How to Remove Ice Maker from Samsung Refrigerator: Complete Guide

How to Remove Ice Maker from Samsung Refrigerator

A Samsung refrigerator’s independent ice maker function is a game changer for the unique and quality experience it gives its users.

But if you’re wondering if removing this part on your own is as chill as ice — well, we’re here to reassure you that it is! 

Samsung takes its user-friendly appliance interface seriously, and in this article, you’ll learn how to remove the ice maker from your Samsung fridge in no more than 4 steps.

Let’s dive right in!

How to Remove Samsung Refrigerator Ice Maker

How to Remove Samsung Refrigerator Ice Maker

To remove a Samsung fridge ice maker:

  • Step 1: Defrost the fridge, then remove the ice bucket.
  • Step 2: Unplug the ice maker’s wire harness.
  • Step 3: Carefully move the cooling coil out of the way.
  • Step 4: Remove the ice maker by pressing the locking tab near it.

Though we say it’s simple, removing the ice maker from your Samsung refrigerator requires the use of a couple of tools.

Not to the point of having to call in a professional, though; but disengaging this component from the appliance means you’ll have to be extra careful in disconnecting certain parts.

But don’t worry; we’ll provide you with detailed guidelines and tips so you don’t lose your way!

Before we begin removing your ice maker, you’ll want to grab these first: a Philipps screwdriver and a flathead screwdriver. 

You’ll mostly be using the Philipps screwdriver to open panels and access the ice maker better, while the flathead one will be used to move things out of the way.

Once you’ve gathered all the essentials, let’s jump right into getting your ice maker out of the fridge!

Step 1: Defrost the fridge, then remove the ice bucket.

A vital step in removing the ice maker from your Samsung refrigerator is to empty the ice maker by defrosting the appliance (how to defrost samsung ice maker).

This will make your ice maker lighter and easier to remove. Moreover, this will also thaw out any ice buildup that might be freezing some parts in place — but we’ll discuss more on that later.

For now, make sure that the ice inside and around the ice maker is thoroughly cleared. To do this, you can either choose to reset the ice maker alone (samsung ice maker reset button) or defrost the entire fridge.

As for what we recommend, we suggest defrosting the entire fridge. The primary reason for this is that a whole-unit defrost session can get also get rid of ice surrounding the ice maker.

Think of it as deep-cleaning your car or printer. It can get to every corner, including the parts that might not be conspicuous at first glance but which can turn out to be important parts of the appliance’s cooling system.

Now, let’s get back on track: defrosting the appliance requires you to put it in Force Defrost (Fd) mode. This is a special setting in Samsung refrigerators that allows them to defrost themselves without being unplugged — faster than being unplugged, even!

To put your fridge in Fd mode, locate the two buttons on the control panel that will trigger this. Most models have it labeled together, but if yours doesn’t have indicators, you can consult your user manual.

For most models, these are the Power Freeze and Fridge buttons. If you use a dispenser model, you can try pressing the Freezer and Lightning buttons instead.

You have to hold these buttons down for at least 8 seconds, or until the panel goes blank. Afterward, press any other button and you’ll hear a beep — that means Force Defrost mode has been activated, and all the heaters in the appliance are at work.

You might notice the beeping persisting after several seconds or minutes — that’s normal! That’s how you know that the defrost session is still in progress; it’ll stop when the defrost session is finished.

Defrosting your refrigerator via this mode usually lasts for about 20 minutes, depending on how thick the ice buildup is and if you leave the doors open to let more warm air in.

Once all the ice has melted, it’s time to remove the ice bucket. At this point, you can choose to unplug your refrigerator now — or you can unplug it after you’ve removed the ice bucket.

The important thing you have to remember is that before doing the next step and proceeding to remove wires, the fridge must be disconnected from its power source.

Either way, removing the ice bucket is easy: if there’s a button or locking tab near it, simply press it as you pull the ice bucket towards you to remove it.

If your fridge model doesn’t have a button or a locking tab, you can just grab the ice bucket, lift it, and pull it out toward you — and done!

Quick Tip:

When you put your appliance in Fd mode, avoid using a heating device such as a hairdryer to help it melt the ice.

Your Samsung refrigerator is made of the kind of plastic materials that can melt or morph under too much heat, especially the ice maker compartment.

Just leave the doors open and the appliance’s built-in heaters will do all the work!

Step 2: Unplug the ice maker’s wire harness.

Once the ice bucket is out of the way, you’ll notice a cover of some sort to the side of the cavity, held in place by a single tiny screw. That’s where the wire harness connecting the ice maker to the fridge body is located.

Unplug the ice maker’s wire harness

Remember: before accessing those wires, make sure that the appliance is no longer connected to a power source. 

You can either unplug its power cord or, if your refrigerator doesn’t share a breaker with a vital appliance, you can cut off its power right there for safety.

Afterwards, take your Philipps screwdriver and unscrew the wire housing cover protecting the wire harness.

With the screw removed, you can pull the cover open and you’ll find the wire harness inside. Once in sight, push on the locking tab on the wire and unplug it.

Now take your Philipps screwdriver again and locate another tiny screw, this time for the ice tray duct. You can find this atop the harness.

