Samsung Refrigerator Not Making Ice? (how to fix it)

One of the great features on a Samsung refrigerator is the ice maker. That is until it stops working for some reason. In this article we take a close look at the ice maker on a Samsung refrigerator and identify all of the problems and solutions to ensure your ice maker is working properly.

How Does The Ice Maker Work?

Before we start talking about the potential problems that can cause your Samsung refrigerator’s ice maker to stop working, it’s important that we have some idea as to how it works. Your fridge has a water inlet hose connected to the water supply in your home. The water travels through the inlet hose and into the water inlet valve.

The inlet valve controls the flow rate of the water and under orders from the control board, shuts off the water supply once there is enough to fill the ice tray. The water is pumped through the inlet hose via the inlet valve and travels through a water filter and ends up in the ice tray.

An internal thermostat detects when that water has been turned into ice at which point the cubes are warmed slightly and are then ejected out of the tray and fall into the ice bucket. As the ice cubes fall into the bucket they push a control arm that can detect how full the bucket is.

The ice maker will stop producing ice once the control arm cannot be pushed down anymore which indicates that the bucket is full.

What Causes The Ice Maker To Stop Making Ice?

Now that we have a working knowledge of the mechanics of the ice maker, we can start to identify the problems that can cause it to stop making ice. These include;

Probable Cause	Solution
Ice Maker Turned Off	Ensure the ice maker is turned on
Defective Thermostat	Check and replace the thermostat if necessary
Ice Stuck Between The Control Arm & The Bucket	Check for stuck ice and remove it
Unlevel Ice Maker	Ensure that the fridge and ice maker are level
Problems With The Water Supply	Check and solve any water supply issues
Defective Water Inlet Valve	Check the inlet valve for continuity and replace if necessary
Water Filter Needs Replacing	Check and replace the water filter if necessary
Defective Ejector Arm	Check the ejector arm and remove any ice or replace if defective
Door Not Fully Closed	Ensure the freezer door is fully closed
Child Lock Activated	Deactivate the child lock

Let’s take a closer look at each of these issues;

Ice Maker Turned Off

There are a few ways in which you could turn the ice maker off depending on the model of Samsung refrigerator you own. There could be an internal switch that could be accidentally pressed when stacking items in the freezer.

Or refrigerators with digital control panels which have access to the ice maker’s on and off functions could have accidentally selected a wrong function that resulted in the ice maker being turned off.

Plus there’s also the possibility that you accidentally caught the control arm to the up position which could prevent the ice maker from starting.

You will need to check all of these areas to determine whether the ice maker has been accidentally turned off.

Defective Thermostat

If the thermostat inside your Samsung freezer has developed a fault, it could cause the freezer to be too warm or too cold. Either of which could cause the ice maker to stop producing ice.

If the freezer is too warm, ice will not be able to form properly as the water will not freeze fully. If the freezer is too cold, the ice maker will freeze over and stop working.

You will need to check the thermostat for continuity using a multimeter and if it proves to be faulty, it will need to be replaced.

Ice Stuck Between The Control Arm & The Bucket

It is possible for ice to get stuck between the control arm and the bucket. This can cause the ice maker to turn off or in some cases, freeze over. 

You will need to check for any ice cubes stuck between the control arm and the bucket and remove them. If there is an individual piece of ice, it can often be removed by hand. 

Larger chunks will need some help which can be achieved using a cup of warm water to help melt the ice into removable lumps.

Unlevel Ice Maker

Your Samsung refrigerator will not function correctly if it is not level. You can check the level of your unit using a spirit level and adjust the feet accordingly.

However, sometimes the fridge is level and it’s the ice maker that’s not been installed correctly. You should inspect the ice maker and ensure it is fitted properly. 

Once you have levelled the ice maker properly it will reset and start to produce ice.

Problems With The Water Supply

As we explained earlier, the ice maker is fed with water from your home’s water supply. You will need to check that the water supply to your home hasn’t been interrupted for any reason.

You will then need to check that the inlet tap is fully opened and that the inlet hose isn’t twisted or kinked. If it is, straightening the hose should solve the issue.

Sometimes the problem is due to low water pressure which can be checked by dispensing a cup of water from the fridge’s water dispenser. If it takes more than 10 seconds to dispense ¾ of a cup of water, there could be insufficient water pressure.

This could be due to the inlet hose, inlet tap or inlet valve, or it could be due to low water pressure from your water authority. You can check this by filling a 1 gallon bucket from the cold tap in your kitchen. If it takes 30 seconds or less to fill, the water pressure is fine. Any longer and you should contact your local water authority.

Defective Water Inlet Valve

The water that supplies your ice maker is governed by the inlet valve. If the inlet valve becomes defective it could affect the ice maker. If the inlet valve is restricting the flow of water to the ice maker, it might not be able to produce ice.

On the other hand, if the inlet valve is allowing too much water to flow into the ice maker, it could create an ice dam and cause the ice maker to freeze up.

If the cause of the ice maker not working properly is due to a defective inlet valve, replacing the valve should solve the issue.

Water Filter Needs Replacing

The water that supplies the ice maker runs through the same filter as the water dispenser. Over time minerals found in the water will clog the filter which impedes the flow of water to the ice maker.

It is recommended that the water filter should be replaced every 6 months. Often, simply replacing the water filter is all that’s needed to fix the ice maker and get it working properly again.

Defective Ejector Arm

The ejector arm pushes the ice cubes from the tray into the ice bucket. If the ejector arm isn’t working properly, the ice maker will not release the ice.

The ejector arm might not work properly due to a build up of ice preventing it from moving correctly. This can be solved by defrosting the appliance to remove the ice.

Alternatively the ejector arm’s operating gears, injector or motor could have developed a fault. These will need to be checked out by an expert who will replace any damaged parts.

Door Not Fully Closed

Your Samsung ice maker won’t dispense ice unless the door is fully closed. Ensure that the freezer door is fully closed and check that there’s nothing touching the back wall of the freezer.

Check the door seals on the fridge and freezer are not obstructed with dirt or grime and are in good repair. Remove any dirt or grime and if the door seals are defective, they will need to be replaced.

Child Lock Activated

Your Samsung refrigerator has a child lock which prevents inquisitive little hands from messing with the settings. If the child lock has been activated, the ice maker will not function.

Consult your hand book for model specific instructions on how to deactivate the child lock on your refrigerator.

How To Reset The Ice Maker On A Samsung Refrigerator

If the water dispenser on your Samsung refrigerator is working fine and it’s just the ice maker that isn’t, you might need to reset the ice maker. This will help you to determine if there is a problem with the ice maker or if something else is wrong.

You can reset the ice maker by doing the following;

1. Locate the test button on your ice maker (consult your handbook for more details)
2. Press & hold the test button until it beeps
3. The ice maker should start to produce ice cubes which will fall into the bucket
4. You will hear another beep when the test has completed
5. If the first or second beep never happened, turn off the power and wait for around 3 to 5 minutes before turning it back on
6. If, after another test cycle, the ice maker still doesn’t beep or display any error codes, you will need to contact a technician to investigate

Please Note: If you have just installed the refrigerator, it will take anywhere between 6 to 12 hours for it to produce ice. You should also discard the first three batches of ice that the ice maker produces to ensure the ice is made from clean water.

SEE ALSO: Samsung Ice Maker Jammed? (here’s what to do)

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