Ice Maker Keeps Freezing Over & Jamming? 8 Tips To Fix It

So you’re tired of your ice maker freezing over and jamming. I feel your pain. Very little is as frustrating as going to fill a cup with ice and finding it jammed or opening your freezer and finding it covered in unwanted ice.

Thankfully, there are some quick and easy solutions that should prevent this from happening in the future.

Ready to get started? Let’s do this. From simplest to most involved, here are eight answers.
 

Preventing An Ice Maker Freezing Over

1. Check the jam.

Sometimes it’s easy to overanalyze or over-diagnose a problem with an appliance. The first step to take if your ice maker is jammed is to simply take a wooden spoon and carefully try to unjam any obstructions. Please be careful and don’t use much force on this.

Remove any extra-large clumps where ice-cubes have formed their own mini icebergs. Don’t try to force anything that is stuck in there, as you risk damaging the appliance.

If there are large clumps that are stuck, lightly warm them using a hairdryer from a distance, so as not to heat up the rear of the ice maker. Then lift them out once they detach.

male removing ice maker tub
Your ice maker may have ended up making an iceberg, instead of ice cubes.

If you try this, and it isn’t the problem … 
 
 

2. Check your water filter.

A clogged water filter can easily stop your ice maker from making ice.

If it’s clogged, this can cause unwanted water pressure problems that may be creating freezing and jamming as the water gets backed up into your freezer. But as complicated as this sounds, it’s really another simple problem with another simple solution.

Simply change the water filter and clean up the current mess. If this isn’t the problem …
 

3. Check your water pressure.

If the pressure of the water going into your refrigerator is too low or too high, your ice maker may freeze over or jam. Specifically, water pressure that is over 120 PSI can lead to freezing and jamming often due to water splashing out of the ice maker during its fill cycle. Check the water pressure and adjust it accordingly. If this isn’t the problem …
 

4. Check your water line for freezing.

Reminder: If any of these steps become overwhelming or feel impossible, keep in mind that repair technicians can typically help fix the problem quickly and efficiently.

First, you want to make sure your water line is not frozen. Consider removing your ice maker and checking for any signs of a frozen fill tube. Is it working properly? Is it frozen?

It’s not uncommon for the water line between the valve and the ice maker to freeze up. This can happen for many reasons. If you discover that your water supply line is frozen, start by defrosting the entire refrigerator. Or—if you don’t want to go through the hassle—use a hair dryer to carefully defrost the single, frozen water line. This is a tricky process that requires utmost care and caution, but it can be done. Make sure to use caution not to melt or damage any plastic parts. And definitely DON’T use a heat gun!

If you notice that your water line freezes with any regularity, try turning up the temperature of your freezer to maintain the integrity of your water supply line.

If this isn’t the problem …
 

5. Check your water line for positioning.

Next, check to make sure your water line is positioned correctly. This may seem like a minor thing, but if your water line is shoved too far down into the valve, it can actually cause an unwanted splash-back that allows water into parts of the freezer where it doesn’t belong. This can create unwanted freezing throughout your freezer.

Double-check that the water line (located behind or below the fridge) is positioned correctly. Verify that these lines are not kinked or restricted. If this isn’t the problem …
 

6. Check for defects.

If any individual component in the ice maker—from the motor to the circuit board and everything in between—fails to work correctly, your ice maker will start freezing over or jamming. And, as you may know by now, it will typically do it at the least opportune time.

technician checking the back of refrigerator
Reach out to a professional if you can’t find the defective part.

So look carefully at each component in your ice maker. Does anything look off? Is anything making a new or strange sound? Is anything silent that should be making a sound?

If so, remove the defective part and replace it. If you can’t locate the defective part, reach out to a repair technician for help. If this isn’t the problem …

If you want to get any replacement part – or see how much one would cost – click to enter your model number in the search bar below. Our partners at AppliancePartsPros stock almost every part with free guides on how to install them.

7. Check the ice fill tube.

The ice fill tube is a separate line from the incoming water supply lines. The ice maker supply line is the tube that specifically delivers water to your ice maker. Look behind your ice maker and slide out your ice maker (if necessary) to access it. If your ice fill tube is frozen, remove it carefully and run it under hot water to thaw it. If that isn’t the problem …

8. Check the water inlet valve.

The water inlet valve is responsible for the flow of water into your refrigerator. If your water inlet valve is broken or defective, it can actually overfill your ice cube bucket and cause the whole thing to freeze. So, if none of the previous tips work to find the problem, check your water inlet valve on the back of your refrigerator. If you’re able, check it with a multimeter in order to see if your solenoid is working. If it appears to be malfunctioning, replace it.

Appliance Expert: An electrically failed water inlet valve would simply not let any water get to the ice maker. However, they can become stuck in the OPEN position – which can quickly cause a flood if the water is not shut off at the incoming water valve. 

More commonly, the water valve may not be sealing off the incoming water 100% and can drip slowly past the valve. This will cause a frozen ice maker water supply line.

Conclusion

Ice makers freeze over and jam for many reasons, including frozen tubes, faulty valves, improper temperature settings, or outdated filters. Hopefully with a little investigation and some elbow grease you’ll be able to find and fix the problem using this handy list. If not—or if you have other issues with your appliances you’d like help with—let us know. We want to help you succeed!

Thank you for reading. Take a look at the articles below for more ideas and advice!

I've been helping homeowners with appliance repair since 2016. Starting out as an enthusiastic amateur, I've since worked with many Appliance, HVAC, and DIY experts over the last 7+ years. My mission is to help fix your appliances and prevent future issues - saving you stress, time, and money. Visit my author page to learn more! Read more
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