3 Reasons Why Kenmore Fridge Not Making Ice- replace easy Parts

A Kenmore fridge is a high-quality appliance. I have one in my garage that’s been going strong for 18 years now with no repairs. Occasionally, even the best machines have issues and NO ICE is a big problem!

When you find that your Kenmore fridge isn’t making ice, it’s likely because of: 1) a failed water inlet valve, 2) a clogged

water filter, or 3) a faulty ice maker. First, check to see if the water supply (on the wall) is working. If there’s a supply of water but no ice, follow the steps below to figure out the internal problem.

Kenmore Fridge Not Making Ice: Common Causes and Solutions

There are three most likely reasons why your Kenmore fridge isn’t making ice: a failed water inlet valve, clogged

water filter, or faulty ice maker. Let’s take a closer look at each one and how you can fix them.

1. Failed Water Inlet Valve– kenmore fridge not making ice

What it is: The water inlet valve is the part of the fridge that connects to your household water supply. It’s located at the back of the fridge, where the water supply hose is attached.

The water inlet valve is a mechanical component that’s controlled electrically. When the ice maker needs water, the fridge will trigger the valve to open and allow water to flow in. On the other hand, the fridge will close the valve to stop water from overflowing when there’s enough water inside.

How it fails: As mentioned before, the water inlet valve is a mechanical component that’s controlled electrically. So, it can suffer from both mechanical and electrical faults.

An example of a mechanical fault is when the valve is clogged or corroded, and it cannot open fully or at all. That means the ice maker will not receive its water supply, and as a result, it won’t make any ice.

Electrically, the valve can also suffer from a short circuit. So, the valve won’t open even when the fridge signals it to do so.

How to fix it: A failed water inlet valve must be replaced. Thankfully, it’s very straightforward to access on a Kenmore refrigerator. Follow the steps below.

Water inlet valves can be purchased easily online at retailers such as Amazon. Most are $20 or less.

1. First, shut off the water supply and detach the hose from the inlet valve. Then, remove the panel that conceals the valve so you can access it.
2. Detach the hoses and electrical wiring attached to the water inlet valve. That will allow you to remove it.
3. Finally, attach the new water inlet valve to the hoses and electrical wiring the same way you removed the old one.

Note: we may receive a small commission on your purchase, at no additional cost to you.

Read: Top 4 Reasons Why Your Fridge Leaking Water Inside

2. Clogged Water Filter

What it is: As water flows into the fridge through the water inlet valve (described above), it will then pass through a type of water filter. The

water filter is designed to remove all impurities from the water to make it safe to drink.

Once the water passes through the filter and comes out clean, it will flow into the ice maker.

How it fails: Remember: the

water filter is designed to remove and trap all the impurities in the water that passes through it. These kinds of filters aren’t designed to be cleaned, which means that everything they catch remains inside permanently.

Over time, however, the filter will become increasingly saturated with impurities. The more that happens, the less water will flow smoothly. If left for too long, no water can flow through the filter at all. That means the ice maker won’t have any water to produce ice.

How to fix it: A clogged

water filter can’t be cleaned and must be replaced with a new, compatible one. Follow the steps below to replace the filter.

Water filters can be purchased easily online at retailers such as Amazon.

1. Firstly, shut off the water supply and locate the water filter. Then, gently remove the existing filter and replace it with the new one.
2. Turn the water supply back on and check that water reaches the ice maker and water dispenser.

3. Faulty Ice Maker (kenmore fridge not making ice)

What it is: Water flows into your fridge, past the water inlet valve and

water filter (described above). Then, it flows into the ice maker compartment, where it fills up an ice cube tray.

Then, the ice maker cools down the compartment to below freezing temperature to produce ice cubes. After a set period, the tray will eject those ice cubes into a storage bin before the ice maker repeats the whole process.

How it fails: An ice maker can suffer from several faults. For instance, the component might fail to sense that water has frozen into ice cubes in its tray. As a result, it won’t eject those cubes to produce another batch.

Besides that, the arm inside the ice maker can also fail to eject ice cubes from the tray when necessary.

