Modern refrigerators are made so well that they will usually outlast their ice maker. If your ice maker stops working, the best course of action is to hire an experienced Houston plumber to troubleshoot the problem and replace it if necessary.
How an Ice Maker Works
An ice maker is actually a separate appliance inside your refrigerator. It can make a batch of ice in two hours or less. After one batch is finished, a new batch begins when a solenoid in the ice maker is energized, which opens a valve that permits water to fill the ice mold. Some refrigerators have water filtration systems to filter out any contaminants that could damage the mold’s thin Teflon coating. The coating helps the ice slide out of the mold. If the mold deteriorates, it will be difficult to remove the cubes.
Once the water has frozen, the thermostat closes a circuit and energizes the motor and heater. Once the heater has loosened the ice from the mold, the harvesting arm sweeps the ice into a container. Then, the bail arm drops into position. If it is blocked because the container is full, ice production ceases.
What You Should Do If Your Ice Maker Stops Working
Ice makers stop working for a number of reasons. The water supply might be blocked. The solenoid stopped working, or the bail wire is lifted. You could also have problems if the water pressure is inadequate to serve an ice maker. In some cases, all you need to do is lift the bail wire above the ice collection drawer to fix the problem.
Here are a few more tips to help get your ice maker working again.
- Check the water supply line to make sure that it is not kinked. If you see that the supply arm swings into place and you hear a buzzing sound for a few seconds, the water is not reaching the mold. Copper tubing is less likely to have this problem than plastic tubing.
- Make sure that the fill tube is not frozen.
- Examine the ice mold. If it is full of ice cubes, the supply fill valve or the electrical connection may be faulty. A Houston residential plumber can test this operation with a special jumper wire.
- Check the water line behind the freezer. Turn off the water supply valve, unscrew the feed line, and place it in a bucket. Turn on the valve. If water pours out of it, the line is not frozen.
Because ice makers have a life expectancy of approximately 5 years, when your ice maker needs to be replaced, give us a call at (713) 360-2185. One of our experienced technicians will replace it for you. We can also perform a Houston water heater repair or solve any other plumbing problem that you experience.