Icemakers free you from the inconvenience of manually filling your ice cube trays. It’s great to have a constant supply of ice cubes whenever you need them. Therefore, it can be frustrating when your ice maker stops functioning.
Don’t worry; you can fix your ice maker quickly and return your ice cube supply. In this article, I will discuss why your Bosch ice maker is not working and how to fix it quickly.
Why Is Your Bosch Ice Maker Not Working?
Different reasons can lead to your Bosch ice maker not working. For example, the freezer’s temperature is too high, or the water inlet valve of the refrigerator has an issue.
1- The Freezer Temperature Is Too High
The freezer’s temperature plays a vital role in forming your ice. The freezing point of water is below 32 degrees Fahrenheit (0 Celsius); however, it’s advised that you keep the freezer temperature at a degree colder than that.
The colder your freezer, the more efficient is your ice maker; the recommended temperature is between 5 to 0 degrees Fahrenheit.
2- Faulty Water Inlet Valve
Your water dispenser and ice maker need a water supply to function; the water inlet valve is the one responsible for this water supply.
The refrigerator’s valve provides water from your household’s water to your ice maker. Therefore, the ice maker will receive no water if your water inlet valve is faulty.
The refrigerator’s valve provides water from your household’s water to your ice maker. Therefore, the ice maker will receive no water if your water inlet valve is faulty.
You should notice that the valve could be working correctly, but the issue is in the water pressure of your household. The inlet valve will stop working if your household has insufficient water pressure.
3- Broken Ice Maker Thermostat
Icemakers’ thermostat is essential because it detects when the ice tray temperature is suitable. Then, the ice maker exports the ice cubes to the tray and get resupplied with water.
Therefore, if the thermostat of the ice maker is broken, the ice maker will no longer detect when to eject the ice cubes.
You can determine if your thermostat is broken by using a multimeter. Switch for continuity on the multimeter’s settings and check the thermostat. If the thermostat has continuity, then it’s working correctly.
4- Faulty Ice Maker Assembly
The ice maker assembly consists of several parts; there might be an issue with one of them. Unfortunately, ice maker assembly parts are rare in local hardware stores.
As a result, if the issue is with one of the assembly parts, you will need to replace the whole unit. Don’t worry; your ice maker assembly rarely fails; you should check other components before you consider that problem is with the assembly.
5- Door Switch Not Working
The door switch is inside the freezer, mainly on the right side. You can think of the door switch as an alarm that lets the fridge shut down when the ice maker is on.
The freezer door switch is triggered when you open the freezer door. As discussed above, the freezer’s high temperature affects the ice maker.
When you open, the door of the freezer temperature starts to increase, so the ice maker should be turned off. If your door switch fails, this will result in either the ice maker stopping working or working all the time.
6- Ice Maker Switch Toggled Off
The ice maker has a switch that controls whether it’s working. Like any other switch, it has an “ON” and “OFF” position. You could have mistakenly switched the ice maker off without knowing.
Therefore, you will need to check the switch to see if it’s in the “ON” position, it may seem a bit obvious, but it’s better to check first before saying that the switch is faulty.
If the switch is in the “ON” position, you will need to check it using a multimeter to know if it has continuity. You will need to replace the switch with no electrical continuity.
7- Clogged Water Filter
As we have discussed, the refrigerator is supplied with water from your household’s water supply. Therefore, there will be a water filter in your refrigerator.
The water filter’s job is to filter the water from debris or harmful things. For example, the water filter removes lead, chlorine, and mineral deposits to improve water quality.
The water filter can get clogged with constant filtration, resulting in rare or no water passing through. As a result, the ice maker will no longer receive any water, and it will stop working.
8- Broken Ice Dispenser
The ice maker and ice dispenser work harmoniously; if one fails, the other will stop working. The ice dispenser is responsible for delivering your ice.
So the ice maker might be working correctly and forming ice, but you’re receiving none because of the dispenser.
