How To Repair A Ice Maker Water Line

Expert communication on how to repair a fridge water ice maker that doesn't brand ice or doesn't work at all. Likewise helps y'all fix an water ice maker that is frozen up or does not squirt ice. Includes how to supplant an ice maker.

Troubleshooting and repairing an ice maker are jobs that do-it-yourselfers can handle with a little bit of guidance.

Hand holding a glass under an ice maker. — Water ice maker not working? Endeavour these like shooting fish in a barrel fixes! ©Don Vandervort, HomeTips

The most common problem with an water ice maker is that it doesn't make water ice. Other problems include an ice maker that won't stop making ice or freezes up. Hither we brainstorm with the well-nigh common problem—the ice maker stops making water ice.

How to troubleshoot an ice maker that isn't making ice:

Make sure the bail wire in a higher place the ice tray is in the down position. When it'southward up, it shuts off the water ice maker.
Check the water supply line beneath or behind the refrigerator. Be sure it isn't kinked and is supplying h2o.
Be certain the piddling fill tube that fills the ice tray isn't frozen. If it is, cook the icy tube with a hair dryer.
Look for ice in the ice mold and make sure the motor that turns the ice ejection arm is working.
Check the tap valve that connects the supply tube to the h2o pipe.
Check the solenoid. For more than detail near this and all of the above steps, meet below.

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How An Water ice Maker Works

Merely before diving into dealing with ice maker problems, let's expect at how an ice maker works and so yous'll take a better understanding of what might exist incorrect.

Diagram showing the components of a freezer ice maker, including the solenoid, inlet, and shut-off arm. — Diagram of an ice maker's parts.

An ice maker receives water through a small-scale, 1/4-inch h2o supply line that runs from the refrigerator to a water pipe (or a water filter).

The water supply line leads to the water fill valve in the fridge, which is controlled past an icemaker thermostat. The make full valve sends water through a make full tube into a mechanized ice maker assembly that includes an ice mold. This is where the water freezes. Browse replacement parts on Amazon.

When the water freezes, the thermostat shuts off the water supply via a solenoid. Next, it turns on a heater to slightly warm the cubes so they will release from the ice mold. So it turns on a small icemaker motor that rotates the ice ejection arm. The ejection arm pushes the ice cubes out of the mold and into the water ice collection bin. Consequently, the water fill valve turns on for a few seconds to fill up the ice mold over again, and the cycle repeats.

When the water ice drove bin is filled with ice, the ice raises a bail wire, shutting off the ice maker unit of measurement until the ice level in the bin drops.

Water ice Maker Does Not Make Ice

If the h2o's route is blocked or the solenoid doesn't work—or if the bail wire is lifted—the ice maker won't brand ice. (Also notation that your home'south h2o pressure may not exist strong enough to serve an ice maker.)

Here are a few steps you can take to become your ice maker working.

Hand holding setting the bail wire of an ice maker to the OFF position. — Make sure the bail wire above the ice collection drawer is not locked in its upper position. This shuts off the ice. ©Don Vandervort, HomeTips

Make sure the bail wire above the ice tray is in the down position. When it is locked in the upper position, information technology shuts off the water ice maker.
Cheque the water supply line. If the ice maker doesn't make water ice but you tin run across the arm swing into motion and you hear a buzz for most 10 seconds, the water valve is asking for h2o that isn't arriving. This ways the valve and the solenoid are probably okay, but the water supply is not.

Be sure the h2o supply line isn't kinked backside or beneath the fridge (1/4-inch copper tubing is much better than plastic fill line to prevent kinks). Detect the water shut-off valve backside the refrigerator or under the sink, turn information technology off, unscrew the copper line from the dorsum of the refrigerator, put the copper line in a saucepan, turn on the valve, and run into if water pours out.

An water ice maker tap valve and copper tubing are used to connect to a water pipe. Check price on Amazon

3 Check the tap valve. A bad tap valve—the trivial device that connects the ice maker'southward water supply tube to the h2o piping—may crusade the problem where the ice maker's supply tube connects to the water piping.

If necessary, replace the inlet valve and the tap valve. For the tap valve, use the blazon that requires you to drill a ane/iv-inch hole (as opposed to the "cocky-piercing" type). Y'all can purchase an water ice maker connectedness kit and practice this yourself, or call a repair person or plumber to install an inline water filter when replacing the valve.

4 Check the solenoid. The water line attaches to a solenoid at the back or bottom of the fridge and then travels to the ice maker. The solenoid may exist defective or may not be receiving ability.

Replacement solenoid for an ice maker. — Replacement solenoids are available online. Check price on Amazon

Unplug the refrigerator first. So you lot can try removing the sediment screen inside the solenoid and flushing it with water to clean it, and at the same time you can inspect whatever seals or diaphragms to ensure that they are sound. You can purchase a replacement solenoid on Amazon for about $25—it's held in place by 4 screws.

Here is a video that'due south quite helpful for troubleshooting why an ice maker isn't working:

Ice Maker Does Not Turn Off

If your ice maker doesn't turn off (it keeps making water ice) even when the ice bin is full:

Lift the bail wire to shut off the ice maker, and remove the water ice bin. Using a screwdriver if necessary, remove the ice maker, clean it thoroughly, and and then reinstall information technology.
If the problem persists, consider replacing the ice maker and valve. You can do this yourself, as discussed below, or have an appliance repair person practise it. With this type of problem, you lot tin take it repaired, simply it's often wiser, easier, and less expensive to supplant the unit entirely.

Ice Maker Repair: Water ice Maker Frozen Up

If your water ice maker has frozen up, accept the post-obit steps to thaw information technology out:

Unplug the refrigerator or plow off the circuit billow that supplies ability to it. Remove the ice bin from the refrigerator and remove any loose ice from the ice maker.
Detect the fill tube. This is a white rubber-similar hose that delivers water to the water ice maker. Pull down the small-scale metal clip off the housing that holds the fill tube (though not all ice makers have this clip).
Warm the hose and surrounding mechanism. To do this, you can train a hair dryer on the ice maker to melt any ice blocking the machinery. But be very careful (sop up whatever dripping water with a rag) as electricity and h2o tin can present a serious adventure of electrical shock. Also, be conscientious non to cook the plastic parts.
If you don't desire to apply a pilus dryer, you tin can soak the supply tubing with hot water, using a turkey baster and catching the overflow in a basin. In some cases, it may be easier to remove the ice maker than to thaw out the fill tube with the ice maker in identify.

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Ice Maker Does Not Eject Water ice

If your ice maker is producing ice but does not properly eject it, the problem is with the motor assembly inside it.

Yous can buy an ice maker motor module on Amazon. Here is an like shooting fish in a barrel-to-follow video on how to supersede an ice maker motor:

Virtually Ice Maker Replacement

If the trouble isn't solvable or the coating inside the ice maker mold is coming off on your water ice cubes, you'll need to replace the entire unit of measurement. You can detect an array of replacements on Amazon.

Though the ice makers vary from i make to another, well-nigh are like in pattern. For Kitchenaid, Maytag, Kenmore, and Whirlpool refrigerators, encounter this video:

This also shows how to switch the bail arm wire from the old ice maker to the new 1 and how to alter the wiring harness if necessary.