Samsung Ice Maker Won’t Come Out? (this is why)

It can be very frustrating if your ice bucket on your Samsung ice maker is stuck and won’t come out. However, don’t take your frustration out on the bucket as this will probably result in you damaging it beyond repair. Often there’s a knack to removing the ice bucket that doesn’t involve too much force.

Sometimes it’s just the angle that needs to be adjusted slightly or on some models there is a button or lever that releases the ice bucket. It might be useful to find out all of the possible reasons why your ice maker bucket won’t come out. So let’s look at possible reasons now.

Is The Ice Maker Frozen?

This is the most likely cause of the bucket being stuck, usually it’s because of it being too full of ice. Sometimes it’s down to the thickness of frost in the compartment which has built up so much. Another reason could be because of an ice layer stuck in the drawer which causes water to overflow and freeze, or possibly the water inlet is frozen.

How To Defrost The Samsung Ice Maker

This is easy to do, just put the refrigerator into forced defrost mode. This will remove any ice buildup quickly. Depending on the Samsung model you own, you’ll need to press a different set of buttons so consult your user manual for more information. If you have mislaid your user manual we have compiled a list of various Samsung models and the relevant combination of buttons needed to set a forced defrost into motion.

Samsung Model Number	Buttons To Press	Extra Button To Select Mode (If Necessary)
RF263	Fridge & Energy Saver
RF267	Lighting & Freezer	Press Lighting X4
RF28	Power Freezer/Freezer & Energy Saver	Press Fridge/Power Cool X4
RF24FSEDBSR	Power Save & Fridge
RF23J9011SR	Freezer & Cool Select	Press Either Button X4
RF23M8070SR	Control Lock & Freezer	Press Control Lock X4
RF263BEAESR	Fridge & Energy Saver
SRF680CDLS	Energy Saver & Fridge
All Models With Control Panel	Flex Zone & Fridge	Press Flex Zone X4

Once you have successfully activated the force defrost mode you will hear a beep which will continue until the defrost is complete. The forced defrost mode takes between 30 to 40 minutes to complete, however, it will probably only take around 5 to 10 minutes to defrost the ice maker. To deactivate the forced defrost mode just press and hold the same two buttons it took to initiate the forced defrost.

Hold them until the screen displays Fd and press the fridge button until the screen clears. This will stop the beep and signify the forced defrost mode has been successfully deactivated. If the ice bucket still won’t come out, it could be the ice build up is just too thick, in which case rerun the forced defrost for the full 30 minutes.

On some models the bucket can be removed simply by placing your hand underneath it and gently lifting it while using the other hand to gently pull it from the unit. Others simply slide out. Other models still have a small button on top of the ice maker cover which will need pressing with a small screwdriver or pen. You should then be able to push the cover of the ice maker upwards and pull the bucket out.

Dry Up The Tray Area

As you have defrosted the ice maker, the tray area will now be wet. If you don’t dry this out before replacing the bucket, it’s likely to refreeze sticking the bucket to the tray area. So using a soft cloth, remove as much excess water as possible before replacing the bucket.

How To Test The Ice Maker

With the bucket removed, locate the ice maker test button. This is usually a blue rubber button and it’s found either under the ice maker or on the right side or sometimes on the front. Once you locate the test button press it and hold for about 3 to 5 seconds or until you hear a beep. If it doesn’t work and needs replacing you will need to remove the ice maker from your refrigerator and replace it.

How To Remove The Ice Maker From The Refrigerator

If you need to remove the ice maker from the refrigerator take care not to damage the cooling coil. It’s a fairly straight-forward process, just complete the following.

Unscrew The Wire Housing Cover

Once the bucket is out of the way, remove the refrigerator from the electricity supply and locate the wire housing cover (usually on the left side) , remove the phillips screw and lift and pull the cover slightly forward to remove it. Then remove the wiring from the ice maker and disconnect the wire harness.

Unscrew The Ice Tray

Using the same Phillips screwdriver, remove the ice tray screw and then prize the ice duct tray using a flat-head screwdriver towards the right-hand side. Gently push it down to remove it. You should now see the cooling coil (if there is one on your model) move the coil just enough to be able to remove the ice maker. Take care not to force the coil as it is fairly easy to damage it.

Then simply press the clip on the top of the ice maker to remove it whilst slightly pushing it down. If you feel this is too technical for you to perform it might be wise to call in an electrical engineer and specifically someone that specialises in refrigerators.

How To Reset A Samsung Ice Maker

If your ice maker is not making any ice at all or it won’t dispense the ice or even if it won’t fill with water, it probably needs resetting. To find out how to reset a Samsung ice maker follow this link to our how to reset any Samsung refrigerator.

Frequently Asked Questions