Ice maker issues on Samsung refrigerators aren’t always serious. Most of the time, you just have to change the fridge settings to get the ice maker up and running again.
Even if you’re dealing with component failures, such as a faulty water filter or valve, you can fix the problem yourself in 20 minutes or less. As long as you have the right replacement parts, tools, and know-how, it should be a breeze.
This guide will show you all the potential reasons why your Samsung fridge’s ice maker isn’t working. We also provide step-by-step instructions to help you troubleshoot your problem.
Why Your Samsung Ice Maker Is Not Working
If your Samsung ice maker isn’t producing any ice, it might be turned off. The Child Lock mode could also be on, which automatically disables the ice maker function.
However, if it’s not making enough ice, it could be because of low water pressure, blockage, or component failure.
Out of all these issues, low water pressure is the hardest to fix. That’s because your fridge can’t control the water pressure.
There are a few quick fixes that can help resolve the issue. But if none of that works, you’ll have to call a professional plumber for some assistance.
How to Fix a Samsung Fridge Ice Maker That Isn’t Working
If a Samsung fridge ice maker isn’t working, the fix can be as simple as pressing a button. It might not be defective—just turned off.
In such cases, press the Ice Maker button or Child Lock to start ice production. However, if it’s caused by component failure, you need to replace the faulty part.
Below, we’ve listed different factors that can cause your ice maker to stop working.
| Cause | Solution |
| The ice maker is off. | Press the Ice Maker button for three seconds until the indicator light says On. |
| Child lock mode is activated. | Press the Lighting button for three seconds to turn off the Child Lock mode. |
| The fridge is not level. | Place a carpenter’s level (spirit’s level) on your fridge to check where it is tilting. Make sure to place it on the main unit and not on the doors. Use a flathead screwdriver to adjust the leveling legs underneath your fridge. Twist the notch to the left to raise your fridge or right to lower it. After making adjustments, check again if your fridge is level. |
| The water pressure is weak. | Dispense water into a measuring cup to perform a pressure test. Ideally, it should fill up 6 ounces in 10 minutes or less. Next, take out the fridge’s water filter and perform it again. If you failed the first pressure test but passed the second one, you have a faulty water filter. It means your filter is probably worn out and needs a new replacement. After replacing your filter, do another pressure test. If it fails, your water pressure is too low. To improve your water pressure, make sure your water valve is fully open and straighten any kinks in the water hose. If none of these steps make any difference, get in touch with a plumber for assistance. |
| The ice maker is clogged. | Remove and clean the ice bucket from the freezer. Take out the clumpy ice from the bin by hand. Then, check for blockage in your raker’s arm. Remove any obstructions preventing the raker from dispersing ice properly. Look for obstructions in the ice dispenser chute as well. Pour warm water into the chute to clear out any blockages. |
| The water filter is faulty. | Buy an authentic Samsung water filter for your fridge. Take out the old water filter inside your fridge by rotating it counterclockwise. Then, pull it out to remove it. Insert the new water filter and turn it clockwise to lock it in place. |
| The water inlet valve is defective. | Unplug the fridge and turn off its water supply. Then, move your unit to access the back panel. Unmount the back panel and disconnect the water line. Pull out the water inlet valve as far as possible. After, remove the cover box, the wire, and the support bracket. Next, take out the tubes on the old valve and connect these to the new valve. Reconnect the wire, support bracket, and retaining clips before returning the cover box. Mount the valve and reattach the screws to keep it in place. Finally, reconnect the water line and reinstall the back panel. |
The ice maker is off.
The first thing you need to do is check if your ice maker is on. There are different ways to disable the ice maker, so someone in your household could have easily switched it off by accident.
Most Samsung fridges with an ice maker have an Ice Off icon that lights up if it isn’t activated.
If it is off, it disables the ice maker function. Even if you press Cubed Ice or Crushed Ice, the ice maker won’t dispense anything.
Solution: To turn on your Samsung ice maker, you can press the dispenser lever for over 5 seconds to automatically activate the ice maker.
Or, you can turn on the ice maker using the following steps:
- Step 1: Press the Door Alarm button to unlock the control panel.
If you see the lock icon on the control panel, it means that it’s locked. You’ll have to unlock it first to access the other buttons on the panel.
