7 Most Common Issues With Your Ice Maker & Their Causes

 Pin Down What’s Wrong With Your Ice Maker With Our Handy Guide 

For all that, it has a very simple job, your ice maker can become messed up in some truly unique ways. All you want is to be able to get a cup of ice, but your ice maker isn’t working the way that it’s supposed to. Maybe the ice is too small, or it’s hollow, or it’s not producing ice at all. When this happens, it helps to have a diagnostic sheet. Consider this post your handy diagnostic sheet to figure out why your ice maker is acting up. 

Whether you’ve got a standalone freezer or a built-in one, these will almost all apply. 

A quick note, some of these are easy enough to fix on your own, and we’ll tell you how to do it. Others, due to difficulty of access, or difficulty to test, we’re going to recommend you reach out to your preferred repairtech for that. 

Why Is My Ice Maker Is Not Working Or Not Making Enough Ice? 

There are several reason why your ice maker might not make enough ice, or any ice at all. To start off with you’ll want to check the control arm. This is the bar that senses when the ice maker has made ‘enough’ ice and it tells the freezer to stop. Make sure that yours isn’t loose, broken or accidentally caught in this off position first. The next step is to check out if your freezer or standalone ice maker is too warm. Just like your refrigerator, if your ice maker or freezer can’t ‘breathe’ or their internal temperatures are set too high, you’re not going to get a happy machine. So, you’ll want to make sure that there’s nothing blocking your compressors or vents, and that you have the temperature set around 0*F. A final one that you can check for yoursel fis whether or the water filter is clogged. If it’s been more than a year since your last changing, it’s time to get that done. Ideally you should change the filter every six months, but if you can’t we understand. (Although whether your ice maker does is a different matter.) 

Courtesy of Meruyert  Gonullu

Finally the two points that can cause your ice maker to not make enough ice that require professional help is if you have a defective water inlet valve or if your water inlet tube has frozen. For the first you need to check and see if the water inlet valve is working properly, and that requires testing the pressure of the flow. The second requires very carefully apply enough heat to defrost the tube, without damaging it. 

Ice Maker Is Making Ice, But Is Not Dispensing

Fortunately when it comes to the ice maker making ice but not dispensing, it’s much easier to deal with than your ice maker not making ice at all. 

Courtesy of Meruyert  Gonullu

If your ice maker has a clump in either the bin or the chute, you aren’t going to be getting an ice out of the ice maker until that melts. Your best bet is to lay down a towel and allow it to melt naturally. Or, if you’re impatient and very precise, you can choose to use an ice pick to try and chip at it to get it out. We don’t advise this one as it can damage your ice maker if you miss, but it is an option. The other option is that the auger, the spiral arm, that drives the ice towards the chute and breaks up clumps, has had the motor freeze over. If you don’t use your ice machine regularly, this can happen.  If this happens, it’s going to be behind the freezer wall, and it won’t actually be easy to see. You’ll only be able to guess that that is the issue by watching and seeing the auger isn’t moving, which not all freezers will allow. This is another one that’s delicate and requires a professional. It’s too easy for water to damage the motor further, and we really don’t want that. 

The Ice Maker Is Making Ice Cubes That Are Too Small

Courtesy of Vlad Samoylik

You might also have it that the freezing rods for your ice maker, if you have a standalone, have accumulated a large mineral deposit and this can cause issues. What happens is that the minerals stay between the freezing rod and the water, creating a barrier that keeps your ice from freezing properly. In that case you’ll need to defrost your ice maker, empty it, and descale the machine. That is going to look different depending on the machine, but if you’re uncertain you can always check the manual.  If you’ve got poor water flow to your ice maker on the other hand, if you have poor water flow, that’s going to be a different matter. If the water isn’t flowing easily, you’ve got several different causes to check out. First, go back to your water filter, hasn’t it been changed recently? (Are you seeing how many issues are caused by a poorly maintained filter?) After you’ve checked that, check out the water line on the back or sides of your freezer or ice maker. You want to make sure that there aren’t any twists or kinks in the line. Finally,  you’ll want to check if your freezer or ice maker is level. It might sound odd, but if your unit isn’t level then the water won’t flow properly into the tray and that is going to give you cubes that are too small/misshapen/hollow. 

