Ice Maker Not Filling With Water? (Quick & Simple Fix!)

How can an ice maker work if it doesn’t fill up with water?

This is a problem that could arise if you’ve been using your ice maker for a while. You may notice that the ice-making cycles are taking longer than usual or that it has stopped making ice entirely.

If your Samsung ice maker isn’t automatically filling up with water, what do you do?

Luckily, this article will tell you exactly how to fix that problem. We’ve gathered all the possible causes and easy fixes you can do yourself!

Why won’t my Samsung ice maker fill with water?

A Samsung ice maker doesn’t fill with water because it is turned off, its filter or inlet valve needs to be replaced, the control arm is turned downwards, or the appliance needs to be reset. 

When troubleshooting your ice maker, start with the most frequent issues and work your way up to more complex ones.

Safety Tips:  Before working on your Samsung ice maker, keep the following safety tips in mind. • Unplug the refrigerator. • Keep the user manual close by and consult it when needed. • Call a professional if you don’t feel confident in your ability to do the repairs yourself.  Bear in mind that it may take up to 24 hours for the ice maker to fill up and be functional again.

Troubleshooting a Samsung Ice Maker That Won’t Fill Water

If your ice maker isn’t filling with water, this could indicate that your ice maker is turned off or that there are parts that need to be cleaned, thawed out, or replaced. 

Here are ways to troubleshoot the most common issues faced when your ice maker isn’t filling with water.

Causes	Solution	Steps
The ice maker is turned off.	Turn it on.	• Locate the indicator light on the appliance control panel.  • If the light indicator indicates “off”, press and hold the power button until the light indicator switches to “on”.
The water filter needs to be changed.	Clean or replace the water filter.	• Take out the filter from the ice maker.  • Inspect it to see if it needs cleaning or if it needs to be replaced entirely.  • Take the filter to a sink and rinse it with warm water.
The ice maker’s water inlet valve is defective.	Replace the inlet valve.	• Remove the access panel at the back of the refrigerator using the Phillips screwdriver.  • Using the screwdriver, unscrew the inlet valve. • Using the half-inch wrench, remove the knot and unscrew the water line from the top of the valve.  • Pull the two connectors off. • Disconnect the water valve completely.  • Replace the old knot connecting the water line and inlet valve. • Place the new inlet valve into the ice maker.  • Reinstall the water lines with a wrench. • Screw the back panel into place. • Turn your appliance back on to check.
The water line is frozen.	Thaw out the water line.	• Turn the ice maker off. Give it a few hours to defrost. • Disconnect the water line and blow through it so that any water or dirt that is causing a blockage passes through.
The ice maker control arm is in the off position.	Position it upwards.	• Check that the control arm is positioned downwards.   • If the arm is turned upwards, manually turn it downwards to turn the ice maker back on.

The ice maker is turned off.

This is a common mistake that people make when operating an ice maker — they fail to check if they’ve actually turned it on. 

Simply put, if it is not turned on, the ice machine will not function.

Solution: Turn the ice maker on. 

• Step 1: Look at the fridge’s control panel and check if the indicator light says it is on. 
• Step 2: Check that the ice maker off light is not illuminated.
• Step 3: If it is, press and hold the power button until the light indicator switches to on. 

The water filter needs to be changed.

Filters are prone to buildup and clogging, especially if they are over six months old. This will eventually cause problems with water filling the ice molds. 

The water filter is a cylinder-shaped part inside the ice maker with a screen that looks like mesh.

Try cleaning the filter first by carefully taking out the water filter and rinsing it in a sink with warm water.

If it seems damaged rather than just dirty, it may need to be replaced.

Solution: To replace the water filter, have the replacement part ready before removing the old filter. Now just follow the steps below:

• Step 1: First unplug the fridge and remove its lower access panel.
• Step 2: Look for any tubing connected to the rear water inlet valve on the right side of your refrigerator.
• Step 3: Remove the old filter. 
• Step 4: Place the new filter in its place making sure to reconnect any screws or wiring that you remove previously.
• Step 5: Consult your user’s manual as a reference on how your filter should look inside the ice maker. 

Note: If you just fitted a filter, it might be damaged, improperly placed, or incompatible with your Samsung ice maker model. Consult your handbook to confirm that you have the correct filter to avoid these mistakes moving forward.

The ice maker’s water inlet valve is defective. 

The intake valve allows water to enter the ice maker. When it is defective, water cannot enter to form ice. 

You can tell that the inlet valve isn’t working well when it is not releasing enough water pressure. Test this by observing how the ice maker fills its water reservoir.

If it fills 3/4 of a cup of water in 10 seconds, then it is getting enough pressure. If it takes longer, there is insufficient pressure.

