Your Fridge’s Ice Dispenser Is Not Working
Just want to chill your drinks with a few ice cubes but the ice dispenser on your American style fridge-freezer is refusing to work? Here we provide you with a range of tips and advice to enable you to find out what the source of the fault is.
THE POSSIBLE CAUSES FOR THIS FAULT :
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The ice bucket is switched off
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The ice making function has been turned off manually
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The water valve is turned off
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The right water temperature has not been reached
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The ice dispenser paddle is faulty
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The solenoid valve is defective
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The ice maker is broken
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The circuit board is faulty
WARNING
Before you do anything to your appliance, make sure you disconnect it from the power supply.
There is a risk of electric shock.
The ice bucket is switched off
The ice maker buckets on most fridge-freezers have a lever on the right-hand side. If this is in the OFF position, you won't be able to get any ice cubes. Check the position of this lever.
The ice making function has been turned off manually
Your American style fridge-freezer will have a button on its control panel that allows you to turn the ice dispensing function on and off. It also serves to put the dispenser mechanism in winter mode. Check the control panel to make sure you haven't accidentally turned this mode on.
The water valve is turned off
If the water valve is turned off or is not allowing water through at a high enough rate, the ice dispenser will not function. Check that the water supply is working properly, that the valve is turned on, and that the water pressure is sufficiently high.
The right water temperature has not been reached
If the freezer section of your fridge-freezer has not reached the right temperature, it will not allow the ice maker to operate. We therefore recommend checking it to make sure it's at -18°C. If it's not, adjust the thermostat accordingly.
The ice dispenser paddle is faulty
When ice mode is selected from the control panel, you have to push back on the dispenser paddle with your glass to get it to produce ice. If the paddle does not appear to be working, this may mean its contact switch is faulty. You can test the switch by simply placing the two probes of a multimeter, in ohmmeter mode, on its terminals. It should have continuity in one of its two positions.
The solenoid valve is defective
If the solenoid valve on your fridge is defective, it will fail to activate the water supply to your ice dispenser. The solenoid valve is located on the bottom of the fridge-freezer at the back, where the water supply hose connects. You can test it using a multimeter in ohmmeter mode. Disconnect it completely from the appliance and check whether you get a reading when you place the multimeter probes on its terminals. If there is no continuity, it will need to be replaced.
The ice maker is broken
If you've already carried out all the usual checks and are still not getting any ice, the ice dispenser will probably need to be replaced. You can quite easily change this part yourself. However, it is a good idea to first defrost the appliance before carrying out the procedure.
The circuit board is faulty
The circuit board manages most of your fridge-freezer's components, including the ice maker. If you've already checked all the other parts and the problem still persists, it may be the circuit board that's causing the issue. It should be noted, however, that these very seldom go wrong these days.