A common feature in refrigerators that homeowners tend to rely on is the ice maker. Unfortunately, all too often, ice makers do not work the way that they are designed to. In the event that your refrigerator's ice maker is giving you a difficult time, you may be able to troubleshoot the issue instead of calling an appliance repair service. Read on to learn more.
Inspect the Water Inlet Value
Your first step should be to unplug the refrigerator so there is no power to the refrigerator, then turn off the water supply to the water inlet valve, which is typically located on the back of the fridge. Make sure that the valve is not blocked and that the line that is attached to the valve is not protruding. If it is, you should detach it, clear the blockage, and reattach it.
Check the Filter
It isn't uncommon for your problem to be caused by a dirty filter. Find the filter and see if this is your problem. If you are unsure of its location, your owner's manual should be able to help you. If you find that there is debris lodged in the filter, just remove it, clean it according to the instructions within the owner's manual, and replace the filter.
Investigate the Water Line
Your ice maker is not going to work if the water line becomes clogged or gets turned off by accident. So, make sure that it is not blocked, and if it is, remove the line and clean it. In some cases, fastener may get placed too tightly around the water line, keeping water from moving, in which case the fastener simply needs to be slightly loosened.
Examine the Control Arm
The control arm is responsible for informing your refrigerator to halt making ice because the bin is full. In the event that the control arm has fallen off or it is in the wrong position, the machine can come to a stop. Make sure that the arm didn't get moved by accident or hasn't broken off. If so, it can be moved to the proper position or put back on (unless it is damaged, in which case it will need to be replaced).
Check the Thermostat
Finally, take a look at your thermostat to ensure it is not set too low, because if it is, the water is likely to freeze before it has a chance to make the ice cubes. Peek at your owner's manual to find out the recommended temperature.
If your ice maker is still not working after the aforementioned troubleshooting tips, contact an appliance repair professional in your area.
It's never easy to admit that you could use a little help with your home appliances, especially if you know that you caused part of the problem. I was left dealing with a problem with my garbage disposal a few years ago, and I realized that it had to do with the fact that I put just about everything I could think of down the drain instead of using the trashcan. I began working hard to talk with different professionals about how to fix things, and it was super fun to learn about the ways we could change the appliances I had. Now all of my appliances work great, and I made a blog about how to make things better.