Top 5 Icemaker Troubleshooting Tips

Are you ice-obsessed? If you are, you're not alone. Canadians as well as Americans love ice too.

Who doesn't enjoy a tall glass of ice-cold water on a hot day? Not having access to cold water can sometimes affect your levels of water consumption. Many people find themselves drinking less water if there's no ice available. 
If you feel the same way, access to ice shouldn't be a problem. Most modern refrigerators have built-in ice makers. Some also allow easy access through ice dispensers incorporated into the door's design. 
However, over time there may be problems that can cause your ice maker to stop working. You wouldn't want to end up having room-temperature beverages as a result. Even worse would be having to decrease your water intake due to a faulty ice maker.
The good news is, that these issues sometimes have an easy fix. Doing a bit of troubleshooting can help. Read on for tips you can use when your ice maker is on the fritz.

1. Start With the Basics Is it turned on? It's upsetting when the IT guy asks this when you're having computer issues. And it may be upsetting now.
But there is a reason for asking it. Depending on the type of refrigerator you have, it's easy to turn the ice maker off inadvertently.
You or one of your family members may have touched the control arm or power switch. This can happen when you're putting away items or looking for something in the freezer.

You may also consciously have turned it off for several reasons including:

- To defrost your fridge
- To slow down/stop ice production
- You went on vacation

Then forgotten to turn it back on. If your refrigerator's ice maker has a control arm, when it's pulled up, it turns the ice maker off. Turning it back on is as simple as pushing it down.
Most Whirlpool refrigerators have a wire shutoff arm. Samsung models have a button with an 'Off' LED light. If the ice maker is on, the 'Off' LED light will turn off. If you have a Kitchenaid refrigerator you'll find the power switch for the ice maker on the right side closer to the top of the freezer.
When in doubt, you can check your user manual to find out how to turn your ice maker on and off.

2. How to Fix a Leaking Ice Maker It won't be hard to tell if your ice maker is leaking. You'll notice water on the floor of your kitchen coming from the freezer side of your fridge. You may also notice water leaking into the ice bucket.

Leaks can be a result of:

- A leaking fill tube
- An ice jam
- Faulty water filter or dispenser
- A misaligned ice cube fill valve and ice fill cup
- Loose or leaking connections or water supply pipe
- A clogged condensation drain
- The refrigerator isn't at standing level

Here are some areas of the refrigerator to check:

- That water line fittings are secure
- Leaks from the water valve
- Leaks from the fill tube extension
- An overflowing or cracked defrost water drain
- Moisture on the exterior of the fridge
- That the refrigerator is level

Once you ascertain the problems, it's best to call a professional to repair them. Any DIY efforts may nullify your warranty.

3. Jammed Ice Maker Problems This is a common problem with Whirlpool french door refrigerator models. The ice maker may not be producing completely formed ice cubes. This creates slush in the ice maker that also gets on the ejector arm.
The ice maker eventually jams when the slush continues to accumulate over time. This prevents it from ejecting new ice. Because this occurs so often in these models, here's how to fix an ice maker on a Whirlpool Gold refrigerator.
You'll need to clear the built-up ice. Use a plastic utensil to chip away ice on the ejector arm.
You must be careful during this process as any rough movements can damage the arm. Using a metal object to clean it can also damage the ice maker.

4. Issues With Less Than Perfect Ice Cubes As important as ice may be for many North Americans, no one wants imperfect ice cubes. If your ice cubes are:

- Clumping together
- Dirty
- Significantly smaller than usual

There's a problem with your ice maker. Despite its smart settings this issue sometimes occurs in Samsung refrigerator models. Here's how to fix a Samsung fridge ice maker:

Clumping Ice: You can avoid your ice clumping together. Dump out excess ice every week. This allows the ice maker to produce a fresh batch of ice.

Dirty Ice Cubes: If the dirt is from the water supply, flush a few gallons of water through it. A damaged or expired water filter can also cause dirty ice. Change the filter to be on the safe side. You should also check for any sign of damage on your ice bucket. If there is, you'll need to call a refrigerator repair company.

Small Ice Cubes: Low water pressure can cause shattered or small ice cubes. This prevents the ice maker from getting enough water to make regular-sized cubes. Check the water pressure. If it's low you may have to switch to the water line.

5. Ice Maker Not Working Due to Faulty Parts Do you have a Kitchenaid refrigerator and think faulty parts may be the problem? This is how to fix an ice maker on a Kitchenaid refrigerator. The bad news is, if it's due to defects in assembly, you'll need to replace the entire assembly.

An expert can determine if this is the case.

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