But if the inlet valve is receiving enough pressure, you’ll probably want to make sure it’s getting enough power.

To test this, you need to use a multimeter. Insert the meter into the input valve to see whether it reads any electricity. 

The meter should read around 500 to 15,000 ohms to indicate that the inlet valve is working. If it doesn’t, you’ll need to replace the inlet valve.

Solution: To replace the inlet valve, you need to have the replacement inlet valve, a rag or towel, a Phillips screwdriver and a ½ inch wrench, and a knot.

Before starting repairs, unplug the entire appliance and make sure the water line is off. 

• Step 1: Remove the access panel at the back of the refrigerator using the Phillips screwdriver. Once open, you can find the water inlet valve on the right.
• Step 2: Place a towel down. 
• Step 3: Using the screwdriver, take apart the screws holding the inlet valve in place.
• Step 4: Before taking the inlet valve out, take a picture of it. This will serve as your guide when you reconnect the wires on the new valve later on. 
• Step 5: Using the half-inch wrench, remove the knot connecting the water line and inlet valve. 
• Step 6: Unscrew the water line from the top of the valve. 
• Step 7: Pull the two connectors off and unscrew the other water lines from the valve. 
• Step 8: Press the cap and disconnect the water valve completely. 
• Step 9: Remove the knot that attaches the water line to the inlet valve and replace it with a new one. 
• Step 10: Using the photo you took earlier as a reference, place the new inlet valve into the ice maker. 
• Step 11: Reinstall the water lines and secure them using a wrench.
• Step 12: Screw the back panel into place.
• Step 13: Turn your appliance back on to check if the newly installed inlet valve is functional. 

The water line is frozen.

If the waterline of your Samsung ice maker freezes, water will not be able to flow through it, thus disrupting its ice-making cycles. 

The water line is a tube found at the back of the ice maker that brings water into the ice maker’s reservoir. Frost can build up on this tube over time. 

When the waterline is frozen, it prevents the ice maker from filling up with water, which is why you need to thaw out the tube. 

Solution: Follow these steps to thaw out the water line.

• Step 1: Inspect the ice maker during its cycle. If the ice maker is turned on but no water flows through the line, the water line may have frozen. 
• Step 2: Take out any perishable items from the refrigerator and place them in a cooler temporarily. This is to avoid food waste and spoilage as we are going to defrost the appliance.
• Step 3: Lay down rags to catch melted ice.
• Step 4: Switch off the appliance and give it a few hours to defrost
• Step 5: When defrosted, disconnect the water line and blow through it. Any water or dirt that is causing a blockage will slowly pass through.

The ice maker control arm is in the off position.

The control arm of an ice maker can be found next to the ice bucket. You may have accidentally bumped the control arm upwards, causing it to switch off. 

When this happens, water will not fill the ice molds. Luckily, this is a simple fix!

Solution: Manually turn the control arm to the downward position. 

• Step 1: Check that the control arm is in the down position, which means it is turned on.
• Step 2: If it is turned upwards instead, this means that it is off.  Manually turn the arm downwards to switch the ice maker back on. 
• Step 3: Ensure no food items are resting against the control arm, which can accidentally turn it upwards again. 

Resetting the Ice Maker

Resetting the ice maker typically helps with any minor issue as it reboots its overworked system. 

You may want to do this after you have tried to do the aforementioned solutions. 

• Step 1: Remove and clean the ice bucket. 
• Step 2: Locate the reset button on the fridge’s control panel. 
• Step 3: Hold down the reset button for 4-5 seconds.
• Step 4: After you hear the beep sound, release the button or wait 5 seconds.
• Step 5: Wait and observe the ice maker and see if it starts filling with water.

How long before a Samsung ice maker fills with water?

It takes about 2-3 minutes for a Samsung ice maker to fill its reservoir with water before it makes ice.

Water is released from the supply and frozen into an ice cube tray, where a temperature gauge signals when the cubes are cold enough to be ejected into the ice bucket. 

Most ice maker cycles take around 90 to 180 minutes to generate ice until the ice bucket is full. 

Will an ice maker burn up without water?

If your ice maker runs without water, it will continue with its ice-making cycles and eventually overheat. The ice maker may break or catch fire because of this.

The ice maker needs a continuous stream of water to make ice during its cycles. Leaving it without water heats up the coils and motors within the appliance, causing overheating. 

If this continues for an extended period, the ice maker may become damaged and could potentially start a fire.

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When your ice maker doesn’t fill up with water, the one thing it needs to make ice, it’s easy to think it’s broken and irreparable. 

But with our simple and easy repairs, you can fix the issue confidently in the comfort of your home. 

We trust that this article has helped you in determining why your Samsung ice maker isn’t filling up with water, how you can fix this issue yourself, and hopefully prevent this from happening again. 

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