The Ice Maker Is Making Too Much Ice

Courtesy of Cottonbro Studio

This one isn’t one we encounter too often, but occasionally we do get calls of “help my ice maker is making too much!” Fortunately, these are quick to diagnose. Start off by checking the bin for your ice maker. If the bin isn’t placed right, then the control arm (or other sensor) won’t be able to tell if ‘enough’ ice has been made. So, do a quick check to see if the bin is sitting properly. After that, you’ll want to take a look at the control arm itself. Earlier we talked about how a broken control arm could cause your ice maker to make no ice. This is the opposite problem. If the control arm is outright broken, it could cause the machine to produce continually. Finally, some freezers have a shelf that sits under the ice bin. You’ll want to make sure that you have one if you’re supposed to, as that links to how well your control arm works. If you don’t have one, but are supposed to, you can either reach out to a repair shop to purchase one, or see if the manufacturer of your freezer has one still in stock. 

The Ice Has An Odd Taste

Courtesy of Enrique Zafra

There’s nothing worse than getting your ice and discovering that it tastes terrible. There’s a few different reasons that can happen, and your water filter is one of them. If your water filter is expired or full of contaminants, it is reducing the ability to keep that out of your water. Old ice cubes are another issue. If you don’t use your ice maker regularly, ice can sit in the bin and acquire tastes from the freezer or the minerals left in the filter.  Last but not least, if your ice maker is within your freezer, poorly wrapped freezer items can lead to your ice picking up scents and tastes. 

The Ice Maker Is Leaking

Courtesy of Enrique Zafra

If your ice maker is leaking, you would naturally look to see if any of the lines are cut or buttons are pressed in. And that’s a good start. However, you might also be looking at ice clumps getting stuck and melting or your refrigerator not being level. These are common issues and easy enough to fix. 

The Ice Maker Itself Is Frozen

Our final issue is when the ice maker itself freezes. This might be that the entirety of the ice maker freezes up, or that the motors do. In either case, it points to one of two issues. Either your temperature is set too low, or your water inlet tube has frozen over. If it’s the first one, it’s easy enough to fix. If it’s the latter though, you’ll want to call in a professional to assess the situation and bring the proper tools to warm things back up without damaging the freezer. 

Some issues are easy to fix when it comes to your ice maker not working, others require a professional to look into. Whichever camp you’re in at the moment, Appliance Rescue Service is here.  We understand that you don’t always have time to break an issue down and fix it, and that’s why we work with your schedule to send out one of our technicians. We want to help get your home running smoothly again. 

Did we answer your question? Let us know over on our Facebook page! 

If you’re having issues with your ice maker, or any of your other major appliances, you can reach out to us via our contact page or by giving us a call at ((214) 599-0055). 

Additional Posts To Read 

Refrigerator Troubleshooting    

Ice Maker Maintenance     

Why Is My Refrigerator Making Weird Noises!?

Four Common Sounds Your Refrigerator Can Make And What They Mean

So your refrigerator is making funny noises; your first question is going to be, why. Whether your fridge is knocking, gurgling, buzzing, or humming, all of them have been encountered before. That's the bad news. The good news is that we can answer why it's happening and tell you if it can be fixed.

If Your Refrigerator is Buzzing

If your refrigerator is buzzing off and on, the most likely cause is the water lines for your ice maker. Pay attention to when the buzzing is happening. If it happens for a short period of time when your fridge is drawing water, that's normal and not something to worry about. If you notice it is being abnormally loud when your fridge is drawing in water, you might have a calcium buildup in the ice maker pump. 

If your refrigerator is buzzing near consistently or all the time, the compressor might be the problem. A quick test you can try is to unplug the fridge and then plug it back in after about 5 minutes. If that doesn't fix the issue, you can do one of two things: call an experienced technician to check the compressor, or if you're comfortable, you can check yourself. What you'll need here is a multimeter. You'll check to see if the compressor shows an open circuit. If it does, the issue is something else, and your compressor works fine. If it doesn't show an open circuit, your compressor will likely need replacing. 

If your compressor is fine, the condenser coils are the next place to look. These can easily become dirty or frosted over. Again we suggest unplugging the fridge; only this time, you're going to vacuum the area around the coils. Once you turn the fridge back on, keep an eye on it for several hours to days for any additional noises. 

Original image courtesy of cottonbro studio

 If these have yet to solve your problem, then the final place to check would be the condenser and evaporator fans. Again it might be debris that is causing an issue. Start by unplugging your fan, finding where the fans are located on your fridge model, and vacuuming away debris. While you have it unplugged, you might also look at turning the fans by hand. If they catch or can't turn the entire way around, they might need to be replaced.