- Step 2: Press the Ice Maker button for three seconds until it says On.
Child lock is activated.
As mentioned, there are different ways to disable your Samsung fridge ice maker. Aside from pressing the Ice Maker button, you can disable the function by activating Child Lock mode.
The Child Lock mode prevents curious hands from making accidental setting changes on your fridge. To check if it is activated, look for a padlock icon on your fridge’s display.
Once activated, the Child Lock mode disables the fridge’s control panel, water dispenser, and ice maker.
Other Samsung fridges lack a Child Lock mode, but they might have a Dispenser Lock. Similarly, it prevents kids from tampering with the fridge settings.
Solution: Press the Lighting button for three seconds to turn off the Child Lock or Dispenser Lock mode.
If you don’t see these options, check your user manual. Or, you can look for a button on the control panel labeled with “control lock” or something similar.
The fridge is not level.
Placing your fridge on uneven flooring can cause all sorts of issues for your Samsung unit. For instance, it can cause your ice maker to malfunction.
If the fridge isn’t level, your ice maker might start dispensing water instead of ice.
On the bright side, it is easy to fix. By adjusting your fridge’s height, you should get your ice maker to start working again.
What you’ll need:
- Carpenter’s level (spirit’s level)
- Flathead screwdriver
Solution: To level a Samsung fridge, follow these steps:
- Step 1: Locate your fridge’s leveling feet.
You’ll find the leveling feet of your Samsung fridge under your unit at the front part. If you own a side-by-side or four-door Samsung fridge, you can gain better access to the leveling feet by opening the doors.
Some Samsung fridges have leg covers. To adjust their leveling feet, you have to remove the covers first.
- Step 2: Check if the fridge is level using a carpenter’s level (spirit’s level).
Check if the fridge is leveled from left to right and front to back. Simply place the carpenter’s level (spirit’s level) on top of the fridge to see where it is tilted.
Make sure to place the tool on top of the main unit and not on the doors of your refrigerator.
- Step 3: Use a flathead screwdriver to adjust the fridge’s height.
Get a flathead screwdriver and insert it into a notch in the leveling foot. Gently rotate it to the left to raise the fridge, or rotate it to the right to lower it.
- Step 4: Confirm that your fridge is level.
After making adjustments to your fridge’s height, use the carpenter’s level to check if your fridge is no longer tilting. Make the necessary adjustments until you are certain that your unit is level from left to right and front to back.
Water pressure is low.
If the ice maker isn’t making any or not enough ice, one of the culprits could be low water pressure. You can verify this by performing a water pressure test.
What you’ll need:
- Measuring cup
- Samsung water filter
Solution: To resolve your low water pressure problem, follow these steps:
- Step 1: Perform a water pressure test.
Testing your water pressure is easy. All you have to do is dispense water into a measuring cup.
If your water line has ample pressure, it should fill a 6-ounce cup in 10 seconds or less.
- Step 2: Remove the water filter.
Take out the water filter, then perform the test again. If it failed the first test but passed the second, it’s possible that you don’t have a water pressure problem.
You might just have a faulty water filter. This can easily be resolved by replacing the worn-out component with a new one.
After the replacement, perform a pressure test again. If your fridge still can’t pass the pressure test with a new filter, it means your water pressure is too low.
- Step 3: Straighten out any kinks in the line.
Any kinks in the water line can restrict or block water flow entirely. Thus, if you find any, make sure to straighten them out.
- Step 4: Make sure the water valve is on.
Since your fridge doesn’t control the water pressure, you can go to the source to adjust it. Make sure your home’s water valve is fully open.
If it doesn’t increase your water pressure to at least 20 psi, contact a plumber immediately. At this point, there’s nothing else you can do.
You can’t continue troubleshooting until you resolve the water pressure problem.
- Step 5: Power cycle your fridge.
Once you’ve resolved the water pressure problem, unplug your Samsung fridge. Wait about five minutes for the electrical charge to drain out of your fridge before plugging it back in.
You might see an error code on your display after it reboots. If you do, you need to find the fix for that specific error code.
- Step 6: Reset your ice maker.
Press the Test button for 10 seconds. When you hear a chime, it means that the test cycle is underway.
