When you hold your cup against your freezer’s ice maker dispenser, you expect ice cubes to fall out on a signal. But what if your ice maker isn’t producing enough ice to keep up the order? There are a few typical culprits that might be to blame for this issue. Work through each of them until you find a solution.
How an Ice Makers Work
- A switch inside the ice maker starts the water supply from a line attached to the refrigerator’s back.
- The water flows through a line at the back of the fridge and fills the ice cube tray.
- The cold atmosphere in the freezer freezes the water into ice.
- A thermostat attached to the tray detects the temperature of the ice. When the temperature is lower required level, an electric heater at the bottom of the tray heats the ice slightly to release them from the tray.
- The motor rotates an arrow-shaped lever that pushes the cubes up and out of the tray.
- The cycle will be repeating until the ice bin is full. When you distribute ice and the container empties, the ice maker automatically refills it.
How to Fix a Slow Ice Maker
If you need ice faster, try these tips:
- Turn down the freezer temperature: It should be set to between 0 to 5 degrees F to keep your food at a deep freeze. Check the setting on your freezer to see if the temperature is set higher than this. Adjusting the temperature should help the incoming water freeze faster so that your ice maker runs faster.
- Don’t open the freezer door to check for ice often: This significantly slows ice production because it increases the inside temperature.
- Keep the freezer well-stored: The lack of food in the freezer makes it difficult for the freezer to maintain the consistently low temperature required to create ice. Try always to keep the freezer at least half full, filling it with water bottles as needed to add more volume. Of course, you also don’t need to overfill the appliance, as this can interfere with the airflow and cause the freezer to heat up inside.
- Keep free the ice maker from any objects: Otherwise, it can obstruct the sweep arm and cause the ice maker to stop operating. Leave the ice bin and the sweep arm clear and free of any food or other frozen products.
- Ensure the water line isn’t limited and has enough pressure: A water supply problem may result in small ice cubes. Pull the freezer out of the wall to check the water supply line leading to it. Ensure it’s not blocked or kinked in any way. Besides, turn on the valve on the water supply line entirely to the open position to provide high pressure.
- Change the water filter: If you never change the filter on your fridge, complete this task now. A clogged water filter could make the ice maker run slowly, obstructing water flow. Once you replaced the filter, let it go through several cycles before applying the ice.
Schedule Ice Maker Repair
If your ice maker is still struggling to make enough ice, schedule ice maker repair today at AC Repair Center, we’ll be happy to help!