How To Fix Bosch Ice Maker Not Working
If your ice maker stops working, you don’t have to worry because every problem can be easily fixed. You will need to follow the following steps:
1- How to Fix The Freezer Temperature Too High
The ideal temperature range of your freezer is 0-5 degrees Fahrenheit; therefore, you will need to adjust the temperature settings on your fridge to this range.
You should know that adjusting the temperature settings below this range is better for your ice maker functionality. The colder your freezer, the more efficient is your ice maker.
2- How to Fix a Faulty Water Inlet Valve
If you have determined that your water inlet valve is the issue, you must replace it to get your ice maker back working. Don’t worry; I will walk you through the necessary steps, don’t forget to turn off your fridge before proceeding with any step.
- Locate the water inlet valve; you will find it behind your fridge. Notice that you might need to move your fridge away from the wall to make the valve accessible.
- Cut off the water supply of your inlet valve by shutting off the water supply valve of the waterline leading to the fridge.
- Unscrew the screws on the fridge’s lower access panel using a nut or screwdriver.
- Use a bucket under the valve to catch any water spilled. Then, remove the fill tubing of the water valve. Pour any water in the tubes into the bucket.
- Use a wrench to loosen the brass-fitting flare nut; you will find it on the inlet side of the valve.
- Remove the valve bracket from the refrigerator using a nut driver or a screwdriver. Then, gently disconnect the valve and the tube of the outlet port.
- Label the wires connected to your valve before disconnecting them. (They can be either 2 or 4 wires). Start disconnecting the wires using a pair of needle-nosed pliers.
- Replace the old water valve with the new one and reconnect the wires.
- Screw back the lower access panel and turn your fridge back on.
Notice that the water pressure can affect the functionality of your water inlet valve. Therefore, you must ensure that your household’s water pressure is not below 20 psi.
3- How to Fix a Broken Ice Maker Thermostat
If you have checked your mold thermostat with a multimeter for continuity and found it doesn’t have any electrical continuity. Then, you will need to replace it because it’s broken.
To replace your mold thermostat, you will need to remove your ice maker from the freezer. This will give you the accessibility to replace the thermostat. Remember that you need to turn off any electrical appliance before your work on it; kindly follow these steps:
- Remove the ice maker from the freezer using your owner’s manual.
- Locate the thermostat on the back of the ice maker; it looks like a switch with black color.
- Replace the broken thermostat with a new one.
- Reinstall your ice maker into your freezer.
- Turn on your fridge and check the ice maker.
4- How to Fix the Door Switch Not Working
If your door switch is not working, you will need to replace it; you can do this easily by following the following steps:
- Locate the switch inside your freezer; it can be on the left or right side.
- Remove the switch by unscrewing the screws holding it.
- Disconnect the wire harness of the switch.
- Connect the new switch.
5- How to Fix a Clogged Water Filter
If you find out your water filter is clogged, replace it. Kindly follow the following steps to replace the water filter:
- Locate your water filter; usually, it will be on the upper section of your refrigerator.
- Open the door of the filter case.
- Grab the filter and rotate it in a counterclockwise direction to remove it.
- Place the new filter and rotate it clockwise to fix it in place.
- Close the door of the filter case.
6- How to Fix Ice Maker Switch Toggled Off
It may seem like a pretty obvious solution, but sometimes you need to check if the ice maker switch is in the “ON” position. If the switch is ON and the ice maker is not working, you can try to reset the ice maker.
To reset your ice maker, you must do it from the control panel. If you get no response from your ice maker, ensure that the ice maker is connected correctly to the outlet.
7- How to Fix a Broken Ice Dispenser
The ice dispenser is assembled of different components like motors, switches, and control boards. If any of the mentioned parts fails, the dispenser and, consequently, your ice maker will stop working.
Fortunately, the parts of the ice dispenser can be found easily in local hardware stores. So, you have to determine the faulty part and replace it to get your ice maker back to work.
Adrian is an ISCET licensed professional that has completed the National Appliance Service Technician Certification Exam and has the expertise to diagnose and repair any appliance. He is well-versed in the latest technologies and techniques and is always up-to-date on the latest industry standards.
