As an Amazon affiliate, we earn a commision from qualifying purchases.
What do you do if your Whirlpool French door refrigerator ice maker is not working?
While it might be tempting to call a service technician, I wouldn’t advise you to do that.
This is because, in this article, I will give you the secrets that will enable you to troubleshoot and fix your Whirlpool French door refrigerator icemaker just like the pros.
Whirlpool French door refrigerator ice maker not working – causes and possible solutions
Before proceeding, start by carefully inspecting your icemaker to see if it has an On/Off switch such as this:
If it does, make sure that the switch is turned into the on position for ice production to occur.
Now, if this button is in the on position, here are a few other things that might be preventing your icemaker from making ice and how you can fix each of them.
The ice maker is not getting water
It goes without saying that your refrigerator will not make any ice if it is not getting water.
Possible solutions
Start by making sure that you have connected your refrigerator to a working water line.
In addition, confirm that the water valve is fully open to let the water in.
Next, carefully inspect the water line to make sure that it doesn’t have any kinks/twists. This is because the kinks might prevent water from flowing into the refrigerator and ultimately into the ice maker.
Quick tip: Kinks are more common in instances where you have pushed your refrigerator too far to the wall.
Once done, test the water pressure going to your refrigerator…
Generally, you want to make sure that it is at least 20 psi on models that do not use a water filter.
As for models that use a water filter, you want to make sure that the pressure is at least 45 psi.
Here’s why: Low water pressure might not be enough to push the water all the way into the icemaker assembly.
The water inlet tube is frozen
Just to be clear, here, I am talking about the inlet tube that delivers water into the ice maker.
This might occur when the temperature in the freezer/refrigerator compartment is set too low, or the water line insulation is not doing a good work of preventing the line from freezing.
Recommended solution
First things first, you will need to remove the ice maker and the ice bin to access this water line.
Once you have access to the water line, you can either use warm water or warm air to unfreeze it.
The fridge and/or freezer compartments are too warm
Of course, ice production will not take place in warm environments.
So, to make sure that this is not the case with your refrigerator, confirm that the freezer’s temperature is set to at least 0⁰F (-18⁰C).
In addition, confirm that the fridge’s temp is somewhere in the range of 33 to 40⁰F (0 to 4⁰C).
The water filter might be dirty
Did you know that Whirlpool recommends that the water filter be changed once every six months?
Yes, you heard that right.
However, if you live in a region with many water contaminants/pollutants, the filter can get clogged sooner than anticipated.
So, if you have not changed the filter recently, installing a new filter might be the fix you need for your ice maker to start working again.
Something else: The icemaker can also fail to produce ice after installing a new water filter. Usually, this will occur if you have not properly installed the filter.
To be sure you have done it right, listen for a ‘click’ – it indicates the filter has locked into position.
Defective water inlet valve
If the water line is good and the water filter is good yet no water is reaching the icemaker, there is a high possibility that the water inlet valve has failed.
Fortunately, you can be sure if the valve is to blame by testing it for continuity – valve is good if it has continuity.
Of course, if yours is bad, your best workaround will be to install a new inlet valve.
Additionally, be sure to check if the valve’s wire connector is defective and fix/replace it if need be.
Finally, with the refrigerator running, confirm that the wire connector is delivering around 120v AC to the inlet valve.
If not, it means the control board is faulty and you will need to get a replacement board.
The control arm is mispositioned – for select models
The control arm is a plastic or metal handle that usually rests on the side/top of the ice bin.
It’s main responsibility in the ice maker is to gauge the ice levels in the bin and pause ice production when the bin is full.
This means that, if it is accidentally held in the off position or it breaks, it will halt the ice production process.
Solutions you can try
Start by removing any ice cubes that might be holding the arm in the off position.
On the other hand, if the arm is broken, your remaining solution will be to change the ice maker – compare current icemaker prices.
The ice maker is defective
Now, if you have tried all the above troubleshooting steps to no avail, chances are that some component of the icemaker has failed.
In this case, replacing the icemaker assembly is most likely the solution you need.
Fortunately, icemakers are easy-to-install parts that you can order and install as a DIY project (see current Whirlpool icemaker prices).
How to reset a Whirlpool French door refrigerator ice maker
Resetting your Whirlpool refrigerator’s icemaker is quite simple – here are the steps to do it:
- On your refrigerator’s control panel, press and hold the Ice button for around 5 seconds. If the reset is successful, the refrigerator will either chime or the display screen will change.
- In some other models (more so those that do not have an ice button), you can reset the icemaker by pressing and holding the Options or Settings buttons for 5 seconds.
Again, if the refrigerator chimes or the display screen changes, it means the reset was successful.
- Now, if the above reset steps do not work, you can also reset the icemaker by hard resetting the refrigerator. To do so, unplug the refrigerator from the power outlet and let it sit for at least 30 seconds.
Whirlpool French door refrigerator ice maker not working – wrapping it up
Now that you have successfully fixed the icemaker in your refrigerator, give it a few hours for normal ice production to resume.
Additionally, if your refrigerator is new, you can still try some of the above solutions such as making sure the water pressure is correct and that the fridge/freezer temps are within a good range.
However, in the case of a brand-new unit, avoid disassembling it. Instead, contact the manufacturer to exercise the warranty agreement.
ALSO READ
Fridge not making noise but light on [What to check]
Refrigerator makes clicking noise? Try this
