Troubleshooting a Frigidaire Countertop Ice Maker (Complete Guide!)

We love having meaningful gatherings with friends and loved ones, but not the stress that comes with hosting. One thing we wish we had known sooner is to get a countertop ice maker as a self-service solution.

A Frigidaire countertop ice maker can churn ice in less than 10 minutes—unlike refrigerator ice makers, which can take several hours. More importantly, it is easy to maintain and troubleshoot!

Whether you’re dealing with slow or no ice production, you can get it back up and running in no time. We’ll walk you through all the steps and show you how to troubleshoot your Frigidaire countertop ice maker.

Troubleshooting a Frigidaire Countertop Ice Maker 

When you’re troubleshooting a Frigidaire countertop ice maker,  here’s what you need to check.

• Confirm that it’s connected to power.
• Check the water level.
• Inspect the ice basket and empty it, if needed.
• Look for jammed ice in the ice pusher. 
• Check for leaks.

Keep reading our guide for helpful tips and step-by-step instructions for troubleshooting a Frigidaire countertop ice maker. 

Problem	Causes	Solutions
The ice maker isn’t working.	No Power	• Plug in the power cord to a dedicated grounded 3-prong outlet.  • Make sure it’s a standard 110/220 Volt, 60 Hertz power source. • If the ice maker is plugged in properly, remove the power cord and plug in a different electronic device to check if the outlet has power. • Contact a licensed electrician if your outlet has no power.
Tripped Circuit Breaker		• Turn off all the lights and unplug the appliances connected to the tripped circuit breaker. • Locate the circuit breaker that keeps tripping. • Flip the switch on the circuit breaker to the OFF position. Wait for a few seconds and flip the switch back to the ON position. • Plug in the ice maker and confirm that it has power and is functioning properly.  • Plug in other appliances and lights one at a time to test if they are working correctly.
Low Water Level		• Confirm that the drain plug is installed.  Click on the Power button once. After, it should blink every 5 seconds. • Open the ice maker’s cover and remove the ice basket. • Fill the water reservoir with room temperature water up to the MAX line. • Reinstall the ice basket and close the cover. • Wait for 3 minutes. Then, push the Power button to restart ice production.
High Ambient/Water Temperature		• Pour cold water into the ice maker’s reservoir to help it cool down.  • To promote ice production, run your ice maker in ambient temperatures between 50°F and 80°F.
Ice production is too slow.	Ice Blockage	• Turn off the ice maker. • Wait for several minutes to let the ice melt. • Turn on the ice maker and start a cycle once the ice melts. Or, click on the size selector to choose small ice cubes.
The indicator lights are on.	Empty Water Reservoir	• Confirm that the drain plug is installed.  Tap the Power button once. After, it should blink every 5 seconds. • Open the ice maker’s cover and remove the ice basket. • Fill the water reservoir with room temperature water up to the MAX line. • Reinstall the ice basket and close the cover. • Wait for 3 minutes. Then, push the Power button to restart ice production.
Full Ice Basket		Transfer ice in the bucket into an appropriate container.
Obstructed Water Line		• Unplug the ice maker. • Open the cover and let the ice melt inside. • Restore power to your ice maker and try restarting the cycle.
The ice-making process is normal but no ice is being produced.	Refrigerant Leakage	• Unplug your ice maker. • Unthread the screws mounting the rear panel. It should be at the bottom of the unit. • Take off the back panel and set it aside. • Inspect the coils inside your ice maker and look for leaks. • If you find any leakage, call customer service immediately.

Here’s everything you need to know about troubleshooting a Frigidaire countertop ice maker.

The ice maker isn’t working.

An ice maker that isn’t working doesn’t necessarily require repairs. Most of the time, it’s caused by a minor power issue, which you can easily resolve by plugging in the appliance properly or resetting it.

No Power

Your Frigidaire countertop ice maker consists of an ON/OFF button, a selection button, and a range of indicators, which may vary depending on your model. Add Water, Ice Full, Power, S for small ice size, and L for large ice size are a few examples.

If there are no lights on the panel, your ice maker is most likely disconnected from power. Perhaps your kids or fur babies knocked it loose while playing, or you simply forgot to plug it in.

Solution: Plug in the power cord to a dedicated grounded 3-prong outlet. It must be a standard 110/220 Volt, 60 Hertz power source.

