My Ice Maker Arm Is Stuck in the Up Position

Symptoms

• A raised arm inside the ice maker indicates that the ice bin is full, signaling the ice maker not to make more ice. If your ice maker does not produce new ice, even though the level in the bin is low, this could be the cause. You can see the wire arm on the side of the bin by looking.

Quick Fix

• Pull the ice maker arm down with your fingers to reset the ice maker. Gently pull until the arm clicks into the downward position. The ice maker should resume production shortly. If you can't pull the arm down, check to ensure that nothing is blocking the path. Ice cubes, frozen food or other debris could prevent the arm from moving. Clear anything in its path, then try moving the arm again.

Tips

• Ice cubes can lodge between the wire arm and the wall, affecting the arm's movements. Melting ice cubes can refreeze onto the arm, also altering performance. Inspect the bin's ice level every two weeks. Push the ice bin back and forth to level the ice and dislodge stuck ice. Remove stuck ice by hand, or wrap a wet, hot washcloth around stuck-on ice to melt the bond.

Considerations

• If nothing is blocking the ice maker arm and the arm can't move properly, it might be broken. Ice makers are fairly inexpensive, so it might be better to replace an old ice maker than repair the unit. Check with your refrigerator's manufacturer for information on finding ice maker parts or replacement ice makers for your model.