Troubleshooting guide
Frigidaire Ice Maker Not Making Ice
Most Frigidaire ice maker problems start with the water supply: a clogged or loose filter, a kinked line, or the ice maker switched off. If water flows well, the ice maker may need a reset, or the fill tube, freezer temperature or ice maker itself needs checking.
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No ice, slow ice production, small or hollow cubes. Here is what Frigidaire's own service documentation says about it — what's normal, what you can safely check, and what technicians usually find.
Check this first: it may be normal
- A new ice maker or one turned back on needs time: the first ice drops after the freezer is fully cold. A Frigidaire French-door owner's guide lists about 2.0–2.5 lb of ice per 24 hours for its freezer ice maker.
- On some models, ice production pauses automatically while the freezer recovers from being too warm, and after each defrost.
- After a day or more with no door openings, some models enter vacation mode and ice production slows.
Things you can safely check
- Make sure the ice maker is turned on and nothing is holding its signal arm up. Push the ice bin all the way in.
- Make sure the household water valve is open and the supply line isn't kinked behind the refrigerator.
- Remove and reinstall the water filter until it locks. Replace it if water flows slowly or the filter is 6 months old or older.
- If the ice maker light is red, turn the ice maker off with its button, wait 5–10 seconds and turn it back on.
- If power has flickered, switch the refrigerator's breaker off for 30 seconds, then back on. Use caution
- Throw out old clumped ice. Ice should be used at least twice a week to keep the cubes separate.
If the problem is still there after these checks, further diagnosis usually needs access to internal parts. Ice problems have many look-alike causes, from water supply to freezer temperature to the ice maker itself. A technician runs the model's ice maker tests and checks the manufacturer's kits for your serial range.
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What may be causing it
Several different failures can produce this symptom. These are the causes Frigidaire documentation and service bulletins point to, roughly from most to least common. Price ranges are typical totals in the Las Vegas Valley, including parts and labor.
Clogged or poorly seated water filter
A clogged filter limits water to the ice maker and causes small or hollow cubes. The manufacturer says to check the filter before adjusting the fill time.
Ice maker switched off, or signal arm held up
The ice maker must be turned on at the control panel (or its arm lowered). An item or the bin can hold the arm up.
Water supply off, kinked or restricted
A closed valve, a kinked line behind the unit or a clogged saddle valve stops water.
Ice maker software needs a reset
Power fluctuations can confuse the ice maker's software. On some models a red light clears by switching the ice maker off for 5–10 seconds.
Frozen fill tube or water splashing
A frozen fill tube blocks water. The manufacturer issued insulator, gasket and fill-cup kits for affected models.
Typical repair: ice maker assembly — $200–$500
Water inlet valve
A failed inlet valve stops water to the ice maker and, often, to the dispenser too.
Typical repair: water inlet valve — $180–$390
Air leaks into the ice compartment (door ice maker models)
Air leaking into the fresh-food ice box reduces ice production. The manufacturer issued sealing and air-handler kits for affected models.
Typical repair: ice maker assembly — $200–$500
Freezer too warm, so ice production is paused
When the freezer runs well above its set point, the control stops making ice until it recovers. Fan, defrost and seal problems cause this.
Ice maker assembly or its control
Confirmed with the ice maker self-test or the service-mode harvest test.
Typical repair: ice maker assembly — $200–$500
Clues that narrow it down
- Yes, water flows well — points toward: ice maker assembly or its control; air leaks into the ice compartment (door ice maker models); freezer too warm, so ice production is paused.
- Slow or no water — points toward: water supply off, kinked or restricted; clogged or poorly seated water filter; water inlet valve.
- No water dispenser — points toward: water supply off, kinked or restricted; water inlet valve.
- It's red, or blinking — points toward: ice maker software needs a reset; ice maker assembly or its control.
- No light or it's off — points toward: ice maker switched off, or signal arm held up.
- Ice stuck around the fill tube or tray — points toward: frozen fill tube or water splashing.
- Ice cubes clumped together — points toward: frozen fill tube or water splashing; clogged or poorly seated water filter.
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Error codes linked to this problem
These codes appear on specific Frigidaire control platforms. The same code can mean something else on another model, so check your appliance type and model.
