When your Frigidaire ice maker starts saying add water, it’s usually signaling you that the water reservoir is empty. And for the most part, adding water to the reservoir usually solves this problem.
But, what do you do if you have added water to the reservoir but the Add Water light stays on?
Well, that’s where this troubleshooting guide comes in – I will tell you why this occurs plus how to easily fix the problem.
Frigidaire ice maker saying add water (Frigidaire countertop ice maker says add water but water is full)
To start with, it could be that…
You are using soft water (you are using water that is too pure)
Usually, countertop Frigidaire ice makers use an electronic sensor to detect the current water level.
The way this sensor works is by completing an electrical circuit when water touches it.
And, this is usually made possible by the presence of minerals in the water as they make it a good conductor.
On the other hand, pure water is a poor conductor compared to regular drinking water.
This makes it a bit hard for the sensor to reliably detect the water hence why the Add Water indicator stays on.
Now, to be a little bit more specific, here are the different water types that the sensor is likely not to detect:
- Distilled water
- Reverse osmosis water
- Filtered water
- Purified water
With that in mind, your easiest (and quickest) solution will be to add a pinch of salt to the water.
However, I had still advice you to change to hard water – it’s much better than having to add a pinch of salt every time you want to make ice.
Besides, the salt is likely to alter the taste of the ice cubes.
There might be scale buildup inside the ice maker
To be honest, this is the most common reason that I have come across for a Frigidaire ice maker that keeps saying add water.
You see, the scale buildup might cover and clog the electronic water level sensor thereby preventing it from detecting water.
A common sign for scale build-up is if you start noticing discoloration inside the ice maker.
How you can fix the problem – cleaning scale buildup
Here, all you need to do is to clean your ice maker – follow these Frigidaire countertop ice maker cleaning instructions and you will be good to go:
- Mix water and cleaning vinegar in a ratio of 1:1. Proceed to pour this mixture in the reservoir.
When doing this, remember not to exceed the max fill line.
- Press and hold the power button for 3 seconds – the S and L lights will start blinking. This indicates that your icemaker has successfully entered the cleaning mode.
The cleaning cycle will continue for around ½ hour and once it’s done, the ice maker will stop running.
- Position your ice maker above a sink.
- Pull the plug at the bottom of the ice maker and drain the water-vinegar mixture into the sink.
- Add fresh water to the reservoir and repeat step 2 to run a rinse cycle. This cycle will help get rid of any remaining scale and vinegar residues.
- Remove the water filter (located at the bottom of the water reservoir) and rinse it under running water.
Now, how often should you clean your ice maker?
To be honest, there is no set timeframe for how often you should clean it.
This is because the scale buildup process is influenced by how often you are using your ice maker and the level of water hardness in your region.
Nonetheless, I normally advice my clients to try and clean their ice makers at least once every 2 months.
You haven’t primed the water pump (after cleaning)
During my appliance repair journey, another common problem I have come across with countertop ice makers is that they may at times not detect water unless the pump is primed.
For the most part, this will occur after you have cleaned the ice maker.
Basically, priming helps in removing air from the water pump and the suction line. This creates a vacuum that facilitates water movement through the ice maker.
Having said that, I’ve found priming the water pump solves the problem 99% of the times.
Solution – prime the water pump
For this, you will need a turkey injector… Use the injector and gently fill the hose (that doesn’t go to the side of the tank with water).
Once done, restart your ice maker and it should now detect the water level.
The waterline might be frozen
Due to the low temperatures in the ice maker, the water line might freeze and when this occurs, water from the reservoir will not flow into the cooling chamber.
Unfortunately, you can not easily tell if this is the case.
Nonetheless, if the above solutions are not working on your ice maker, this might be the case.
And the best solution? To defrost the ice maker.
To do so, simply unplug it from the power outlet and let it sit for 4 hours to melt any ice that might be in the water line.
Frigidaire ice maker how to add water (Frigidaire ice maker where to add water)
To add water, open the cover (1) and remove the ice basket (3) as here:
Now pour water into the water reservoir (4) while making sure not to exceed the MAX water level mark inside the reservoir.
Frigidaire ice maker saying add water – final thoughts
Unfortunately, most countertop ice makers do not have replacement parts (including Frigidaire ice makers).
Besides, if they had replacement parts, the cost of repairing them would exceed the cost of a new ice maker.
To cut the long story short, if the above troubleshooting steps do not fix your ice maker, it might be time to get a replacement ice maker (view prices on Amazon).
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