- Home
- LG
- Refrigerator
- LG refrigerator not making ice: what to check and when to call a technician
LG refrigerator not making ice: what to check and when to call a technician
The dispenser still gives you water, the light comes on when you open the door, and yet the bin sits empty or holds one stale batch from last month. This page walks the checks that clear up most no-ice complaints. It also covers the failures that need a technician with a meter and a thermometer.
Answered by an independent East Valley appliance repair company. Not a call center.
- Independent local companies
- One call, no forms
- East Valley only
An LG that stops making ice is usually switched off or locked out, sitting in a freezer that's too warm to trigger a harvest, or not getting water to the mold. Water flow is the most common culprit of the three, normally an overdue filter or a fill tube frozen shut.
Check these first
Safe to do yourself. Unplug the appliance before you start.
- Confirm the ice maker is actually on
Some LG models put a small on/off switch on the left side of the ice maker. Others use an Ice On/Ice Off option on the door display, and if the panel doesn't read ICE ON, press and hold that button for about 3 to 5 seconds. People bump this off constantly, usually while wrestling the bin out.
- Check the real freezer temperature
LG stops making ice once the freezer climbs above about 10F, and steady production wants it near -4F. Drop a standalone thermometer in there and compare it against the number on the display. If the real temperature sits well above the setting, your problem is the cooling system, not the ice maker.
- Pull the ice bin and look for a frozen block
Cubes that sit unused melt a little, refreeze, and weld themselves into one lump that jams the auger and blocks the sensor beam. Dump the bin, dry it out, slide it back in. If it refills over the next day, that was your answer.
- Check the water filter and water flow
A filter older than about six months, or an off-brand aftermarket one that chokes flow, is one of the top reasons an LG quits making ice while the door dispenser keeps working. Time how long a cup takes to fill. Weak flow points at the filter, the supply line, or the shutoff valve behind the fridge.
- Run the ice maker test cycle
Put a towel or a bowl underneath first, then press and hold the test button for roughly three seconds. The tray should rotate and dump, swing back home, then buzz as it fills. No movement, or movement with no water arriving, means the unit needs service.
- Reset the ice maker and give it 24 hours
Kill power at the breaker or unplug the fridge for 30 seconds, then bring it back. Production can take 4 to 6 hours to restart, and a full day on a newly installed or freshly reset unit. If the bin is still empty after that, quit resetting and move on to diagnosis.
- Look for a frozen fill tube
That skinny tube feeding water into the mold freezes solid when pressure is low or its little heater has quit. Wrap it in a warm damp rag and it'll thaw. Refreezing within a few days tells you the real cause is still sitting there.
What's different in the Phoenix East Valley
Inlet screens clog fast on Valley water
The small mesh screens where the hoses meet the machine catch sediment and scale. With local water hardness, a screen can block enough within a few years to trigger a fill error. Cleaning them is a common fix here.
Hard water makes this more likely in the East Valley
Phoenix-area tap water runs roughly 12 to 20 grains per gallon, which is among the hardest of any major US metro. Scale builds up on inlet screens, valves, heating elements and dishwasher spray arms years sooner than the manuals assume. If this fault points to a fill or heating part, mineral buildup is the first thing a local technician will look for.
Desert dust adds to lint and coil buildup
Fine dust from monsoon storms and dry months gets into dryer vents, refrigerator condenser coils and dishwasher filters. Coils and vents in Valley homes usually need cleaning more often than the once-a-year rule of thumb.
Common questions
How do I reset an LG ice maker?
Take the bin out, shake the ice maker gently up and down a couple of times, then put the bin back. Cut power at the breaker or unplug the fridge for 30 seconds. Once power returns, give it 4 to 6 hours for ice to start, or up to 24 hours on a recently installed unit.
Why does my LG dispense water but make no ice?
Separate solenoid valves feed the dispenser and the ice maker, so one side can work fine while the other sits dead. Usual suspects: a frozen or blocked fill tube, a failed ice maker inlet valve, or a restricted filter that still passes enough water for the door.
Is the freezer temperature really that important?
Yes. LG holds off production above roughly 10F, and steady output wants the freezer closer to -4F. Check it with a separate thermometer, since the display reads the setting, which isn't always what's happening inside.
Could dirty condenser coils cause no ice?
They can. Coils caked with dust and pet hair make the compressor work harder, the freezer drifts warm, and the ice maker shuts itself down to protect the food. Vacuum them every 6 to 12 months and you've handled reasonable homeowner maintenance.
Is this covered under warranty?
Ice maker assemblies usually fall under the shorter parts warranty only. LG compressors and sealed system components often carry much longer coverage. Pull your model and purchase date, then read the warranty terms before you authorize any sealed system work.
Still showing the problem after the checks?
Call and describe what you tried. A local company can tell you what a visit involves.