The Kenmore ice maker is a common home appliance that provides ice for the kitchen and entertainment areas. If you have a Kenmore ice maker, it can produce many ice cubes per day. Unfortunately, your ice maker may not be working properly if the Kenmore ice maker not filling with water. Here are some common reasons why your Kenmore ice maker might not be filling with water.
Kenmore ice makers are among the most reliable on the market, as long as they fill with water. But filling with water isn’t always a given. A clogged or frozen line can cause Kenmore ice maker to fill with air instead of dripping in water. Here are several simple solutions to fix a Kenmore ice maker that won’t fill completely.
Kenmore Ice Maker Not Filling With Water – Troubleshoot and Diagnosis
An ice maker requires a great deal of maintenance to keep it in top working condition. To ensure the quality of your ice, and avoid build-up of contaminants in the water line and ice chute, it’s important to use fresh, filtered water. If the water supply is not cold enough, a clogged ice chute or a frozen water line might prevent your refrigerator from reaching the 32°F necessary for proper ice production.
Kenmore Ice Maker is OFF
There are several reasons why your ice maker might not be working. Check to see that the ice maker is plugged in and that there is enough power going to it. Check for any abnormalities in the cord or connection. If you find one, fix it immediately. There could be a problem with the circuit board or a sensor, which can only be fixed by a professional repairman.
If your ice maker isn’t making ice, make sure the on/off switch is turned on. Additionally, make sure to check if the water supply valve is open and if there is any damage to the power cord. You need to unplug the cord from the wall and ice maker, and then plug it back in. Sometimes it might be that the switch is not turned on, so you need to check that too.
Refer to your owner’s manual for information on locating the ice maker’s switch.
Kenmore Ice Maker needs a Reset
Regardless of your familiarity with a Kenmore ice maker, it’s important to know how to fix common issues if they arise. If you’re having trouble with the ice maker freezing or making too many or too few cubes, you can use this ice maker reset factory default button. The button is located at the bottom of the ice maker, so make sure to remove the ice bucket first to find it.
Press the reset button once and wait 5-10 minutes. If this doesn’t help, refer to the user’s manual—it may instruct you to perform a purge procedure or replace some parts.
The ice maker will take 3–4 hours to reset. Make sure your ice bucket is full of water before you begin the process. Allowing the ice bucket to run out of water while the power is off could damage the system further and make it inoperable. Wait 3–4 hours, then make a test batch of ice. If there are still issues, please review the steps below for more troubleshooting assistance.
Control Arm is in OFF position
The ice maker control arm is located next to the ice bucket. The control arm controls whether the machine is making ice, or not making ice. If the control arm is in the off position, the machine will not fill up with water and it will not make any ice. The most common reason for switching it to off is accidentally bumping it with a hand or other object. Make sure the control arm is in the on position.
First, determine if the control arm is on the down position. If it is not in this position, switch it to that position and then resume making ice until you fill your ice bin or tray. Now, if the control arm is in this position but the icemaker is not making any ice, you need to check a few more things:
Clogged Water Filter
If water isn’t flowing into your Kenmore ice maker, try cleaning the filter. You can clean the filter by rinsing it in warm water to remove debris and make sure that it is free from impurities. If it is not clean, you may have to replace it.
If you’re noticing that your ice maker isn’t producing enough ice, then it’s possible that the filter may be clogged up. To check if this is the case, unscrew the cover and look for one or more white filters. Next, check to see if those filters are still clean and clear from any buildup; if they are dirty, then prepare them for a good rinse in warm water.
The ice maker water filter is a cylindrical designed filter inside the unit, it’s one of the most important parts of the refrigerator as it can remove minerals and impurities that are found in water. If your refrigerator’s ice maker water filter looks bad, you should replace it immediately.
To ensure your ice maker can deliver proper ice production and maintain its energy efficiency, make sure you install the water filter correctly. To do so, please refer to Kenmore ice maker’s user manual.
Frozen or Blocked Water Line
If water doesn’t flow out of the water line. You may need to clean out the water line. To do this, remove the back access door and locate the water inlet tube that runs from the icemaker to the customer’s water supply line. Clean out any limescale and calcium deposits with a plastic scouring pad (do not use a metal scouring pad).
If your water line is not long enough, or if you installed it in a place where it could kink or become pinched under the fridge or other appliance, you may lose water flow. Inspect the water line and make sure it has no inks on it.
When snow starts to fall and the temperature drops, it’s important to keep your ice maker working properly to ensure you always have a bag of ice on hand. However, if your home’s water line becomes frozen, this ice maker will not be able to add water to the ice mold and make new cubes.
If your appliance is connected to the city water line, it may freeze once in a while. This can happen due to an ice storm or burst pipe. The only way to prevent this in the future is to unplug the fridge and let the freezer defrost. If you have an ice storm and city water pipes freeze up, the most efficient way of having the pipes thawed out is by using a flood blanket.
Faulty Water Inlet Valve
The water inlet valve is a device that is built into the ice maker to make it function. This can be an electronic or a mechanical part depending on the style of machine you have. If there is no water fill, you may need to replace this part or adjust a setting.
If the ice maker valve is not receiving enough water pressure, it will not open and allow ice to enter the storage bin. To check that the ice maker valve is getting at least 20 PSI of water pressure, check the following: If the ice maker valve is getting at least 20 PSI of water pressure and still will not open, you may need to replace the ice maker or its power supply.
Using a multimeter to test the water inlet valve will determine its health. If the part is not working and your ice maker isn’t producing ice, the part probably needs replacement. If the part measures power, it will be operating correctly and won’t need replacing.
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.