Your ice maker should dump a tray of ice every 1-2 hours. Depending on the size of your ice maker bin, it should take about 24-48 hours for your ice maker bin to fill up completely.
If you suspect that your ice maker isn’t producing ice at the speed mentioned above, keep this in mind: One cycle only produces enough ice for 1-2 beverages (depending on how much ice you use and the size of the cup), so if you have a large family or constant use, your ice maker may have a difficult time keeping up with your demand. It may only take one or two rounds of drinks to empty out your refrigerator’s ice maker.
However, if your ice maker isn’t producing ice as quickly as it should be, there are several troubleshooting methods you can use to figure out the problem:
Temperature
The first thing to suspect is that the temperature is too high. If you have an interior thermometer, check the temperature inside your freezer. The temperature should be below 10 degrees or lower to produce ice. If you use an air thermometer, be sure to leave the door closed for at least 30 minutes before opening it and checking the thermometer for accuracy. A simpler and more delicious way of checking your ice maker temperature is with ice cream. If the ice cream is soft and mushy, it’s too warm. If it’s hard and difficult to scoop, the temperature is just right.
Water Valve
There are two water valves. One from your home, which supplies water to the refrigerator. The refrigerator also has a water valve that supplies water to the ice maker. If you have hard water or on a well, these valves can easily clog with sediment or sand. If your ice maker is going through the harvest mode, but is not filling with water many times this means that the refrigerator water valve is clogged and needs to me replaced.
Feeler Arm
The feeler arm is the sensitive metal wire that extends down from your ice maker and “feels” whether there is ice at the top of the bin. It stops your ice bin from overfilling. If the arm isn’t working right, it will tell the ice maker the bin is full even if it isn’t. Make sure the ice bucket is installed correctly. If the ice bucket is not installed correctly, the feeder arm might hit the bucket during harvest of the ice and stop the ice maker.
Ice Maker Cycle
If your ice maker stops in the middle of the cycle, this could mean that something is wrong with the electronics, or it could mean that something is wrong with the ice maker, which includes thermostat, motor, or heater. If you suspect an issue with the electronics or motor, call a technician so they can find the problem and advise you on what parts need to be repaired or replaced.