You might hear banging noises while the test cycle is in progress. This is caused by ice dropping into the bucket.
The test cycle takes six minutes to finish. You’ll hear another chime to indicate that the test is complete.
- Step 7: Wait for ice production to normalize.
Around 8 hours after resetting your ice maker, it will start dispensing again. However, you have to wait for 24 hours for ice production to go back to normal.
Every three hours or so, your ice maker can fill up two trays of ice. To prevent ice from clumping together, dispense ice regularly.
The ice maker is clogged.
Sometimes, ice can clog up your dispenser, raker, or chute, preventing your ice maker from dispensing ice.
The quickest way to resolve this would be to Force Defrost the fridge and manually remove any ice buildups or clumps. You can also leave a bowl of hot water inside the fridge while it defrosts to help speed up the process.
What you’ll need:
- Warm water
Solution: To unclog a jammed ice maker, follow these steps:
- Step 1: Remove ice clumps in the ice bucket.
If you don’t periodically remove ice from the bucket, it will start to form big clumps. Eventually, as it fills up, your ice maker will struggle to dispense new ice into the bucket.
You can remove the ice clumps in the bin by hand. However, if the clumps are frozen solid, you can remove the bucket and clean it.
- Step 2: Clear out ice blockage in the raker arm.
Sometimes, ice can also get jammed into the built-in raker. Most modern Samsung fridges have rakers that disperse ice in the bucket.
When the raker is jammed, your fridge’s ice maker can’t dispense ice. To clear out the blockage, you can remove the ice in the raker arm by hand.
- Step 3: Clear a jammed dispenser chute.
Another part that you need to check is the ice dispenser chute. If ice is forming in the trays but not dispensing into your cup, there could be chunks of ice blocking the chute.
If your dispenser chute is blocked, pour warm water down to clear out the frosty obstruction faster. Then, test the ice maker to see if that frees the jam.
The water filter is faulty.
Your Samsung water filter needs to be replaced every six months. Depending on your usage, you might have to replace it more frequently than that.
Make sure to use a genuine Samsung filter as a replacement every time. If you use a non-brand filter, you could experience a water leakage from your ice maker.
What you’ll need:
- Samsung water filter
Solution: To replace a Samsung water filter, follow these steps:
- Step 1: Locate the water filter.
On Samsung French door refrigerators, you’ll find the water filter between the crisper drawers. In other fridge models, it could be somewhere else inside the main compartment.
You can check your user manual to be sure.
- Step 2: Rotate the filter counterclockwise and gently pull it out.
If the water filter isn’t rotating, turn off the water supply and dispense some water into a cup. This should make it easier to pull the filter out of its enclosure.
- Step 3: Insert the new filter and turn it clockwise.
The water inlet valve is defective.
A defective water inlet valve will cause a Samsung fridge ice maker to malfunction. If the component is damaged, water can leak non-stop from your ice maker and dispenser.
In such a case, you’ll have to replace the defective valve to stop water leakage problems and restart ice production.
What you’ll need:
- Phillips screwdriver
- 12 mm wrench
- Towel
Solution: To replace a faulty water inlet valve, follow these steps carefully:
- Step 1: Unplug your fridge, and turn off its water supply.
- Step 2: Use a Phillips screwdriver to unmount the screws of the back panel.
- Step 3: Place a towel under the water valve assembly to absorb any leaks.
- Step 4: Use a 12 mm wrench to loosen the compression nut.
- Step 5: Disconnect the water line, and pull it up to get it out of the way.
- Step 6: Unmount the screws on the bracket, and pull the valve out of the unit as far as you can.
- Step 7: Remove the cover box. Disconnect the electrical plug, and detach the water lines from the clips.
- Step 8: Remove the support bracket, locking clamps, and tubes on the valve.
- Step 9: Attach the water lines to the new valve and reattach the locking clamps to keep the tubes secure.
- Step 10: Reconnect the electrical plug, support bracket, and retaining clips on the tubes. Then, reinstall the cover box.
- Step 11: Mount the valve on the bracket and reattach the screw.
- Step 12: Connect the water line to the valve, and reinstall the compression nut to secure it.
- Step 13: Reinstall the back panel.
- Step 14: Turn on the water supply, and plug in the fridge.
