How to fix ice maker on a Whirlpool

So, has your Whirlpool fridge ice maker failed? Or, is it not making enough ice? Perhaps, it’s not getting any water? Or, it has run into another of the myriad problems an ice maker might experience.

Well, in this troubleshooting guide, you will learn how you can fix these and more problems that your ice maker might run into.

Summary of content

How to fix ice maker on a Whirlpool fridge – step-by-step troubleshooting instructions

Of course, for the ice maker to work, it will need water.

So, let’s start by fixing water problems…

Whirlpool ice maker not getting water (Whirlpool ice maker troubleshooting no water)

To fix this problem, start by making sure that both the water faucet and the saddle valve are fully open.

The next thing I want you to do is to straighten any kinks that might be on the water line.

The other suspect you should check is the water pressure to the fridge – it should be at least 20 psi for the ice maker to fill with water.

Pro tip: If your refrigerator has a water filter, slightly increase the pressure to at least 45 psi.

And by the way, have you replaced the water filter of late?

The reason I’m asking this is because the water filter will get clogged with sediments and impurities over time.

And when this occurs, it can no longer allow water to flow into the ice maker chamber.

In fact, Whirlpool recommends that you always install a new water filter once every 6 months.

So, be sure to give that a try too.

Now, if your ice maker still won’t get any water, high chances are that the inlet valve has failed.

But to be sure, you can test the inlet valve for continuity… You will know the valve is defective if it lacks continuity.

In addition, you can test for 120v AC on its wire harness connector when it actuates to let water in.

If the valve is getting 120v AC, it might be having a mechanical problem.

If the valve has failed, your best course of action will be to get a new refrigerator water inlet valve.

On the other hand, if the valve is not getting 120v AC and the wire looks good, it means the control board is faulty and needs replacing – see current control board prices.

Whirlpool ice maker won’t fill with water

Oftentimes, the ice maker not filling with water is usually due to low water pressure – below 20 psi.

So, start by making sure that the pressure is at least 20 psi. During this process, also straighten any twists that the water line might have.

Another thing: Remember to increase the pressure to at least 45 psi if your fridge model uses a water filter.

One of the methods you can use to achieve this is to fully open the water faucet/saddle valve and straighten any twists that might be on the water line.

Quick tip: When increasing the pressure, be sure not to increase it past 120 psi. This might result in an overflowing ice maker.

The other likely culprit for your ice maker not filling with water is a dirty water filter as it might reduce the water flow.

In this case, you will need to swap the filter – shop for a replacement filter on Amazon.

One more thing: Remember to always change the filter once every six months.

Whirlpool ice maker stopped making ice (Whirlpool ice maker not working)

The most common cause for the ice maker to stop making ice is if it’s not getting any water.

So, start by using the steps above (Whirlpool ice maker not getting water) to make sure it’s getting water.

Next, I want you to make sure your ice maker’s on/off switch is set to the on (I) position:

Pro tip: Not all ice makers have this switch. So, don’t stress a lot if you can’t locate the switch on your model.

The next thing you should do is to remove anything that might be holding the control arm (wire signal arm) in the off position (up) as this will stop ice production:

For the most part, this will just be some ice cube(s).

Now, for the ice maker to start producing ice, the freezer’s temperature will need to be at least 0⁰F (-18⁰C).

In addition, the fresh food compartment will need to be between 33 and 40⁰F (0 to 4⁰C).

So, be sure to make sure that your refrigerator’s temps lie within these ranges.

Finally, take out the ice maker and blow some warm air (or use some warm water) to unfreeze the water line at the back of the ice maker.

This is because water might have frozen in the water line thereby preventing water from flowing into the ice maker.

Normally, this will occur when the freezer temperature is too low.

Whirlpool ice maker not making enough ice (Whirlpool ice maker won’t fill)

Typically, this will occur when the ice maker is not getting enough water.

This means that to fix this problem, you will be troubleshooting a poor water flow issue.

So, use the troubleshooting steps in this section: Whirlpool ice maker won’t fill with water (above).

Whirlpool ice maker not dumping ice / Whirlpool ice maker not dispensing ice (Whirlpool ice maker not dropping ice)

When this occurs, the first question that you should ask yourself is: Is the ice maker making any ice?

To get the answer to this, check if there are ice cubes inside the bin.

