How to stop Refrigerator Ice maker from making too much ice ?

When we buy a refrigerator nobody could think of an ice maker to start making more ice instead we might once ask the sales guy what if it stops working.

Ice maker getting loaded with too much ice can be very frustrating for a time. What if you have put something below of ice maker and gone out for 2-3 days? When you come back it’s all ice around and you cannot pull that stuff out of it and you have to defrost your refrigerator?

Now the question arises “My refrigerator ice maker is making too much ice I don’t know how to stop it”, don’t worry we know the solution.

Worried? You should be worried although the ice maker making too much ice could be a technical fault or any other technical issue which is a very common fault in refrigerators.

Ice makers are such a great thing in day-to-day life for us until they start making too much ice and then become a headache. But there are several fixes and believe me you want to find the main cause and fix them asap.

Several fixes? Yes, there could be more than one reason for your ice maker to start producing more than the required ice wasting energy and water altogether.

Let’s get started finding out the best solution for the ice maker problem but before that, we must know how the ice maker works.

How does Ice Maker Works?

Working of an ice maker is not a very complex mechanism. Your refrigerator has a connection to a direct water supply from where water flows inside the ice maker and fills up its mold. The ice maker then uses that water to make ice. You can then crush the ice using a motor mechanism and it then chutes into your glass.

Now, when your refrigerator is overflowing with ice there could be a possible reason that the sensor present inside your refrigerator that indicated the ice maker is full might not be working properly. Now when the ice maker is full the water valve is supposed to be stopped which might not be happening. This prevents the ice maker to stop making ice when it is full. 

So, is there a fault in the sensor which needs to be replaced? Not likely, let’s check out common fixes.

Reset the Ice Maker

Resetting the ice maker can be the very easy and first step into the solution and see if it works for you. There are different ways to reset the ice maker which differ from model to model. Please follow the instructions given in the manuals provided by your brand.

This might fix your ice maker problem but if it doesn’t then follow the next step.

Clean & Check the location of the Ice Bin in Your Ice Maker

There might be a chance that instead of overflowing in your ice maker, the ice bin that stores ice might not be properly placed. That can be a reason for the spilling of ice which may look like an ice maker overflowing.

Take out the ice bin and clean the area properly and check if there’s any damage. Now put back the ice bin properly and make sure it’s placed correctly and no ice would spill from it.

If resetting and cleaning don’t fix your ice maker overflow issue then there could be a malfunction in any part and it would need repair.

Inspect Feeler Paddle & Shut off Arm

After you’re done with resetting & cleaning parts start inspecting parts one by one and the first part to start with can be shut off arm. While cleaning you might have seen the damage, if there’s damage better replace and repair that part. If there’s no damage to any part then it might be possible that your shut-off arm is malfunctioning.

To check that out, turn the shut-off arm into the off position and check if your ice maker is making ice still. If the ice is still being produced then the shut-off arm is misbehaving and needs to be replaced. Replace this part and check it again if your ice maker is working properly now.

Feeler Paddle

If your shut-off arm is working properly then?

There’s a plastic paddle present inside the ice maker. Its sole purpose is the discontinuing of ice flow when the ice bin is full. If the feeler paddle has a fault, your ice maker won’t stop making ice once the bin is full which would result in overflowing of ice.

You might need to contact a repair mechanic to get it fixed properly. You might also do it by yourself but we would advise you to contact a person who is experienced in repairing and replacing those parts.

Check Water Pressure & Water Valve

If your ice maker is still misbehaving and producing more ice then you must check if the water valve is not defective. Before checking out for the water valve make sure to check the water pressure of your home or tap your refrigerator is connected.

If you notice low water pressure then it could be one of the reasons that can impact your ice maker. This can be because the water inlet valve requires a certain water pressure and if it doesn’t receive water inlet at such pressure then the sensor might not work properly. If the valve sensor is having an issue with pressure then the valve might not close when the water flow is need to be stopped. This might result in the continuous drip of water inside the ice maker ultimately producing more ice than required.

If the water pressure is normal then the last step to do is to check on the water valve.

Check the water inlet valve properly and see if there’s any damage to the valve. Repair or replace the valve properly and that would fix your ice maker problem.

If you’re new to the device check for the owner’s manual or call a plumber/ service person to replace it for you.  Make sure to turn off the electricity supply & water supply before opening the water inlet valve.

These are the most common issue and fixes to your ice maker producing more than the required ice. If you’re still facing issues with it you need to contact your brand service center & ask them for thorough checking and fixing of the issue.

How to avoid future problems with the ice maker?

You’ve already been frustrated with the ice maker problem and you must make sure you prevent this from happening again. There could be a few steps you need to follow to prevent from future problems.

• Clean Your Ice Maker: Once at a regular interval make sure to clean your ice maker properly and check the position of the ice bin.
• Regular Maintenance: Always check for the water pressure in your home and get it maintained on time properly.