Ice Maker Gets Stuck Remove the ice storage bin from the freezer and break clumped up ice with your hands. Dump any clumps you can't break up into the sink. Since inactivity causes ice clumps to form, the easiest long-term fix is to use the ice maker more frequently.
Unplug the unit and open the door to access the ice receptacle. After a few hours, the ice bucket/receptacle should release and come out. If that is not an option you prefer, you can use a steamer. Insert the steamer nozzle into the opening of the ice shoot.
Use a Hair Dryer: If the ice maker is particularly stubborn or frozen solid, you can use a hair dryer to help thaw out the blockage. Set the hair dryer to a low heat setting and hold it a few inches away from the ice maker components. Move the hair dryer back and forth to evenly distribute the heat and melt the ice.
Faulty Thermostat/Sensor: The ice maker has a built-in thermostat or sensor that detects when the ice is frozen and ready to be ejected. If this sensor is malfunctioning, it may not be triggering the cycle to eject the ice. Replacing or repairing the thermostat/sensor might resolve this issue.
Ice could have melted and frozen around the auger due to infrequent use, temperature fluctuations, and/or power outages. Remove the ice bin, thaw and empty contents. Clean the ice bin (wipe/dry) and replace in proper position. When new ice is produced, the dispenser should operate.
Don't try to force your ice bucket out if it's stuck and won't budge. You should just need to shake it loosely with a small amount of mild wriggling.
Check for ice that's lodged in the dispenser by bending over and carefully looking up into the chute. Solution: If you see a handful of loose cubes, jiggle them free to release them. If ice in the chute seems lodged or stuck, it's best to place a catch under the dispenser and give the ice time to melt on its own.
Put towels in your fridge and under your ice maker to absorb water that drips as the ice melts, including excess water from the filter. Switch your hair dryer on low or medium-speed settings and blow directly on your ice maker to defrost. It will take only a few minutes till all the ice on your appliance melts away.
A clogged water filter, a kinked water hose, or a faulty inlet valve can restrict water flow to the icemaker. If the water inlet valve is damaged or defective, it can actually fill the ice cube bucket and cause the entire unit to freeze.
It is recommended to change the water filter first but if the condition still occurs then you want to check for a saddle valve, a water valve not turned on all the way or a kinked water supply line. Remember, smaller ice cubes or ice chips jamming in the ice maker may be a sign that your water filter needs changing.
Control/Shutoff Arm is Not Engaged: The ice maker control arm senses the amount of ice in the ice bin. Once the bin is full, the arm is pushed upwards to turn off the ice maker. The arm may become stuck in this position. Simply, lower the arm to to continue producing ice.
If your ice maker isn't making ice or if the ice cubes are small or misshapen, the water fill tubes may be the problem. Check the fill cup and the tube at the back of the ice maker. If they are covered in ice, look for a blockage.
This will be located at the bottom of the ice maker unit in most models, but in some, it is at the bottom of the ice tray itself. Press the button down until you hear a beep sound. It will require a few seconds of holding it down before it beeps. Your refrigerator ice maker is now reset!
If you don't hear a chime and there is no movement from the ice maker, unplug the fridge or turn it off at the circuit breaker for 2 minutes. Then, power it back up and try again.
To thaw out the fill tube on this refrigerator, you just use a hair dryer and point it at the fill tube behind the ice maker inside the freezer section. Keep heating the fill tube until it's thawed out.
If your ice maker arm is sticking, you can use a hair dryer and thaw out the ice maker to make sure it's clear and not jammed by ice in the head or anything like that. Then wait 24 hours to see if the ice maker will cycle and move the arm on it's own. Other than that, the ice maker would just need to be replaced.
Most ice makers have a raking mechanism to disperse newly created cubes evenly across the storage bin. The raker bar may have ice caught in it, causing it to jam. To fix this, clear off ice cubes from the raker bar by hand. Remove some ice from the storage bin if it ever starts getting too full.
If it's not clear, you need to remove the ice bucket and point a hair dryer above the ice maker toward the back to thaw out the fill tube until you can blow through it (keep the hair dryer moving so nothing melts). If the water line is clear on the other hand, replace the water valve.
Fortunately, this is a relatively easy problem to resolve. Remove the storage bin and use your hands to break up any clumped up ice. If there are clumps that are frozen solid, you'll need to dump them out into the sink.
To reset the ice maker, unplug the refrigerator for 1 minute. After resetting, wait a couple of hours and check for ice production; ice is in the bin.