived when you go ahead with the repair. Ice maker repair →

Questions

How long should a new ice maker take to make ice?

Typically up to 24 hours for the first full batch, and the first one or two batches should be discarded. Samsung says production should be visible within about 8 hours after a fix and normal within 24.

The water dispenser works but there's no ice. What does that mean?

Water is reaching the fridge, so the supply and usually the filter are fine. The fault is more likely the ice maker itself, its valve or a frozen fill tube. That's a good thing to tell us when you book.

Do I need a genuine filter?

Manufacturers recommend their own or approved filters because a poor-fitting one can restrict flow or leak at the head. Any filter that seats and locks properly and is rated for the model is usually fine, but a filter that doesn't fully seat can stop the ice maker.

Is it worth fixing the ice maker on a 10-year-old fridge?

Often yes if the fix is a valve or the assembly, because those are moderate parts. If the fridge also has cooling or frost problems, we'd rather tell you that first and let you decide with the full picture.

Ice maker not making ice

What this symptom might mean

Safe checks you can do first

Repairs a technician may recommend

When to book

Questions

Related

Sources

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