How to Fix Samsung Ice Maker Not Working

Did you just try to dispense some ice into your cup and you realize that your Samsung ice maker is not working even though you have a stable power supply? Well, don’t get yourself worked up because even the best of the best home appliances still develops faults on a few occasions.

Several factors can cause the Samsung ice maker not working issues and that is why this article has been compiled for you so you can know the exact reason why your Samsung ice maker won’t work and the possible fixes. 

In case your Samsung refrigerator has an ice maker, it’s very essential to know how you can maintain it and replace any faulty components that become defective or stop working. It can be frustrating when your ice maker stops working especially when you are planning a family dinner or get-together. 

Low water pressure, high mineral deposits in your water, or a defective/dirty water filter can make the ice maker produce small, cloudy, or clumped ice. In cases when you have a frozen ice bucket, you might need to defrost it or involve the services of an appliance repairer as the case may be. 

However, before involving any professional for help you can apply the following simple troubleshooting steps stated in this article to fix your Samsung refrigerator not making ice or dispensing water.

The first thing you need to do in situations like this is to identify the real problem, then call for help where necessary. You need to understand that not all issues are the same, therefore you might want to confirm what the problem is with your ice maker so you can get it fixed quickly. Samsung Ice Maker Not Working

Why is my Samsung Ice Maker Not Working?

Samsung ice maker not working could be due to several reasons, however, the fix is quite easy. You can reset the Samsung ice maker by switching off the electrical breaker that provides power or disconnecting it from the wall. The following can cause your Samsung ice maker not to work:

  • There is air in the waterline.
  • The refrigerator door switch is faulty. 
  • Wrong freezer temperature.
  • Dirty/Clogged Water Filter.
  • An expired water filter.
  • High mineral deposits in the water.
  • Defective water inlet valve.
  • Low water pressure.
  • Water is not dispensing.
  • There’s no ice in the ice bucket. 
  • The ice maker option is turned off or paused. 
  • Ice stuck in the mold.
  • Ice buildup.
  • The control arm may be out of position. 
  • Jammed ice ejection motor.
  • Faulty auger motor.
  • Child Lock may be turned on.

Once your Samsung refrigerator stops dumping ice, mistakenly dispenses crushed ice, or produces ice that tastes very bad, then try the fixes below. To reset the Samsung ice maker itself you can turn off the electrical breaker that supplies power to it or simply remove it from the wall.how to fix Samsung Ice Maker Not Working

How to fix Samsung Ice Maker Not Working

Even though Samsung products have a good reputation for a long life span without developing any fault. However, just like any other electronics brand sometimes, the Samsung ice maker may also have issues.

Once your Samsung ice maker stops working, then it’s either there’s ice buildup, a faulty water inlet valve, low water pressure, an expired water filter, or a malfunctioning auger motor. Follow the steps below to fix the Samsung ice maker not working issues:

Defrost the whole Refrigerator to remove buildup or blockage

One of the most common reasons why your Samsung ice maker won’t work is ice buildup or an ice blockage. Ice usually accumulates in either the ice maker tray or the dispenser tube over time.

To fix the ice buildup issue, you need to defrost the ice. In case your model has an auto-defrost function, then you can make use of it to defrost either the ice maker or the complete refrigerator if necessary.

However, if it’s the ice maker tray or bucket that’s frozen over, depending on the intensity of the ice buildup, you may need to defrost the whole refrigerator. Follow the steps below to defrost the whole refrigerator:

  • Detach the ice maker components to let them defrost, or use a hair dryer to apply low heat to the affected part.
  • Depending on the model you have, the dispenser tube can be located inside the ice maker, outside of the refrigerator, or it may not have one at all.
  • When you have the tube located inside the ice maker, then the dispenser tube is bound to block.
  • You will be able to see if the tube is blocked or not.
  • In case the ice maker seems to be working fine, just that it’s not expelling ice, then a blocked tube is most likely responsible.
  • To clear the blockage, gently apply low heat from a hairdryer or use steam from a hot bowl of water.

If you are using a hairdryer to defrost ice, ensure to only use low heat, and never hold the hairdryer on just one spot (ensure to keep it moving), as the heat can severely damage refrigerator components. Make sure you do not overdo it to avoid damaging the refrigerator.

In case this doesn’t solve the problem of the Samsung Ice maker not working, you can try the next fix below. Defrost Samsung Ice Maker Not Working

Change the faulty Water Inlet Valve

A water inlet valve helps to connect with the water supply line to supply water for the ice maker. Once the ice maker needs water, the water inlet valve will open.

The water inlet valve can become blocked with mineral deposits over time and struggle to open, or it can even fail electrically. If any of these issues occur, the water inlet valve will need to be replaced.

How you check the water inlet valve depends on the model of the Samsung refrigerator that you have. The refrigerator’s rear access panel behind the refrigerator will need to be detached to access the valve.

You will also need to detach the screws and depress tabs that secure the water inlet valve to remove it from the refrigerator. Ensure to switch off the water supply to the refrigerator and turn off the power before accessing the valve.

You can test the valve’s coils for continuity (a continuous electrical path) with the aid of a multimeter. The type of multimeter you have will determine the type of test you will carry out on it. The multimeter shows that there is no continuity once its probes touch the valve’s terminals, then it means the valve needs to be replaced.

You can as well check the water pressure once you have access to the water inlet valve and water supply line, which is also a common cause of ice maker issues.