- Ice Er — Ice maker / RAM error reported by the fresh-food ice maker control (finger-evaporator ice maker). (Frigidaire Gallery and Professional French-door refrigerators introduced around 2010–2011)
- Ice t3 — Ice maker suction-line thermistor (TH3) open or shorted (finger-evaporator ice maker). (Frigidaire Gallery and Professional French-door refrigerators introduced around 2010–2011)
- Ice CE — Communication lost between the ice maker control and the main board (finger-evaporator ice maker). (Frigidaire Gallery and Professional French-door refrigerators introduced around 2010–2011)
- dl SP — Chute flapper error — the ice chute flapper is not closed. (Frigidaire and Frigidaire Gallery French-door refrigerators from about 2020 on (R600a))
- Er t6 — Fresh-food ice maker tray sensor open or shorted. (Frigidaire and Frigidaire Gallery French-door refrigerators from about 2020 on (R600a))
- Er t7 — Fresh-food ice maker defrost sensor open or shorted. (Frigidaire and Frigidaire Gallery French-door refrigerators from about 2020 on (R600a))
- Er t8 — Freezer ice maker temperature sensor fault. (Frigidaire and Frigidaire Gallery French-door refrigerators from about 2020 on (R600a))
- Er t6 — Fresh-food ice maker tray sensor open or shorted. (Frigidaire Professional and Gallery four-door French-door refrigerators with a convertible middle drawer)
What Frigidaire service bulletins say
Frigidaire publishes technical bulletins for technicians when a problem is common on certain models or serial ranges. These apply to the models they list:
- No ice or intermittent ice production from the fresh-food ice maker. Fluctuations or brief losses of 120 V power can confuse the ice maker's software. In most cases a power-on reset — unplugging the refrigerator for 30 seconds and plugging it back in — resolves it; the technician then runs the ice maker diagnostic tests. What you can do: Unplug the refrigerator (or switch off its breaker) for 30 seconds, then restore power, and give the ice maker several hours. (Frigidaire service bulletin RFTT2213)
- No ice; ice maker not working; red LED on the freezer ice maker. If the ice maker's light is red, turn the ice maker off, wait 5–10 seconds and turn it back on; the light should be green. What you can do: Turn the ice maker off with its power button, wait 5–10 seconds, turn it back on, and check that the light is green. (Frigidaire service bulletin RFTT2410)
- Freezer ice maker fill tube freezing, stopping ice production. On affected French-door models, a missing fill-tube insulator lets the freezer ice maker's fill tube freeze; a kit adds the insulator and seals. (Frigidaire service bulletin RF1605)
- Fresh-food (door) flex-tray ice maker fill tube freezing, no ice production. A frozen fill tube blocks water to the fresh-food ice maker. Technicians confirm it with the ice maker water-valve test — a frozen tube passes no water — and install a replacement fill tube with insulating tape. (Frigidaire service bulletin RF1902)
- Ice clumping in the bucket, no ice, ice around the fill cup or down the coil cover. Water splashing out of the ice maker fill cup during filling causes clumping and ice buildup; a fill-cup jacket prevents it. (Frigidaire service bulletin RFTT2204)
- Not making ice / not enough ice. Air leaking into the fresh-food ice box through the harness opening reduces ice production; the fix is added seals around that opening. (Frigidaire service bulletin RFTT2429)
- No ice or slow ice production in the fresh-food ice maker after a period with no use. After a day or more without anyone using the refrigerator, it enters a vacation mode that stretches defrost to 96 hours of compressor run time. Updated software watches the door ice compartment for frost load; incomplete defrost of the ice-maker evaporator or an iced-up ice-maker fan are the underlying faults to check. (Frigidaire service bulletin RF1406)
When to call a technician
Frigidaire appliances can use different components and diagnostic logic depending on the model and control platform. Since several different failures can produce the same symptom, the safest next step is to have the appliance professionally diagnosed.
Further testing requires access to energized electrical components and should be performed by a qualified technician.
Sealed-system diagnosis requires refrigerant-handling equipment and should be performed by an EPA 608-certified technician.
We service Frigidaire appliances across Las Vegas, North Las Vegas, Henderson and Boulder City. The $75 service call is applied toward the repair you approve, and you get the price before any work starts. Frigidaire refrigerator repair.
Online troubleshooting is intended for preliminary guidance only. Appliance symptoms and error codes can have multiple causes depending on the model. Stop troubleshooting if you encounter exposed wiring, gas, refrigerant, overheating, burning smells, or other unsafe conditions.