An ice maker that stops making ice is usually switched off, blocked by a full or misplaced bucket, short of water because of a clogged filter or closed valve, or sitting in a freezer that isn't cold enough. Check those in order before you suspect the ice maker assembly.
Give a new install time
A fridge that was delivered yesterday won't have ice yet. GE says a new refrigerator usually needs 24 to 48 hours to cool down, and an ice maker newly added to an existing fridge can take a day or two to start filling. Samsung says ice should start within about 3 hours once the freezer is cold enough, though output can take up to 24 hours to get back to normal.
Samsung puts normal output at about 2 trays every 3 hours, so an empty bin the morning after delivery isn't a fault.
Make sure the ice maker is actually on
This catches a lot of people. GE notes that most ice makers have an On/Off toggle or slide switch on the unit itself, and some, like door ice makers, are switched from the control panel. Older styles use a wire feeler arm or a paddle that tells the ice maker to pause when it's held up or blocked, so make sure it's down and moves freely.
On Samsung fridges the Ice Off icon should be unlit (top-freezer models use an Ice On icon instead, which should be lit). If the Ice Off light is blinking, the fridge can't see the bucket. On GE ice makers with a green light on the switch, a flashing light usually means a harvest cycle didn't finish, often because a cube is caught in the ejector.
Also check for anything sitting in the bucket besides ice. Samsung warns that a scoop or food left in there can make the ice maker think the bucket is full.
Check the freezer temperature
Ice makers won't cycle until the mold is cold enough. Samsung says the freezer must reach 0°F (-18°C) or lower to make ice, even on models where the ice maker lives in the fresh food door. Whirlpool gives a range of 0 to 5°F (-18 to -15°C).
Put a thermometer between frozen packages and check it after a few hours. If you turn the setting down, Samsung says to give it 3 hours before checking again. If the freezer is warmer than that, fix the cooling first; an ice maker problem is often just a cooling problem showing up in the ice bin. Our refrigerator not cooling guide covers that.
Confirm water is reaching the fridge
Find the shutoff valve for the fridge line. It's usually behind the fridge, under the kitchen sink, or in the basement or crawl space below the kitchen. Make sure it's fully open. GE notes there should be only one supply line feeding the fridge's water valve.
Then look behind the fridge. Whirlpool warns that pushing the fridge too far back can pinch the line. Straighten any kink you find.
If your fridge has a water dispenser, use it as a pressure test. Samsung says a 6 oz (3/4 cup) glass should fill in under 10 seconds and gives 20 psi as the minimum household pressure. Slow flow at the dispenser usually means the ice maker is short of water too, which shows up as small cubes or no ice.
Replace or test the water filter
A clogged filter is one of the most common reasons ice production drops off. GE says to replace it at least every 6 months, sooner if there's construction nearby stirring sediment into the water. Whirlpool also says every 6 months or when the indicator comes on, and Samsung rates its filters at 300 gallons, about 6 months for an average household.
On GE fridges, the test is to take the filter out and put in the bypass plug; GE will send one free if yours is missing. If the dispenser flow improves noticeably, the filter is the problem.
Whirlpool has its own check for a badly seated filter: pull the filter out and try the dispenser. If water still comes out, Whirlpool says the filter was installed wrong. Put it back until it clicks or turns fully home.
Clear jams and reset the ice maker
A cube caught in the ejector arm or a frozen clump in the bucket can stop the cycle. Take the bucket out, break up any clumps, and look at the mold for a half-ejected cube. Samsung suggests dumping the bucket every other week so the ice maker keeps making fresh ice.
Don't chip at the ice maker or blast it with a hair dryer. Samsung says trying to defrost its ice makers can damage them, and a bucket that won't come out is probably frozen in place. Don't force it; that needs service.
Many ice makers have a test or reset button. On Samsung models you hold Test until it chimes, which can take up to 10 seconds. The test then takes about 6 minutes for an ice maker in the fridge compartment and about 30 seconds for one in the freezer. Whirlpool says to hold a reset button for a few seconds, or unplug the fridge for 1 minute if there isn't one.
Run GE's water test to check the ice maker itself
If water supply looks good but the ice maker still won't make ice, GE offers a simple test. Pour about 4 oz (120 ml) of cold water into the empty mold, wait 2 to 3 hours, and check whether the ice was ejected. If it was, the ice maker is working and the problem is water getting to it.
When it dumps the hand-poured ice but never fills itself, go back over the water side: shutoff valve, line and filter. GE adds that the fill tube can freeze in rare cases, and that the water dispenser keeps working when it does. Checking it means taking the ice maker out, so GE leaves that to a technician.
Not enough ice, or small and cloudy cubes
Ice makers are slower than most people expect. Samsung says an ice maker in the fridge compartment drops a tray every 45 to 65 minutes and a freezer ice maker one about every 85 minutes. A full-size tray holds 8 cubes and a counter-depth tray 6. Production also stops once about 2 lb (0.9 kg) of ice is in the bin.
Small cubes point back to water supply, so recheck the filter and the shutoff valve. Samsung also suggests dispensing ice often so the cubes don't pile up at one end of the bin.
- Small cubes: low pressure or a clogged filter.
- Cubes fused together: old ice sitting in the bucket too long.
- Off-tasting ice: an overdue filter, or sediment from nearby construction.
When to call a professional
Call for service if the ice maker passes a reset but still won't fill, if the bucket is frozen in place, or if the fill tube is frozen, since the ice maker has to come out. Ice maker fault codes and fan errors on in-door ice makers usually mean a part needs replacing.
Parts involved
Error codes for this problem
- CIIcemaker not working properlyGE
- Icemaker green light flashingIcemaker stuck in a fault stateGE
- Er IFIce maker fan problemLG
- Er ISIce maker sensor faultLG
- Er ItIce maker motor or assembly faultLG
- Er gFWater flow sensor errorLG
- 39EIce maker function errorSamsung
- 40EIce room fan errorSamsung
- 8EIce maker sensor errorSamsung
- 33EIce pipe heater errorSamsung
- Ice OffIce Off light blinkingSamsung
- DI SP / DISPIce jammed in the dispenserFrigidaire