If the ice maker is plugged in properly, remove the power cord and plug in a different electronic device to check if the outlet has power.

Contact a licensed electrician if your outlet has no power even though the circuit breaker hasn’t tripped.

Tripped Circuit Breaker

Does power keep on flickering in one part of your house? Without a steady supply of power to your ice maker, it won’t be able to produce ice. 

An electrical overload is a common cause of a tripped circuit breaker. It happens when you draw more electricity than your circuit can handle. 

This is why Frigidaire requires you to plug your ice maker into a dedicated outlet. By preventing electrical overloads, you can protect your appliance and your home.

Solution: Turn off all the lights and unplug the appliances connected to the tripped circuit breaker. Follow these steps to reset the circuit.

• Step 1: Locate the circuit breaker in your household and identify the one that keeps tripping. The switch would be out of place when a breaker trips.
• Step 2: Move the switch on the circuit breaker to the OFF position.
• Step 3: After a few seconds, flip the switch back to the ON position.
• Step 4: Plug the power cord of your ice maker into a dedicated 3-prong outlet. Confirm that it can turn on and operate properly.

Turn on the lights and plug in the rest of the appliances in the circuit. If it trips, the appliance or light may have faulty wiring. 

Call a licensed electrician who can help you resolve the issue.

Low Water Level

One of our favorite things about countertop ice makers is that they don’t have to be connected to a water line, which makes them very portable. For your unit to produce ice, you must manually fill up its reservoir, preferably with filtered water.

Frigidaire countertop ice makers have an Add Water indicator. It lights up whenever there is insufficient water in the tank.

Once the supply is depleted, your ice maker can no longer produce ice. It will restart the cycle once the reservoir is full.

Solution: To refill the water reservoir of a Frigidaire countertop ice maker, follow these steps:

• Step 1: Confirm that the drain plug is installed.  
• Step 2: Click on the Power button once. After, it should blink every 5 seconds.
• Step 3: Open the ice maker’s cover and remove the ice basket.
• Step 4: Fill the water reservoir with room temperature water up to the MAX line.

Don’t go over the MAX water level mark. Also, never pour hot water to prevent damage to your appliance. 

• Step 5: Reinstall the ice basket and close the cover.
• Step 6: Wait for 3 minutes. Then, push the Power button to restart ice production.

High Ambient/Water Temperature

Aside from power issues and an empty tank, a very warm ice maker will be unable to churn ice for you. Not only that, it will cause ice in the bin to melt faster.

The most common culprits of a warm ice maker are high ambient temperature and high water temperature.

If your ice maker’s ambient temperature is over 90°F, it has to work harder to produce ice, which can cause it to overheat and malfunction. 

The same can happen when you pour hot water into the reservoir. Ideally, you should fill the reservoir with room temperature water or lower. 

When you pour hot water into the reservoir, it will raise the temperature of your ice maker, making it harder for water to freeze in the mold.

Solution: Pour cold water into the ice maker’s reservoir to help it cool down. To promote ice production, run your ice maker in ambient temperatures between 50°F and 80°F. 

Here are a few tips to improve ventilation.

• Don’t install your ice maker near direct heat sources, such as ovens and heaters.
• Maintain at least 8 inches of space on all sides of your ice maker.

Ice production is too slow.

Your Frigidaire countertop ice maker can produce as many as 9 ice cubes in 7 to 15 minutes. That’s 26 pounds of ice every 24 hours, which is enough to keep drinks cold all day long.

If your machine is taking too long to make ice, you probably have a blockage.

A very low ambient temperature may cause the water supply line to freeze, interrupting ice production. This can happen any time of the year, but it mostly happens around winter.

Solution: To speed up a slow Frigidaire countertop ice maker, follow these steps:

• Step 1: Turn off the ice maker.
• Step 2: Move your ice maker to a warm room. Wait for several minutes to let the ice melt.
• Step 3: Turn on the ice maker and start a cycle once the ice melts. Or, click on the size selector to choose small ice cubes.

The indicator lights are on.

Frigidaire countertop ice makers have a variety of indicator lights that let you know when a problem is detected. This makes it easier for you to diagnose the error and resolve it immediately.

On most models, you’ll find these indicators: Add Water, Ice Full, Power, S for small ice size, and L for large ice size.

