Ice Maker Repair FAQ

Domestic Ice Makers - Frequently Asked Questions

By Steve Smelser, your Appliance Angel

Hey Kids! These are some Frequently Asked Questions I have thrown at me and the Answers I offer about Ice Maker Problems and Symptoms.
The types I deal with are usually in the freezer or in an Under Counter Bar Style. I'll start with a typical Whirlpool , Maytag, GE, Electrolux built in style.

Common Characteristics
  • Q: I have too much ice, too many cubes,What did I do?
  • A:  A shutoff mechanism, either manual or electronic is blocked or faulty.                                  

  • Q: Not enough ice? (Production has fallen. Likely why you're here on this site).
  • A: At least 16 different reasons that lead to this symptom, from freezer temps to water delivery when prompted. This can actually be very complicated, best to just give us a call at this point.

  • Q: I haven't had ice for over a week. My ice bucket is empty.No ice at all. I've noticed that there's water on the floor various times of day underneath the freezer door. What's up?
  • A: Once again the 16 different causes,firstly it sounds like a broken icemaker water line fill hose requiring access to the rear of the unit. Gotta pull it out, unplug and get curious.

  • Q: Cube size ?....My cubes were bigger before,...or..they're too big.
  •  A:A passive free flow timed water fill, too long or too short, just to start on this path. Trust me, there's more.
  • Q: What about water Filters?..
  • .A:Most domestic units have a built-in replaceable filter. I said MOST. Whether and How well they work is another talk. Mostly they remove chemical chlorine which is in the muni water we bathe and shower in but in the ice and water dispenser delivery on the refrigerator, it's pretty much negated. Today, you can't overfilter our water but you can over think your water filtering needs.
And that wraps it up for now on the Domestic Built In Ice Maker FAQ.
 If your question wasn't answered by our  FAQ, give us a call, Appliance Angels Appliance Repair Service of Palm Desert @ 760 360.4445

Under Counter Icemakers FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions

By Steve Smelser, your Appliance Angel

Under-counter Ice Makers are designed to produce ice at the point of use such as your sunken bar and at higher volume than your Refrigerator Ice maker. A choice of cube sizes and designs are available from small thin squares to small shot glasses.

 Indoor and outdoor Under Counter models.

 Common and popular sizes for these units might be 34"x 15". There are smaller and larger but the 34 x 15 are common.
  • Ice production can vary from 30 to 50 lbs per day for example and the holding bins typically hold a couple days worth.

Some Frequently Asked Under Counter Ice Maker Questions:
  • Q: There's no ice in my bin but there's ice slabs up inside melting and dripping on top of a wire grid thing when I look inside. What's up?
  • A: Your production may be fine but the cutting grid thing is designed to be a hotwire. It might be de-energized or a wire could be broken in the grid breaking the circuit flow. Either way, It needs to be removed for inspection.


  • Q; I have a late model Whirlpool undercounter icemaker with a drain pump, plugged in , water on and does nothing. What could that be?
  • A: Later models integrate the drain pump into their circuitry, a failsafe of sorts. One just plugs into the other. It's possible to isolate one from the other and determine which is at fault. Energizing just the Ice Maker at this point will reveal if it's at fault. 
And that wraps up our Under Counter Ice Maker FAQ for the moment. This will be updated soon, so check back!