If Your Refrigerator is Humming or Vibrating

There's a distinct sound difference between humming and buzzing, and the causes for this are also distinctly different. The most common cause of vibrating or humming for your refrigerator is that it needs to be leveled or that it's pressed too closely against the wall. If that's the case, it's quite easy to grab a level and check that and then pull the fridge away from the wall that it's closest to. 

Another possibility is that there are debris caught near the fans. If the humming is coming specifically from the back of your fridge, you should vacuum that out. It's not uncommon in many households for this to be the issue. Not because people don't vacuum regularly but because most of us don't think to vacuum behind our refrigerators.

Original Image courtesy of cottonbro studio

An utterly benign reason is that your refrigerator is settling into the best speed in order to keep itself cool. So while you should keep an eye on the frequency or harshness of the humming, it doesn't mean straight away that there's a problem.

If Your Refrigerator is Knocking or Rattling

If your fridge is knocking or rattling as though you're in the area of a fracking operation or an earthquake, your fridge might be off balance. This is the most common problem with this sound.

A close second, however, is making sure that you don't have anything heavy on top of the fridge. If your roof of the fridge is being pressed down by a heavy object or many objects, the water lines can be pressing against it and causing a rattling sound. In general, we advise keeping heavy items away from the top of your refrigerator.

Original Image courtesy of =Max Rahubovskiy

The final point is that if you hear the knocking constant, you should call a technician as soon as possible, as it means the compressor is most likely going out.

If Your Refrigerator Is Gurgling

No, it is not the creature from the Black Lagoon; it's your refrigerator. 

If you only hear a little bit of gurgling or trickling, but you're not finding a puddle under your fridge, it's okay! This is actually a normal sound. What matters more is if you hear the sound and then find a puddle.

The first reason you might hear gurgling is the coolant or oil dripping from inside of your compressor from top to bottom. As long that is not leaking out, you're in good shape. If you notice it leaking, call a technician as soon as possible, as the compressor most likely has a damaged casing or is about to go out. 

Original image courtesy of cottonbro studio

 The second reason that you might hear gurgling is that water can drip on the inside of the refrigerator due to its normal defrost cycle. It won't have any long-term effects on your fridge. However, if you start to notice lots of water pooling, you might have an issue with frost forming, and your refrigerator is kicking into defrost more often than normal to compensate for that. To fix that, we suggest removing items from your fridge or freezer and making sure that you're not blocking any events or temperature sensors before putting anything back in. If the problem is still happening after you've gone through that, that's the time to call a technician.

So the next time your refrigerator starts to make a strange noise, Don't panic right away. Instead, consult our guide to find out what type of noise it is and what are some of the things you can do to possibly solve the problem on your own. This way, in the event that you do have to call a technician, you can say that you did try before having to call in the experts, and you might be able to save yourself a bit of money. 

What is the weirdest noise your refrigerator or another appliance has made? Tell us in the comments over on our Facebook page! 

If your refrigerator is giving you trouble, though, and you aren’t comfortable working on it, not to worry! Appliance Rescue Service will work with you to set a time and date that works with your schedule. If your refrigerator is making weird noises, we want to help. You can reach out to us by giving us a call at ((214) 599-0055) or by setting up an appointment through our contact page. 

How an Appliance Repair Service Call Works in 2021

What we’ve changed to keep you safe.

Table of Contents

Before Your Appliance Repair Service Call

During Your Appliance Repair Service Call

After Your Appliance Repair Service Call

 Have you ever been fed up with how difficult it is to find a good appliance repair service? Or gotten vague answers on what goes into an appliance repair service call? We're fixing that today. Although we've covered what went into them before, that was before Covid-19, which feels like it was forever ago. 

 Before, it was a matter of giving us a call, setting up the appointment and waiting for us to  fix your appliances. Our technicians would come by and talk with you while they worked and figured out what had caused your appliance to break. All of these are still part of the process, but, they're not the only parts. 

Now though, whether it's with us or with others, there are health precautions that we all have to observe. Wearing face masks if a client requests it should be a standard part of how things work, regardless of who you decide to work with, and all of our technicians are well versed in it. For your safety and that of our technicians we do ask that you stay outside of the room while they're working, this way safe social distance is maintained. 

