3 Reasons Why Samsung Fridge Not Dispensing Ice

Many homeowners choose to buy Samsung fridges with ice dispensers for the added convenience. After all, what could be better than pushing a lever to make your beverage ice cold in seconds? Still, that convenience can turn to frustration when you have a Samsung fridge not dispensing ice.

If your Samsung fridge not dispensing ice, it could be that there’s an ice buildup in the ice maker compartment preventing it from working properly. Or, the Ice Maker might not be ON, even though the ice dispenser is. However, if you hear no sound from the ice maker, there might be a problem with the door switch, dispenser lever, or auger motor assembly.

Let’s help you troubleshoot this issue by taking a closer look at all the possible reasons behind it.

If There Is Noise Coming from Ice Maker Or Dispenser

There are several reasons why your Samsung fridge might not be making or dispensing ice. To make troubleshooting easier, you can group the potential reasons based on whether the fridge makes a sound when you press the ice dispenser lever.

If there is a sound coming from the ice bucket auger, but no ice is coming out, the ice bucket may be empty. That itself can be caused by two reasons: the ice maker has become iced-up, or the ice maker is not on in the first place.

Related: Why Is Ice Or Frost Build Up In The Freezer?

1. Ice Buildup Around The Ice Maker

The ice maker does exactly what its name suggests. A supply of water goes directly into the fridge and flows into the ice maker. That water will then be cooled down and frozen rapidly to produce ice cubes.

Depending on the exact Samsung fridge that you have, the ice maker could produce different quantities of ice cubes. Typically, many ice makers in Samsung fridges produce about 120 ice cubes per day unless there’s a problem that prevents it from doing so.

How it fails:

As described earlier, the ice maker in your Samsung fridge involves a continuous supply of water and low temperatures. Combine those two factors and what you might get is an iced-up ice maker.

In most cases, that might not be a problem. However, if that build-up becomes too severe, it could obstruct ice delivery to the ice dispenser. That’s why you’ll hear a sound when you press on the dispenser lever, though nothing makes its way out.

How to fix:

Thankfully, ice and frost buildups are straightforward to deal with no matter where it happens in your Samsung fridge, even in the ice maker. What you’ll want to do is defrost or thaw the ice maker out until all of the ice and frost have melted away.

Please follow some troubleshooting procedures in the Service Manual at the bottom of this article.

2. Ice Maker Isn’t On Or Receiving Power

Another reason why your Samsung fridge not dispensing ice could be that the ice maker isn’t on in the first place. Alternatively, it could be that the ice maker isn’t receiving power for whatever reason.

As you might expect, a fridge with an ice maker that’s off will not be able to produce or dispense any ice at all, even though you hear a noise while pressing on the ice dispenser lever.

How to fix:

Fixing this is relatively easy, as all you’ll need to do is turn the icemaker back on. The precise steps could differ depending on what Samsung fridge model you have, so your best bet would be to refer to the user manual that came with the appliance.

In most cases, you can turn it back on by pressing the ice maker button for three seconds. That should work for most Samsung refrigerator models.

If There Is NO Noise Or Sound Coming From Ice Maker Or Dispenser

Suppose no ice is dispensed when you press the dispenser lever, and the ice bucket auger isn’t making any noise. That could be a symptom that the door switch, ice lever switch, or auger motor assembly has failed.

Related: Refrigerator Ice Maker Not Working? Here Is How To Fix it

1. Door Switch Has Malfunctioned

A fridge’s operation of its ice maker and dispenser also relies on its electrical door switch. That switch has one simple job: to sense whether or not the fridge door is open. When the door is open, the fridge will cut the power to specific parts, such as the water and ice dispensers.

How it fails:

A door switch is a mechanical switch that opens or closes certain electrical circuits. In this case, we’re talking about the circuits that connect to your ice dispenser. When the switch has malfunctioned, it may mistakenly sense that the fridge door is open, even when it’s not.

As a result, the Samsung fridge will fail to dispense any ice even though you’ve closed the fridge door. A tell-tale sign of this is when you press on the ice dispenser lever yet you hear no noise coming from the ice bucket auger.

How to fix:

To fix this, you’ll need to replace the door switch. This can be done by:

• Disconnecting the power supply to the fridge to keep yourself safe from the risk of injury and electrocution.
• With the fridge door open, you’ll need to remove the screws holding the top cover in place.
• Then, find and undo the locking clips. You’ll typically find arrows pointing to the clips.
• With the electrical connector removed, the cover should come off easily so you can set it aside.
• Search for the door switch(es) and remove them. You can refer to the user manual and technical sheets to identify and locate each switch, depending on how many your fridge model has.
• Replace the new switch by working backward, replacing the electrical connectors, cover, and screws.

2. Ice Lever Switch Malfunction

The ice lever switch has a very straightforward function. When you press against it with your hand or with a cup, it’ll lead to the ice auger turning to move ice from the bucket towards the dispenser. That will continue happening for as long as you’re pressing on the ice lever switch.

How it fails:

Suppose you press on the ice lever switch but hear no noise coming from the auger. If every other part is working as it should, the problem could be that the lever switch itself has malfunctioned.

When pressed, the switch completes the electrical circuit, which leads to ice being distributed. If that doesn’t happen, the necessary parts don’t receive the power they need to get the job done.

How to fix:

Fixing this will involve replacing the ice lever switch:

• Disconnect the power supply to the fridge to stay safe.
• With a screwdriver, you’ll need to search for the screws that hold the ice dispenser panel in place.
• You can then remove the panel by gently pulling it off.
• You’ll see that the lever has wires and screws attached to it.
• Remove those screws and the electrical connectors, and you can remove the switch inside.
• Place the new switch in by working backward. Reconnect the electrical wires in the same way as before and screw everything back in place.

3. Auger Motor Assembly Failed

Your Samsung fridge’s ability to dispense ice relies on an auger that turns and pushes the ice along. What turns that auger? Well, it’s an auger motor assembly that turns on every time you press on the ice dispenser lever.

When it works correctly, pressing the lever will power the motor, which turns the auger. The auger, in turn, pushes ice cubes towards the dispenser and drops them into your cup.

How it fails:

Like any other motor, the auger motor can fail over time. The most common reason is that it’s become worn out after being in use for a very long time. You’ll know that this is the case if you hear no noise from the auger even though you’re pressing on the dispenser lever and everything else is still in good working order.

How to fix:

• Start by pulling out the ice bucket. That will give you access to the wire housing cover so you can disconnect the necessary wire harnesses.
• Depending on the design of your model, you may have to remove the ice maker first before you can access the auger motor assembly.
• Once you’ve gained access to the motor assembly, you can gently pull it out and disconnect the wire harness.
• Replace it with the new model, and work backward by replacing any wire harnesses you removed, and screwing the panels back in place.
• You can use a YouTube video to guide you, just search up your fridge type and add “auger motor assembly”

Samsung Fridge not dispensing Ice –Troubleshooting Guide