The unfortunate reality of owning a refrigerator with an ice maker is that it can fail, which is not ideal during warmer weather. On the bright side, ice makers are also relatively simple machines that, for the most part, all operate the same way. Whether you need that iced coffee hit in the morning or are hosting a cookout at night, you may be able to diagnose and repair a faulty ice maker yourself without forking over cash for an expensive service call.
If you find ice inside the ice mold, it means your ice maker is receiving water and the problem likely isn’t with the water supply. Instead, it’s most likely a mechanical or electrical problem.
Cause: When moving things around in the freezer, it’s not uncommon to accidentally nudge the control arm into the off position, which halts production of ice.
Fix: This is an easy fix. Locate the metal control arm and move it to the down or on position.
Cause: If the control arm is in the on (down) position and the mold is filled with ice, the problem likely lies with the motor, gearbox or electrical connection.
Manually remove any remaining ice from the mold by adding some water and letting it sit for a minute. The ice will begin to melt and should be easier to remove.
Wait three to four hours for the ice to freeze and see if the ice now ejects. If not, it’s likely that you will need to replace the motor or gearbox.
Fix: To repair a frozen line, slide the refrigerator and unplug it. Locate the shut-off valve, typically underneath the sink or behind the refrigerator. Turn the valve to the closed or off position. Fill a turkey baster with warm water and pour the water over the water line. Alternatively, you can defrost the water line with a hair dryer or by letting the refrigerator sit unplugged for upward of two hours.
If the clog is anything but translucent, consult with a professional for help removing the clog.
Fix: Locate and replace the water filter. Filters for ice makers are typically located inside the refrigerator (to keep them from freezing).
When cubes are too big or small
Cause: If the ice crescents are too big or there is no clog and they’re still too small, chances are, the ice maker just needs a little adjustment.
Fix: To adjust how much water the ice mold is filled with each cycle, first remove the cover from the ice maker. It’s the white plate on the frontmost part of the ice maker assembly and it should pull off rather easily. If you’re having difficulty removing it, use a flat head screwdriver to gently pry it away from the housing.
Under the cover, you should see a screw and spring assembly, along with a plus and minus indicator. This controls the dosing for water. Screw in (toward the minus symbol) to decrease the amount of water per dose and out (toward the plus) to increase the amount of water per dose.
Source: CNET.
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