Ensure that the water pressure is accurate

For any Samsung ice maker to work efficiently, it requires a water pressure of 20 psi. Once your ice maker starts making broken or small ice blocks, then it implies the water pressure is too low. 

It’s essential to have a water pressure gauge to check the water pressure. Although, the water pressure can as well be checked by observing how much water comes out once the supply line is disconnected, or by verifying that you fill at least ¾ of a cup with water while tapping the water dispenser button for ten seconds. Here’s how to check the water pressure:

  • The water supply line is connected to the water inlet valve at the rear of the refrigerator.
  • Before you can access the waterline, ensure you turn off the power to the refrigerator and turn off the water.
  • You can hold the water line over a bucket, and the water will be turned on.
  • Once the water dribbles out, then it means there’s a problem.
  • But, if there is a strong, steady flow of water, then the water pressure is likely not the issue.
  • Test the water pressure with the aid of a gauge to accurately determine if the water pressure is 20 psi.

If checking the water pressure doesn’t fix the issue of the Samsung ice maker not working, you can try the next fix below.Samsung Ice Maker Not Working

Change the expired water filter

For most ice makers, their filters are located inside the refrigerator (to keep them from freezing). If your refrigerator has a water filter, then it’s recommended that you replace it every six months.

In case the water or ice appears cloudy, then it indicates that the water filter needs to be changed immediately. Once the water filter becomes old, it can become blocked and prevent the ice maker from working efficiently.

Depending on your refrigerator’s model, you can locate your water filter in various places. Once you have been able to locate the filter, you can twist it to remove and replace it.

That’s it! This should fix the Samsung ice maker not working issues and if it doesn’t try the next fix below. 

Fix the faulty Auger Motor

Once the auger’s motor is defective, the ice maker will not work. In case the ice maker has been making a lot of noise and it’s not dispensing ice, then it’s likely the motor is failing or has already failed.

You should be able to detach the ice maker bucket and twist the auger by hand depending on the model you have. Once you can turn the auger with little resistance, then it can be tested with a multimeter for continuity to determine if it has failed or not. Removing the motor can be very hard and it’s, therefore, best left to a trained technician.

Go to the next fix below if this doesn’t fix the Samsung ice maker not working problem. Samsung Ice Maker Not Working

Check the Dispensing Gear and Motor

The ejector gear is designed to control when the ice gets released. To check or test the dispensing gear and motor, you need to have full access to the gears and see if they are working properly or if they are damaged.

Once the ice ejection motor has been jammed, it will not release the ice and you will need to take action. You can as well check for continuity with the aid of a multimeter and if you receive an infinity (∞) display, then it means the motor needs a replacement.

After replacing the dispensing gear and motor when they become defective and the Samsung ice maker not working issue persists, then you might need to reset your Ice maker. Reset button on Samsung Ice Maker Not Working

Where is the Reset Button on Samsung Refrigerator?

To locate the reset button on the Samsung refrigerator, check the upper part of the fridge door for a small panel that can flip up. Right under it, you will see a button or a switch labelled “reset”

By simply pressing or flipping this switch, you will be able to reset fridges with the feature.

How do I Reset my Samsung ICE maker?

You don’t need to reset your Samsung ice maker very often. In other words, the only time you should ever reset your ice maker is when you are not getting any ice, and even at that, it should be the last resort, after you must have tried other troubleshooting steps as stated above which are more likely to resolve the issue.

However, in case you want to be double sure you can check if your ice maker is working since it comes with a test button to check its function. To reset your ice maker follow the steps below:

  • Detach your ice bucket to enable you to get to your ice maker.
  • Find the test button.
  • Long-press on the button till you hear a chime sound indicating that the test is beginning.
  • Place the ice bucket back in quickly; depending on the type of ice maker, whatever ice is still in the ice maker will dump soon.

In case you need to manually reset your ice maker, here’s how to go about it below:

  • Disconnect the machine and wait for about 10 seconds. 
  • Connect the machine back in and tap the ON button. 
  • A blue light will appear, showing you that the unit has been reset.

Note that you can’t press the Test button repeatedly because water may overflow or ice may jam, damaging your ice maker. It’s best to perform the reset no more than once daily.Samsung Ice Maker Not Working

Samsung Ice Maker Not Working after Reset

It can be very frustrating when your Samsung ice maker won’t still work even after reset. Well, this could be due to several reasons, but you can perform a hard reset by following the steps below.

A hard reset can help fix just about everything a soft reset couldn’t. However, this action can sometimes erase your settings if you are not careful. In case you have schedules saved to your refrigerator, you need to back them up online before you do a hard reset:

  • Turn off the electrical breaker that provides power to the fridge or by disconnecting it from the wall.
  • In case there’s a power button inside the fridge, long-press it till the lights turn off.
  • Once this reset button has been tapped, then everything will go off and then make a sound once it restarts.
  • Wait for at least 10 full minutes.
  • If the fridge is not still cooling, you might need to wait for a while to help the motors cool down.
  • Connect the fridge back in and switch it back on.
  • In 90% of Samsung ice maker not working situations, the fridge always bounce back in working order!

Once your refrigerator is working again, pay close attention to it for the next few days. Ensure that the fridge is running properly, without any weird temperature fluctuations or error messages. Once everything seems to be in good shape, then you are good to go! 

Unfortunately, if your ice maker is still not working, then you might need to call in a professional immediately. A quick repair callout should save you from having to buy a completely new refrigerator.

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