Take your flathead screwdriver and slide it into the narrow slot on the left side of the ice tray duct (as pictured below) and carefully pry it towards the right until it loosens.

Unplug the ice maker’s wire harness

Then, you can push it down to release it.

Step 3: Carefully move the cooling coil out of the way.

Once the ice tray duct is open, you’ll notice a small cooling coil directly on the bottom of the ice maker. This looks just like the evaporator coils you’ll find in the back panel of the fridge compartment, only smaller.

Carefully move the cooling coil out of the way

Similar to the function of the evaporator coils, this cooling coil, despite its size, is responsible for keeping the ice maker compartment cold enough to make ice.

But much like evaporator coils, this part also freezes up easily due to the nature of its function. That’s why it’s important to defrost the ice maker first and make sure that this part isn’t blocked by ice.

If you notice frost or ice still forming around the coil, you have to defrost the fridge one more time. If you do, remember not to use a heating device on this part especially, since the cooling coil is a sensitive component.

Furthermore, no matter how small the ice buildup around the cooling coil is, you still have to defrost it. Prying this part off when it’s stuck in place by frost can damage it.

Once the cooling coil is damaged, it cannot be replaced on its own. You’ll have to get another fridge in that case.

So you have to be extremely careful in moving it out of the way. No need to be anxious, though; just make sure it’s not frozen in place, and you can move it without hassle.

Just take your flathead screwdriver and slip it over the coil, gently prying it down a couple of centimeters. You don’t have to remove it completely; just move it a bit so that it stays in place while you slide the ice maker out.

Step 4: Remove the ice maker by pressing the locking tab near it.

Once the cooling coil is safely out of the way, locate the locking tab placed near the top of the ice maker.

Depress on this locking tab while holding on to the ice maker as you slide it forward. Keep an eye on the cooling coil and make sure that it’s not getting caught on anything.

The cooling coil has to stay in place inside the compartment as you remove the ice maker.

And — there you have it! Once your ice maker is in your hands, you can inspect it for damages, replace it, or just keep it out of the fridge for a while.

How to Remove a Stuck Samsung Refrigerator Ice Bucket

If the ice bucket of your Samsung fridge is stuck, check for any block of ice obstructing it or freezing it in place. If there are any, force defrost the unit to melt out the ice.

If the ice bucket is stuck but not frozen over, try lifting it up and then pulling it out.

The best way to address this issue, however, is to consult your user manual. Not all Samsung refrigerator models are built the same, thus some models — as we’ve mentioned above — may have buttons you can press to remove the ice bucket.

Most models, however, can have theirs removed by simply being pulled out. Though in some cases, you might have to lift the bucket a little as you slide it out of place.

Of course, none of these methods would work if there’s still ice buildup surrounding the ice bucket, so be sure to get rid of that first.

When no amount of defrosting or button-pressing or lifting seems to make the ice bucket budge, call for professional service. This might be an issue in manufacturing.

Quick Tip:

Similar to when you defrost the fridge, you should not use a heating device on a stuck ice bucket. Don’t attempt to forcibly remove it with tools either.

If pulling it out or lifting it doesn’t work, give your Samsung service center a call!

Can a Samsung refrigerator ice maker be permanently removed?

The ice maker cannot be permanently separated from the Samsung refrigerator body. The control panel may display an error code if you run the appliance without the ice maker.

If you no longer want to use the ice maker, you can just turn it off permanently.

While the ice maker is a handy feature, we understand that it might not be essential. In some cases, it might even be responsible for hiking up your refrigerator bills.

But if you’re wondering if you can forego the ice maker completely to save energy — well, the short answer is yes. However, you can’t remove it from the appliance permanently.

Part of a Samsung refrigerator’s safety protocol is to pause operations if one of its components is missing. At times, it will send out error codes to signal to you which part of it needs attention.

Some of these error codes can be cleared out, but will overall compromise the appliance’s efficiency if you don’t address it immediately.

If you power on the unit without the ice maker, it will most likely send you error codes until you put the ice maker back, damaged or not. The best way to counter this is to just turn off the ice maker so its function is put on hold.

Depending on the model of your Samsung refrigerator, you can turn off the ice maker in two ways:

  • Type 1: Locate the Ice Maker Off button on the control panel, and press it for at least 3 seconds or until the button lights up.
  • Type 2: Locate the Ice Maker button on the control panel, and press it for at least 3 seconds or until the light switches from ON to OFF.
Quick Tip:

The only way to turn the ice maker back on is by manually pressing the Ice Maker button, or by pressing the dispenser lever for more than 5 seconds.

Furthermore, once you trigger the ice maker button, you need to wait for at least a minute before you can trigger it again.

See what we mean by removing the ice maker being a simple process? It’s almost as easy as rearranging the shelves in the fridge compartment, only you’ll need a couple of tools to achieve it.

But overall, we hope this guide has simplified the method for you even more, so that the next time you need to remove the ice maker, the steps will be as familiar to you as the back of your hand.

And like with any technical issues you face with any type of appliance, if the easy solution doesn’t work the first time, don’t forcibly try to fix it; calling for technical help is your next safest option.


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