Ice Maker Won't Stop Making Ice

When the ice maker is on and the arm is down, the machine is receiving the signal to create ice. As ice empties from the tray and fills the bin, it eventually pushes the arm up and signals the end of ice production. Verify the arm is installed properly by moving the arm up and down while listening for a click. When there isn't an audible click from the module, remove and then realign the arm before testing again.

Other objects or ice buildup may prevent the free movement of the arm. Clear the blockage and then push the arm up to turn the ice maker off.

When an ice bin is sitting off its rails or cockeyed, ejected ice may miss the bucket and appear as overflowing ice. Position the bin correctly.

The activator switch is located inside the modular control unit of the ice maker. There is a hole in the unit where the metal wire arm nests. When the arm is up ice production stops.

The plastic switch may become brittle with temperature and age, and eventually crack or may simply fail. If the arm doesn't click as you move between its two positions, you'll need to replace the module or the entire ice maker assembly.

Each ice-making cycle triggers the release of water to fill the trays. This usually lasts for 8 seconds per tray and then shuts off. The water inlet valve influences these cycles. At the back of the ice maker assembly is the fill tube. If the fill tube is frozen or continues to drip, the water inlet valve is to blame. Locate and check the valve for continuity with a multimeter. A resistance value outside 500-1500Ω confirms a faulty valve and should be replaced.

Mismatched valve replacement can cause incomplete fills. If your ice maker does not fill completely, find the water fill adjustment screw in the ice maker assembly. To adjust, turn the screw clockwise up to one turn and compensate for a non-standard flow rate. Do not over adjust this screw. Note: changing this setting doesn't make water flow into the ice maker.

Your thermistor is a temperature-dependent sensor which controls when the next cycle will run. This may have failed and isn't timing cycles correctly. Test continuity with a multimeter and replace the thermistor if the resistance is outside 2-220KΩ.

If the ice maker is not working it could be that the ice maker assembly itself is defective. There are several components in the control module of the ice maker that can fail, and most are not sold separately. Some ice makers have a relatively short lifespan and may not always be worth fixing.

• If other, simpler parts like the water inlet valve or shut-off arm have been ruled out, and the only thing left is the ice maker itself, Whirlpool Refrigerator Ice Makers.