Ice maker not making ice

What to check yourself

• Is it switched on? Check the control panel or the metal shutoff arm. The arm must be down.
• Freezer temperature. Above about 10°F the ice maker will not cycle. If the freezer is warm, the ice maker is not the problem.
• Water filter. A filter older than six months can slow the water enough to stop ice production. Small or hollow cubes are a sign of low water flow.
• Water at the dispenser. If the dispenser is also slow or dry, the problem is in the supply: the filter, the shutoff valve or the inlet valve.

Common causes

• Frozen fill tube. The tube that brings water to the tray freezes shut. This often starts with a leaking inlet valve that drips into the tube.
• Water inlet valve. The valve does not open, or opens partly. It needs steady water pressure to work.
• Ice maker module. The motor or the thermostat inside the unit wears out. The tray stays full of ice and never dumps, or never fills.
• Frost in the ice compartment. On French door models with the ice maker in the refrigerator door or upper corner, warm air leaks in and the whole compartment ices up.

Hard water

Tap water in the Valley is hard. Mineral scale builds up in inlet valves, fill tubes and ice maker trays. It makes cubes cloudy, makes them stick in the tray and wears out valves sooner. Changing the filter on schedule helps. A filter does not remove all the minerals, so some scale is normal over the years.

How we repair it

We check the freezer temperature, test the inlet valve and the water flow, and run the ice maker through a test cycle. Depending on the result, we thaw and clear the fill tube, replace the valve, or replace the ice maker.