As an electrically powered component, the ice maker could also suffer damage from a power surge or short circuit that prevents it from functioning at all.

Due to the complexity of the unit and all the various problems that could occur, it is best to replace the ice maker all together.

How to fix it: Thanks to the design of Kenmore refrigerators, the ice maker is pretty straightforward to replace. Replacement units can be purchased at various online retailers, including Amazon for around $50. Follow the steps below to replace it.

1. Firstly, shut off all power and water supply to the fridge. Then, empty the fridge compartment around the ice maker, so you have enough space to work comfortably.
2. Unthread the mounting screws holding the ice maker in place. This will allow you to gently pull the ice maker unit out and expose the wire harness.
3. Finally, gently detach the wire harness.
4. When installing the new ice maker, start by connecting its wire harness the same way as the old one. Once the wire harness is secure, it’ll be much easier to screw the ice maker into place.

After installing the new ice maker and turning on the fridge, give it a few hours to stabilize its internal temperature. Once the fridge is cold enough overall, the ice maker will produce ice at its average rate.

Read: Why Your Ice Maker Is Making Grinding Noises

Kenmore Fridge Not Making Ice After Changing Filter

Troubleshooting your ice maker should begin with asking a few crucial questions. For example, did you perform any maintenance tasks to the fridge before the ice maker stopped working? Quite often, the ice maker stops working after you’ve changed the

water filter.

The reason for that is straightforward: the filter wasn’t installed correctly, or the wrong kind of filter was used.

Read: Top Reasons Why Fridge Is Making Ice But Not Dispensing Water

Buying A Compatible Fridge Water Filter

Firstly, it’s always best to use original water filters sold by Kenmore. That’s because those filters are designed to fit Kenmore fridges perfectly, which means you won’t have to worry about any compatibility issues. However, if you choose to use a universal filter, be sure that it’s compatible with your Kenmore fridge model before buying it.

When you use a compatible

water filter and install it correctly, water can flow through it and supply your ice maker without any problems.

Kenmore fridge not making ice.

Why Kenmore Refrigerator Not Making Ice But Water Works?

When troubleshooting a Kenmore fridge’s ice maker, it’s crucial to look out for tell-tale hints of the root cause. For example, you might find that the ice maker doesn’t work, yet the water dispenser is functioning just fine.

This combination of symptoms means one thing: the water line that goes from the filter to the ice maker is likely frozen. As a result, the ice maker receives no water and can’t produce any ice.

To resolve this issue, you’ll have to unfreeze the ice maker and its water line.

How Do You defrost A Kenmore Ice Maker?

There are two methods you can use to unfreeze a Kenmore ice maker.

Firstly, you can shut your fridge off and allow it to thaw out naturally. This approach is most effective if you can leave the door open and allow the fridge compartment as a whole to warm up.

This approach is helpful because it requires no technical know-how or special tools on your part. However, it can take a long time, depending on how frozen the ice maker might be.

Alternatively, you can disconnect and remove the ice maker from the fridge entirely. That will allow you to place the ice maker in the sink and let it thaw out by itself without affecting the contents of your fridge.

How Do You Reset The Ice Maker On A Kenmore Refrigerator?

There are two ways you can reset the icemaker on your Kenmore fridge. Firstly, you can reset the fridge as a whole. To do that, follow these steps:

• Firstly, disconnect your fridge from its power source.
• Then, leave the fridge alone for five minutes.
• Lastly, turn the fridge back on.

When done this way, your fridge will be reset along with the ice maker.

The second way is to find and press the reset button on your ice maker.

Read: Refrigerator Ice Maker Not Working? Here Is How To Fix It

Where is the Kenmore Ice Maker Reset Button?

You’ll find the reset button for your Kenmore ice maker on the bottom left of the component. If your model doesn’t have it there, then it’s likely a tiny hole on the front-left of the ice maker, which you’ll need to push with a paperclip or something similar.

Kenmore fridge not making ice.

Read: This Is Why Refrigerator Keeps Tripping GFCI