--- title: "Ice maker not making ice" description: "Kenmore ice maker not making ice: one of the most over-quoted repairs there is. Ice production depends on freezer temperature and on water arriving, and both…" url: "https://kenmoremiami.support/symptoms/refrigerator-icemaker-not-working/" date_modified: "2026-09-01" Appliance type: "Freezers, Refrigerators" --- # Kenmore ice maker not making ice ### Two things worth checking before anybody visits Is the freezer actually cold enough — an ice maker in a freezer that has drifted up will slow right down without stopping. And is the shut-off arm or the sensor beam clear: a box of frozen peas leaning on the arm switches the ice maker off, and it is designed to. ### What it usually means, by the company that built it Kenmore manufactures nothing, so the same behavior points at different things depending on who made the appliance. The three digits before the period on the rating plate are what tells them apart. - **106 Whirlpool** — The fill valve and the shut-off arm, then the module. Whirlpool's water filter indicator is worth reading — a filter well past its interval starves the ice maker before it affects the drinking water noticeably. - **795 LG** — Same order, but the display will often say more. LG cabinets also jam ice in the chute more visibly. - **253 Frigidaire** — Watch for DI SP, which is Frigidaire's own code for ice jammed in the chute. It sounds an alarm when a cube is stuck. ### The order is the whole answer An ice maker sits at the end of two chains — one that makes cold and one that brings water — and a break anywhere in either produces exactly the same empty bin. Starting at the expensive end of that is how people end up paying for a module that was working. We start at the freezer, because on this coast a freezer that has quietly drifted warm is the single most common finding. ### The saddle valve If your refrigerator’s water line was connected with a self-piercing saddle valve on a copper pipe — very common in older South Florida houses — it will eventually silt itself closed. It is not dramatic, it is not obvious, and it is inexpensive to correct. It is worth mentioning on the phone if you know you have one. The freezer is not cold enough Ice production falls off sharply above the design temperature. This is a freezer problem wearing an ice maker's symptoms. The shut-off arm or sensor is blocked It stops production on purpose when the bin looks full. Anything leaning on it does the same thing. Water is not arriving An overdue filter, a partly closed shut-off, or an old saddle valve that has silted itself closed on this water. The fill valve Tested rather than assumed. It fails, but it is blamed more often than it fails. The module itself Last, and on some builders it is a repairable assembly rather than a unit. Is the arm down or the sensor clear The single most common answer, and free. Does the dispenser give water Water at the door and no ice narrows it a great deal. No water at either points at the supply. How old is the filter On this water, older than the calendar says in practice. Any ice at all, even small or hollow Some ice means water is arriving and the mechanism works. That is a different problem from none. The bin is empty and nothing is obviously broken What it usually means Freezer temperature before the module Water supply before the mechanism A silted saddle valve is a local classic Two things worth checking before anybody visits Is the freezer actually cold enough — an ice maker in a freezer that has drifted up will slow right down without stopping. And is the shut-off arm or the sensor beam clear: a box of frozen peas leaning on the arm switches the ice maker off, and it is designed to. What it usually means, by the company that built it Kenmore manufactures nothing, so the same behavior points at different things depending on who made the appliance. The three digits before the period on the rating plate are what tells them apart. 106 Whirlpool — The fill valve and the shut-off arm, then the module. Whirlpool's water filter indicator is worth reading — a filter well past its interval starves the ice maker before it affects the drinking water noticeably. 795 LG — Same order, but the display will often say more. LG cabinets also jam ice in the chute more visibly. 253 Frigidaire — Watch for DI SP, which is Frigidaire's own code for ice jammed in the chute. It sounds an alarm when a cube is stuck. The order is the whole answer An ice maker sits at the end of two chains — one that makes cold and one that brings water — and a break anywhere in either produces exactly the same empty bin. Starting at the expensive end of that is how people end up paying for a module that was working. We start at the freezer, because on this coast a freezer that has quietly drifted warm is the single most common finding. The saddle valve If your refrigerator’s water line was connected with a self-piercing saddle valve on a copper pipe — very common in older South Florida houses — it will eventually silt itself closed. It is not dramatic, it is not obvious, and it is inexpensive to correct. It is worth mentioning on the phone if you know you have one. ### It makes some ice, just not enough. That is usually the water side rather than the mechanism, or a freezer running warm. Both are cheaper than an ice maker. ### The cubes are hollow. Not enough water reaching the tray. Filter, then supply pressure, then the valve. ### Do you replace ice makers or repair them? Whichever the diagnosis supports. On some of these platforms the module is a serviceable assembly and on others it is not, and we will tell you which yours is before ordering anything. --- **[Read full article: Ice maker not making ice](https://kenmoremiami.support/symptoms/refrigerator-icemaker-not-working/)**