If you are facing Kenmore Ice maker Not Making Ice, then there are a few possible problems at hand. But before you decide your ice maker is defective, let’s take a look at some of the issues that can cause ice not to dispense. You might not need to get a new one yet.
Historically, ice makers built into refrigerators lasted the average life of the refrigerator. But now, manufacturers are adding more features to the ice makers, which decreases their lifespan to about five years.
After a few years, mechanical and electrical problems may come up. In many cases, these problems are easy to fix yourself. If you take a few minutes to fix these small issues, you can save hundreds of dollars over time.
1. Faulty Water Inlet Valve
The water inlet valve opens to supply water to the dispenser and ice maker. If it malfunctions, or if there is insufficient pressure, it will not be able to provide water to either of them. As a result, the ice maker will not produce ice.
If your valve solenoids are having mechanical or electrical problems, your valve won’t open water to the ice maker. A mechanical failure can be caused by mineral deposits building up and preventing the valve from opening. An electrical failure might be caused by burnt coils on the valve.
Keep in mind that the valve needs 20 psi to work. To test this, you need to measure the water pressure. If it’s at least 20 psi, check to see if there is electricity going to the water inlet valve. If the water inlet valve has power and is getting more than 20 psi of water pressure, but the Kenmore ice maker still won’t fill with water, chances are you need to replace the water inlet valve.
Depending on the issue, the inlet valve could need to be replaced. The Multimeter can test the solenoid coils for continuity. If one or more coils are having issues, the inlet valve will need to be repaired or replaced. If there is a humming sound coming from the valve, but no water comes out, try cleaning the solenoid again.
2. Wrong Temperature Setting
The ice maker won’t make cubes if the freezer is too warm. The temperature should be at -5 degrees Fahrenheit (-18 degrees Celsius), or lower.
If your freezer is staying above 15 degrees Fahrenheit or -9 degrees Celcius, something might be wrong with the appliance. Debris on the coils might be keeping the appliance from properly cooling.
3. Frozen Evaporator Coils
When the refrigeration Evaporator coils are frosted, it means there is a defect in the defrost system. There are four possible causes of this failure: the defrost thermostat, control board, heater, or cold temp sensor.
The evaporator fan motor fails to properly circulate the air inside your freezer, or frosted evaporator coils restrict airflow, causing your ice maker to malfunction.
An ice maker’s inability to work correctly might be due to an evaporator motor that is not working or frozen evaporator coils. This will cause the temperature of the freezer to increase, which in turn will cause the ice maker to stop functioning properly.
4. Broken Door Switch
The door switch is what turns the ice and water dispenser off when the refrigerator door is open. If the switch fails, it won’t turn on even if you push the buttons.
Checking the freezer door switch is easy. All you need to do is push it, and if the light goes off, that means the switch is working. If the light stays on, then there’s a malfunction with the switch.
To find out if it’s broken, use a multimeter to see if it has continuity. If it doesn’t, replace it.
5. Low Water Pressure
A water inlet valve needs about 20 psi of water pressure per square inch to work correctly. This means that if you turn off the water supply, disconnect the supply line from the inlet valve and hold the line over a bucket, you can see for yourself if the line has enough pressure to operate properly.
It sounds like the water is not flowing the way it’s supposed to. Let’s turn the water supply on and see if we can guess what the problem is. If there is a low flow of water, it may be an issue with the pipes or valves.
6. Kenmore Icemaker Mold Thermostat
Monitoring the temperature of your ice maker is essential for making ice cubes. This thermostat makes sure that once the temperature is right, the ice maker will eject the ice cubes and refill the mold with water. If this thermostat is defective, the ice maker will stop making ice.
To troubleshoot a thermostat that may be defective, check for continuity using a multimeter. If there’s no continuity, replace it.
The ice maker won’t make ice if it is not cold enough. That’s because if the temperature is over 20 degrees Fahrenheit, the thermostat contacts will open and the water will flow freely through the mold. The temperature must be below 20 degrees to close the contacts so the water freezes and becomes ice.
Hi there! I’m Sam Hendricks, and I’m a repair technician and expert. I created this website to help people like you save money and time by fixing your own appliances.
Over the years, I’ve seen people spend a lot of money on unnecessary repairs or replacements. That’s why I decided to share my expertise and create easy-to-follow guides for fixing appliances on your own.