What to Do When Your Frigidaire Ice Maker Won’t Stop Making Ice

A DIY Guide to Fix an Overactive Ice Maker

One problem in some older Frigidaire refrigerators is an ice maker that won’t stop producing ice once its ice bin reaches capacity.

Any appliance can break down with age or extended use. Just like cars, new appliances today are more reliable than they were even 20 years ago. But with any brand of aging appliance comes a set of problems unique to that brand.

The ice maker is Frigidaire’s problem child. Sometimes it won’t stop making ice. Fortunately, you may be able to correct the problem with a DIY repair.

And for any appliance repair you can’t do yourself, call West Coast Chief Appliance for same-day service. We’ll fix the ice maker and anything else that needs fixing.

How Does Frigidaire’s Ice Maker Work?

(Or any refrigerator ice maker, for that matter…)

Skip this portion of the blog if you hold an advanced engineering degree from Appliance U, or you’re a longtime subscriber to Family Handyman who reads the magazine cover to cover.

We believe it’s far better to know too much than too little, which is why we’re presenting this brief intro to ice maker mechanics. In bullet points, no less!

Ice Making 101: From Plumbing to Glass

• A 1/4 inch tube connected to a water supply carries water to a fill valve inside the fridge.
• An ice maker thermostat regulates the fill valve controlling water flow to the automated assembly area and mold. That’s a fancy way of describing the internal ice-making machine where the ice cubes form.
• After the water freezes into ice, the thermostat triggers a small heater, loosening the cubes from their molds.
• The thermostat also turns on a motor that pushes ice into the freezer’s collecting bin.
• A shut-off arm sits above the ice bin and rises as the ice bin fills.
• The arm then starts to lower until it comes in contact with accumulated ice in the bin.
• This contact sends a signal to the system to stop making ice.
• Normally, the ice maker will produce ice again only when the ice level has dropped to a threshold level, and the shut-off arm drops low enough to trigger another cycle.

Why Won’t the Ice Maker Stop Making Too Much Ice?

• Problems begin when the shut-off arm doesn’t drop far enough to come into contact with the ice inside the collecting bin.
• When this happens, the rest of the system never receives a shut-off signal. Ice piles higher and higher. This may be great when you’re throwing a party, but not so great when you’re just living your life.
• Some older Frigidaire models have poorly designed ice maker shut-off arms.
• These arms ride higher than they should and lead to an ice maker that won’t turn off unless you power it down completely.

A Kit to End Your Ice-Making Misery

• Frigidaire is aware of the problem. They’ve heard the customer complaints.
• New Frigidaire models no longer churn out unwanted ice cubes.
• For older models, Frigidaire manufactures a replacement arm with a specially designed extension.
• This extension ensures that the arm comes into contact with bin ice and triggers a halt in ice production.
• Order the replacement arm kit. Or we can order it for you.
• With the proper safety precautions and a little DIY know-how, you can follow the detailed instructions in the kit to end the ice avalanche in your freezer.

But You may Not Even Need the Kit (Temporarily)!

Creative DIYers and repair technicians have stumbled on yet another potential DIY solution.

Sometimes, bending a faulty Frigidaire shut-off arm down toward the bin allows it to make proper contact with ice in the collecting bin.

However, this approach doesn’t always work. Worse, you may break the arm instead of making a clever DIY repair.

Unless you’re a genuinely confident and competent DIYer, your best move may be to call us at West Coast Chief Repair. Our technicians know about the Frigidaire ice maker issue and any other appliance issue lurking in your kitchen.