Now imagine that you have the day off and you're trying to get caught up on your laundry. Except your dryer isn't working. It's started making a strange humming sound while it's running, and you can't find anything about it on the internet. Other people have had this same humming dryer issue, but they don't know how to fix it either. What do you do? 

Before Your Appliance Repair Service Call 

- Do NOT Unplug the Appliance(s) 

We appreciate it, we really do, but we need to see and hear the appliance so we can understand what's going on. Unplugging the appliance can mean that we miss specific sounds that help identify problems. In our example, if you unplug it, and all we have to go on is your description of the humming that the dryer is making, we're in trouble. What sounds to you like an "Aahhhhhhaahhhh" might sound to someone else like an "Ooooohhhoooo." Does it make that much of a difference? Surprisingly, yes. Many times a sound or tic of an appliance might not pop up until it has been running for a while. So turning it off is "resetting" it in a fashion. That doesn't mean that it fixes it though. 

- Set Up An Appointment

When you give us a call, we'll work with you to find a time that works. While you're on the phone is the best time to schedule a look at all of your appliances. If our technicians are already at your home, why not roll all of your problems into one visit? By scheduling everything at once, you can save yourself time and money. Rather than having to schedule multiple appointments over several weeks, you have the chance to have everything checked or repaired at once. This means that everything is on one bill, problems can't be given the chance to get worse, and you give up one block of time rather than several. You can also ask for us to do maintenance checks on your other appliances which can lead to discovering issues before they can become serious problems. 

-Clear the Path to Your Appliances

Now that you've got your appliance repair call set up, what's next? Time for popcorn and a movie? Not quite. In order to be able to help, we need to be able to get at your appliances. So before we come to visit we need you to clear away anything around, on top of or behind your appliances. Whether it's just one appliance that you're asking us to fix or multiple that you want us to check on, we need access. If you can go through and move around things so that we can access every side of the appliances, you've made our lives MUCH easier. We're going to be looking for anything and everything during your service repair call so the less there is for distractions, the better it is. Tying this back to our example case, in the event of your dryer making a humming sound, once you take everything off the top of it, it can change the pitch of the sound that your dryer is making. It can become louder, or quieter, depending on what you had on top of it. 

During Your Appliance Repair Service Call 

-Ask Questions About What Happened 

Something is going on in your appliances. You now have a captive expert to ask all of your questions. The more questions you can ask, the better prepared you are for next time and can nip it in the bud. It also means you can ask about other things that bother you about the appliances in question. If you've put multiple appliance calls together you can also ask questions to find out about the others. 

- Request Maintenance Tips 

Just like they can offer explanations on your problems, our technicians can also offer tips for preventative maintenance. What can you do to prevent problems or prolong the life of your appliances? If you have questions about one type of maintenance over another, whatever, we want to hear it. 

-Ask Questions About Your Appliance Warranty

You know the giant manual that came with your appliances? Or the link that you were sent after purchasing it that's full of legal jargon? Yeah, that. 

We know a large number of people don't bother reading them, and we don't blame you! 

But once again, you've got an appliance repair expert at your home. Stay outside the room and stay masked, but ask all the questions that have been bothering you. How long are the motors covered vs the drum? What about the electronics? In the event that we don't know off the bat, we can find out. 

-Ask Questions About Your Appliance Warranty With Us

Yup! Appliance Rescue Service gives you a warranty as well. We've got the full explanation of what that is down below, but if you have questions while we're there? Go right ahead and ask. We want you to be comfortable and trust your neighborhood Appliance Rescue Service.  

After Your Appliance Repair Service Call 

-Feedback & Review

We want to know how we did, not just so that we can fix any issues you have, but also so that we can do better in the future. Did all of your questions get answered? Did our techs remember to give you your written estimate of the work?  We want to hear from you. You can call us at ((214) 599-0055) to let us know or set up an appointment today. Or you can go to our contact page to set one up. We hope to see you all again next week. 

Additional Reading: 

Freezer Deep Dive

Warranty With Us (the Run Down) 

When you book an appointment with us, we will send an expert technician to your home, and give you a complete written estimate that includes all parts and labor required.

Your technician is often able to provide you with life expectancy, preventative measures, and periodic maintenance that may help you decide whether or not to proceed with a repair.

Our diagnostic trip charge fee is $75.00

Each part we install, and its related labor is warranted for 90 days of normal household use. Technicians use factory new parts on all repairs unless you have chosen otherwise.