Empty Water Reservoir

The Add Water indicator light turns on when the water reservoir is empty or very low.

Your ice maker will automatically stop a cycle if it detects insufficient water in the reservoir. It won’t produce ice until you refill the reservoir.

Solution: Refill the reservoir on your Frigidaire countertop ice maker with room temperature water. Here’s how to do it:

• Step 1: Confirm that the drain plug is installed.  
• Step 2: Click on the Power button once. After, it should blink every 5 seconds.
• Step 3: Open the ice maker’s cover and remove the ice basket.
• Step 4: Fill the water reservoir with room temperature water up to the MAX line.

Don’t go over the MAX water level mark. Also, never pour hot water to prevent damage to your appliance. 

• Step 5: Reinstall the ice basket and close the cover.
• Step 6: Wait for 3 minutes. Then, push the Power button to restart ice production.

Full Ice Basket

Your ice maker will no longer run a cycle if the Ice Full indicator is illuminated, which means the ice basket is full. Not to worry, emptying the bucket will enable your appliance to start a new cycle and produce a fresh batch of ice.

Solution: Transfer ice in the bucket into an appropriate container.

Obstructed Water Line

On some ice makers, the Add Water and Ice Full indicators will light up at the same time when your appliance can’t detect the water level in the reservoir. Ice might be blocking the sensor on the ice maker, causing a misreading.

As a result, your unit might not run a cycle even though the tank is full.

Solution: Inspect the ice maker for blockages. To remove an ice jam, follow these steps:

• Step 1: Unplug the ice maker.
• Step 2: Open the cover and let the ice melt inside.
• Step 3: Restore power to your ice maker and try restarting the cycle.

The ice-making process is normal but no ice is being produced.

Modern refrigeration systems like your countertop ice maker use a type of refrigerant to get water cold enough to freeze. It is the same substance refrigerators use to cool the air in the compartments.

If your ice maker appears to be running smoothly but isn’t producing any ice, you probably have refrigerant leakage. Unfortunately, your ice maker can’t complete the cycle without it.

Solution: First, take off the outer cover of your Frigidaire countertop ice maker, then inspect the coils for leaks. Follow these steps:

• Step 1: Unplug your ice maker.
• Step 2: Unthread the screws mounting the rear panel. It should be at the bottom of the unit.
• Step 3: Take off the back panel and set it aside.
• Step 4: Inspect the coils inside your ice maker and look for leaks.

Call customer service immediately if you find any leakage. A qualified technician can diagnose the problem and come up with the best solution to resolve it.

Routine Care and Maintenance

To make your Frigidaire countertop ice maker last, clean it properly and regularly—at least every two months. Avoid malfunctions by keeping it level and well-ventilated.

When not in use, unplug the ice maker and keep it upright. Never turn it upside down to prevent damage to its refrigerating system.

Install your ice maker properly.

To keep your ice maker in optimal condition, you must install it properly. Although tempting, you shouldn’t use it outdoors because the ambient temperature can affect its performance.

Your ice maker must be on a level and stable surface with 8 inches of ventilation space on all sides to prevent malfunctions. Moreover, you should never place it near ovens, burners, and corrosive gases, which are fire hazards.

Stick to a regular cleaning schedule.

Clean your Frigidaire countertop ice maker at least every two months. If your area has hard water, you should clean the appliance more frequently to prevent mineral build-up, which can cause ice to taste bad.

To clean your ice maker, follow these steps:

• Step 1: Unplug the power cord.
• Step 2: Let the ice maker warm up to room temperature.
• Step 3: Check the position of the Water Tray. If it isn’t positioned vertically, carefully push it back to let the water drain.
• Step 4: Take off the drain plug to remove the excess water.
• Step 5: Remove the ice basket. Wash the ice scoop and basket in warm soapy water, then let it fully dry.
• Step 6: Take off the water tube screen and rinse it under running water.
• Step 7: Wipe the interior using a soft cloth dipped in warm water and vinegar. Then, rinse with a clean damp cloth.
• Step 8: Reinstall the drain plug and water tube screen.
• Step 9: Wipe the exterior using a soft cloth dipped in mild dishwashing liquid.

Store your ice maker properly.

When you’re no longer using the ice maker, unplug its power cord and clean it properly before storing it. Make sure to empty the water reservoir and let the interior dry fully to prevent mold and bacteria from growing inside.

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