If you select cubed ice and a small amount of crushed ice is dispensed, that is normal. A common cause of the ice maker dispensing crushed ice only is the freezer temperature being too cold. If the freezer temperature is too cold the ice will shatter when it is harvested from the ice maker.
If the refrigerator only dispenses crushed ice, this means that your bar along the bottom of the bin is not being lifted. If you remove the bin you'll see the metal bar along the bottom of it which is used to change the ice dispenser from crushed to cubed. Look at the wall behind the ice bin now.
Regarding the ice clumping together, this can be either a leak from the underside of the ice maker leaking into the ice bin and freezing the cubes together. To check this, you will have to remove the ice maker and fill it with water and look under the ice maker to see if it is leaking.
They claim the ice makers on Samsung refrigerators with French door dispensers have ice crystals at the bottom, slushy ice, water under the crispers or running down the wall, and a noisy fan. At this time, there has not been a recall issued on the refrigerators.
It has to do with not enough water getting into the ice maker.
Samsung Ice Maker Class Action Lawsuit Settlement
After years of legal proceedings, the Samsung refrigerator class action lawsuit reached a settlement in December 2023.
Ice cubes typically have a temperature of around -18°C, while tap water is around 10°C. When the cubes are dropped in, the relative warmth makes their outer layers start to expand, while their cold inner layers remain unchanged. This creates tension between the layers which can tear the cube apart.
If the ice maker appears to not be making any or enough ice, low water pressure or a faulty water filter may be to blame. When the ice maker makes small, cloudy, or clumped ice, it could be something as simple as a dirty water filter, low water pressure, or high mineral deposits in your water.
If your refrigerator temperature is too high, condensation may build up and freeze on the bottom of the refrigerator. Lower the temperature a few degrees to fix the problem.
When the ice bin is full, the pressure from the weight of the cubes can cause the bottom cubes to fuse and clump. To prevent this from happening, discard the clumped ice and check the bin periodically to ensure the ice is not building up.
There are two methods for this: either an optical sensor or a mechanical arm, which detects when ice has piled high enough. If your ice maker won't stop making ice, it means ice is not piling high enough to reach the sensor or arm, typically because the ice bucket is not in the proper position.
When cubed ice is selected, dispensing cubes requires energizing a lever behind the ice bucket to open a flap and allow whole cubes to come out. If an ice cube gets behind the ice bucket, this can prevent the lever from working. Remove the ice bucket and check for ice that may have fallen behind the bucket.
A class action lawsuit has been filed alleging that the built-in-door ice makers on these fridges are defective and can cause a number of problems, including water leaks, parts "freezing up" and loud fan noises that consumers have described as "growling" or "jamming." How Can a Class Action Help?
Deciding to fix an ice maker depends on the age of the appliance, the repair cost, and the ice maker problem. For a newer ice maker with a minor issue, a repair is likely worth it. If your ice maker or fridge is old and the repair is expensive, replacing the ice maker or even the whole fridge might be the best option.
While it can be convenient to have available ice at the touch of a button, the truth is that these machines simply don't last forever. The average lifespan of an ice maker is 5 years.
What is the most common problem with Samsung refrigerators? Aside from the usual issues, such as the refrigerator, not cooling, and refrigerator leaking water, some Samsung problems also include the refrigerator not making ice properly.
Test the ice maker.
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.
Refrigerator ice maker problems can often be tied back to a handful of main components, including water valves and lines, the water filter, the ice maker control arm, compartment temperatures, the ice bin and more.
Ice cubes break into pieces because the plastic trays become coated with hard-water mineral deposits (calcium carbonate) that settle into nicks and scratches in the cube compartments and build up over time. Water clings to these deposits as it freezes.
The colour of ice may be an indication of its strength − clear blue to black ice is strongest, and likely the deepest. You should only skate on ice that is 20+ cm thick. White opaque or snow ice should be avoided. Grey ice indicates the presence of water and is unsafe to stand on.
The temperature change happens on the outside of the cube, while the inside stays frozen. That rapid change in temperature causes a contraction of the ice, especially the outer layer. The imperfections or weak spots of the ice are forced to crack at this point.