If any part we install in your appliance fails during your warranty period, simply give us a call! We will quickly replace the defective parts at no charge!

Each part we install, and its related labor is warranted for 90 days of normal household use. Technicians use factory new parts on all repairs unless you have chosen otherwise.

30 DAY WARRANTY ON LABOR

If any part we install in your appliance fails during your warranty period, simply give us a call! We will quickly replace the defective parts at no charge!

Follow these 4 Steps If You want to Avoid Refrigerator Repair

It’s never fun when your refrigerator goes out. 

No one is excited to spend thousands on a new refrigerator – or even spend hundreds on refrigerator repair – and at Appliance Rescue Service, we get that. 

We make many refrigerator repair service calls, and we’ve noticed some trends in service. If you want to avoid refrigerator repair in Dallas and prolong the life of your unit, here are several steps we recommend you follow:  

Step 1: Clean the Coils

If there is one thing you take from this article, then it should be the importance of clean condenser coils. The condenser coils – normally located on the bottom of the refrigerator – should get a good scrubbing once a year. The best time to do that is now, before the summer heat hits and your refrigerator has to work harder to keep up.

Step 2: Allow for Airflow

When purchasing a refrigerator, consider the space it is going in and make sure it has adequate airflow on all sides once installed. Tight spaces don’t allow air to circulate, which prevents the refrigerator from cooling properly. Unless you have a built-in refrigerator, airflow and circulation is key.

Step 3: Keep the Doors Sealed

Many modern refrigerators have a chime that goes off if the refrigerator is left open too long, and that’s a good thing. When the refrigerator doors are left open, it allows cold air to escape, which in turn, makes your refrigerator’s condenser work harder to cool. (Think about the way your home’s air conditioner works.) Another tip – regularly clean gaskets to get a tight seal so cold air doesn’t escape even if the door is closed. 

Step 4: Avoid Overloading the Refrigerator

Just as airflow outside the refrigerator is important, it’s also important inside the refrigerator. This means you must not pack too many items into the refrigerator if you want it to work at maximum efficiency. Also – many people will go to Costco, buy huge containers of ranch, bbq sauce, etc., and then put them all in the refrigerator. While this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, too many heavy containers placed together can add strain to the refrigerator doors, shelves, etc. – causing issues with door seals and more.

Hopefully these tips help you avoid Dallas refrigerator repair and extend the life of your unit for years to come. If for some reason you do find yourself in a situation where your refrigerator isn’t working properly, please don’t’ hesitate to give us a call at Appliance Rescue Service – the #1 appliance repairman in Dallas, Texas. 

3 Common Oven Repairs – and What to Do About Them

‘Tis the season…for baking that is!

Chances are, you’re planning to use that oven or range to bake a few dozen holiday cookies or prepare an amazing meal for friends and family. Now is the not the time you want your oven to start having problems! Here are 3 of the most common oven repairs we see this time of year at Appliance Rescue Service – and what to do about them:

1.    Uneven Heating or No Heating at All

This is the worst. You’re ready to bake and the heating element just doesn’t seem to be heating properly – or isn’t heating at all. First thing to check – do you have power and is your digital display working? If not, then your problem is likely a blown fuse and you’ll want to call for oven repair. If the display is working properly but the heating is off, go ahead and heat the oven, then examine the heating elements to see if you notice any gaps in its “glow” or other damage that can be seen with the untrained eye. 

2.    Gas Oven Doesn’t Ignite

Gas ovens will normally click when turned on, and then you’ll hear a “poof” as the oven ignites. If you hear clicking and then nothing after that, it’s likely a faulty igniter. Be sure to turn off gas to the unit immediately and call for professional oven repair to get it fixed.

3.     Oven Temperature is Incorrect

If everything appears to be heating properly, but the temperature is still a little off inside the oven, then there are a few possible causes. 1) It could be a faulty temperature sensor. Check to make sure the temperature sensor is not touching the wall of the oven and affecting the temperature. 2) Your oven may need to be recalibrated. Call a professional appliance repair service in Dallas, Texas to help you get it done!

Don’t be caught without an oven this holiday season! If you suspect your oven is in need of oven repair or just want to get an appliance check-up, call us at Appliance Rescue Service in Dallas, Texas today! We also service Plano, McKinney, Frisco, Richardson, Flower Mound, Little Elm, Coppell, Southlake, Allen, Highland Village, Carrollton, and the surrounding Dallas-Fort Worth area.