If there are no cubes, it means your refrigerator is not making any ice. Subsequently, you will be troubleshooting for ice maker not working problems as we’ve already done above.

So, use the steps in this section Whirlpool ice maker not making ice to help you fix the ice maker.

However, if the ice bin has ice cubes, I recommend you start by making sure you have not deactivated the ice dispenser.

Here are the two methods you can do this:

If the Ice Off indicator light is on, it means you have deactivated ice dispensing. Activate the dispenser by pressing and holding the Ice Off key for three seconds.
If the Control Lock indicator light is on, it means you have activated the child/control lock. To deactivate it, press and hold the Control Lock pad for three seconds.

Moving on…

Another likely common cause for your ice maker not dropping ice cubes is a clogged ice chute.

This is usually due to ice clumping together (either from extremely low freezer temps or you’re not dispensing the cubes frequently).

Having mentioned that, here is how you can unclog the ice chute:

Put an empty glass beneath the ice dispenser and press the ice dispenser lever.
Pour some warm water through the ice chute – it will melt any trapped ice cubes.

Whirlpool ice maker won’t stop making ice (Whirlpool ice maker won’t turn off)

To fix this problem, remove any objects that might be preventing the wire signal arm from locking into the off position.

For the most part, this will be a few ice cubes.

However, if you had previously removed the ice shelf from the freezer, you will need to reinsert it.

This is because removing the ice shelf will create too much space between the ice maker and the ice bin.

And, this might result in the wire signal arm not locking when the ice bin is full.

Whirlpool refrigerator not making ice but water works (Whirlpool ice maker not working but water dispenser is)

Below are the necessary remedy steps you should take to restore normal ice production:

Make sure the ice maker on/off switch is in the on position:

Make sure you have set the freezer’s temperature to at least 0⁰F (-18⁰C) while the temperature of the fresh food compartment lies between 33 and 40⁰F (0 to 4⁰C).
Defrost your refrigerator since the ice maker might be frozen.

To defrost it, take out all the food, unplug it from the power outlet, and open all its doors. Now let it sit in this state for at least 8 hours.

Replace the ice maker since the current one is likely defective – compare replacement ice maker prices.

Whirlpool ice maker leaking water / Whirlpool ice maker overfilling with water

First things first, start by making sure that your refrigerator is level more so if it’s brand-new or you have recently installed it – refer to the leveling instructions in the owner’s manual.

Next, make sure that the water pressure to the fridge does not exceed 120 psi as this might result in the ice maker overflowing.

If the pressure is more than 120 psi, you can reduce it by using any of these methods:

Partially close the water faucet/saddle valve to reduce the amount of water flowing to the refrigerator.
Install the Hydronix water pressure regulator – it will limit the water pressure to 60 psi.

Another common cause of a Whirlpool fridge ice maker leaking water is a cracked/defective ice maker tray.

When this is the case, you will notice your ice maker will be leaking from the bottom.

Here, your only workaround will be to swap the ice maker – see Whirlpool ice maker replacement prices.

Finally, inspect the water fill tube – it’s the water line that delivers water into the ice maker.

If the tube appears misaligned and leaking, gently nudge it back into position.

Whirlpool ice maker not working after power outage

Normally, this will occur due to an electrical glitch in the refrigerator’s system.

Often, this will be due to the refrigerator not powering on as it should.

Fortunately, you can fix this problem by resetting the ice maker.

And this brings me to the final step… How to reset your ice maker

How to reset the ice maker on a Whirlpool refrigerator

Basically, there are 3 quite simple methods that you can use to reset your Whirlpool fridge ice maker.

And they are:

If your refrigerator model has an Ice button, press and hold it for 5 seconds. If the reset is successful, you will hear your refrigerator chime.

However, in some models, the display screen will change to indicate the reset was successful.

On models that do not have the ice button, you can reset the ice maker by pressing the Options or the Settings button for 5 seconds.

Again, if the reset was a success, your refrigerator will either chime or its display screen will change.

The final method that you can use to reset the ice maker is by hard resetting the refrigerator – unplug it from the power outlet and let it sit for at least 30 seconds without power.

Final thoughts on how to fix ice maker on a Whirlpool fridge

Once you have fixed your ice maker, give it a few hours for it to resume normal ice production.

This might be up to 24 hours if there was a power outage.

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