What Causes a Frigidaire Ice Maker to Cycle Twice?

Cause

• Air from plumbing lines in your home can cause the ice maker to cycle two to three times, according to the Frigidaire instruction manual on connecting water supply line to the refrigerator. This happens automatically in an effort to ensure that a full supply of ice gets produced. Air in the water supply line might cause less liquid water to fill the ice maker, potentially producing smaller or fewer cubes of ice.

Normal Ice Production

• A Frigidaire refrigerator takes at least half a day or longer to cool down enough to begin producing ice cubes. The ice maker can produce anywhere from four to six pounds of ice every 24 hours, or about eight ice cubes every 90 minutes. If you notice after a day that the container storing ice is not full, air in the water supply line could be the culprit.

Normal Ice Maker Sounds

• The Frigidaire refrigerator has a water supply valve on the back of the unit that regulates the flow of water into the appliance. As the automatic ice maker turns on for another production cycle, you should hear a buzzing sound as the water valve opens to allow water into the refrigerator. You may also hear ice cubes fall into the ice container as another cycle starts to produce more cubes. Production automatically stops when the container is full.

Troubleshooting

• Air in the water supply line is a common problem in refrigerators. If your refrigerator has a built-in water dispenser, you can try to eliminate air from the water line by cycling through several cups of water.

  Since the ice maker and water dispenser use a single water supply line in most refrigerators, this roundabout troubleshooting method may fix the problem of the ice maker having to cycle twice due to air that has entered the water system. Alternatively, you can contact a professional plumber who can inspect your home's main water supply line and system, diagnosing the source of the unwanted air.