How do i turn off the ice maker on my whirlpool refrigerator

An automatic ice maker can increase a refrigerator's energy use by 14 percent to 20 percent. You may want to decide if having ice on demand is worth that much of a jump to your electric bill. If not, you’ll be happy to know that you can easily turn your ice maker off in less than a minute, even if you just need to do it temporarily.

Reasons to Turn off Your Automatic Ice Maker

In addition to the energy savings issue, there are a few other reasons why you may want to turn off your ice maker.

• You need to defrost your fridge or the ice maker itself.
• You're going to be away from home for a week or more and don't want to come home to stale ice that's been absorbing random odors in your fridge.
• You don't want the expense and hassle of changing water filters just for clean and mold-free ice.
• Your ice maker makes too much ice for you to use and it's all just refreezing together to create one big lump of ice in the bin.
• Your fridge does not have a water dispenser and it is not connected to a water line, but the ice maker keeps buzzing.
• The ice maker causes part of your fridge to stay too cold for your preference or causes foods nearby to freeze.

Tip

Most ice making units are designed to shut off automatically when the bucket is filled and it turns on again when it needs to produce more ice. If ice overflows and the unit does not temporarily shut off, make sure the bucket and any shelving parts are properly positioned.

How to Turn off Your Refrigerator's Ice Maker

Models With Switches

Look for a switch on the front of your ice maker. If you see one, simply flip it to the "off" position, and you're done. For GE electronic ice makers, there may be an on/off toggle switch. The I is for on, and a green light will be lit. To turn it off, set the power switch to O for off. If there is an on/off slide switch, you turn it off by sliding the switch, so the paddle is under the icemaker.

Models Without Switches

If no switch is present, there is a metal bar that needs to be adjusted or lifted. It's called a fill bar or metal feeler arm. It's generally found on the side of the ice maker in the up position. Gently lift the metal feeler arm to the up position to turn the unit off. You may hear a click sound when it locks into place.

Models With Touch Controls/Without a Switch or Metal Arm

If you don’t immediately see a switch or an arm on your ice maker, it’s probably one of the newer models of refrigerators that require you to hit several buttons on a touchscreen or touchpad in a specific sequence to turn the unit off. Refer to your owner’s manual or the manufacturer’s website for instructions on how to do it. However, note that there is usually a secondary switch somewhere on the unit for disabling.

Warning

You may have a complicated ice maker that requires disconnecting a wire harness that cuts power to the ice maker. Consult the owner's manual or call in an appliance expert for guidance.

Tips for Turning off Your Refrigerator Ice Maker

• Turn your ice maker off right after you hear it drop ice into the bucket, so the ice cube tray won’t have a chance to fill back up with water. You don’t want to leave ice sitting in the ice maker.
• Use or discard any ice that has been made. It will begin to absorb odors and won't be appetizing to use after a few days.
• Be sure to clean and dry the ice bucket after turning off the ice maker so there's no moisture there to attract mold and mildew.
• Do you want to remove your ice maker permanently? Consult your refrigerator manual for instructions. You can always set the ice maker aside in case you change your mind later or want to reinstall it before you sell your fridge. Taking it out won’t harm it in any way.
• Use the space occupied by the ice bucket to store a couple of ice cube trays.

Is your Whirlpool ice maker on the blink? This article will show you how to reset it in a jiffy!

To reset your Whirlpool ice maker, first look for a reset button – usually on the bottom. Hold down the reset button for a few seconds until you hear a beep. If that doesn’t work, you might be able to reset it by adjusting the feeling arm, turning it off and on again, or unplugging the ice maker.

That’s the short answer, but there’s more to it than that. Are you ready to find out how to reset your ice maker and enjoy a refreshing drink after dinner tonight?

Then let’s dive in to the ice-cold details.

How to Reset A Whirlpool Ice Maker (In Under 5 Minutes)

Is your Whirlpool ice maker making slushies instead of ice cubes? Or has it stopped working altogether? Whatever the case, a simple reset should solve your problem.

Check out the following steps that will explain what you should do to reset your Whirlpool ice maker.

Adjust the Feeler Arm

Adjust the what? Ok, I get it. When you first read this step you might conclude that you’ve bitten off way than you can chew trying to fix this alone. But trust me, adjusting the feeler arm is simpler than it sounds.

The feeler arm is the sensor inside the ice maker that stops it from making too much ice. It alerts the ice maker when the ice tray is full.

If the feeler arm is stuck, it won’t be able to adjust itself according to the ice level in the tray. This will make the ice maker think that the tray is full when it isn’t. The feeler arm could be stuck for a few reasons. Here are some of them:

• The feeler arm is frozen
• The screws or springs on the feeler arm are stuck in place

So what can you do if the feeler arm is frozen or if the screws and springs are stuck? Manually push down on the feeler arm. This should cause ice to break away from the arm. Push the feeler arm down repeatedly. This should loosen up the springs and screws if they have gotten stuck.

How will you know if it has worked? Can you hear the tank in the ice maker begin to fill with water? If pushing on the feeler arm has loosened up the mechanism it will do this as it prepares to make more ice.

Press the Reset Button

If you don’t think there’s a problem with the feeler arm, you should try pressing the reset button.

If you don’t know where the reset button is on your ice maker, you should check your user guide. But let’s be honest. Who really holds on to a user guide nowadays? If you can’t find it, (or know that you’ve already chucked it) look for your reset button in the following places:

• At the bottom of the ice maker
• Above the ice tray
• Underneath the ice tray

If that fails, you can simply Google it! Almost every manual is available online these days. Whirlpool host all of theirs online here:

https://www.whirlpool.com/services/manuals.html

Once you have located the reset button, do the following:

1. Press and hold the reset button.
2. Hold onto the button for ten seconds or until you hear a beep inside the unit.

Press the on/off Switch

If you can’t find the reset button nor the feeler arm, you can try pressing the on/off switch. This switch should also reset the ice maker and should get it working again properly.

But where can you find the on/off switch? You should be able to see it in one of two places:

• Underneath the ice tray.
• Underneath the ice tray and cover plate. (For some Whirlpool ice maker models you have to remove both)

Once you have located the on/off switch, do the following:

1. Remove the ice tray and cover plate (or just the ice tray). You can do this by simply pulling on them.
2. Turn the switch from on to off.
3. Unplug the ice maker at the mains.
4. Wait 10 minutes.
5. Plug the ice maker in again.
6. Turn the switch from off to on.
7. Replace the ice tray and the cover plate as necessary. This should reset the ice maker.

Unplug the Appliance

So what can you do if you are still struggling to reset your ice maker? If you are having trouble locating the reset button or the on/off switch, unplug the appliance. Doing so will reset the ice maker.

Once you have unplugged the appliance you should do the following:

1. Wait ten minutes before plugging it back in.
2. Once plugged in, push on the feeler arm a couple of times. This will force water to pour into the ice maker which it will then cool and form into ice.

What You Should Do if the Ice Maker Still Won’t Reset?

Ok, so you’ve tried every trick in the book and you’re about ready to throw in the towel. You’ve:

• Adjusted the feeler arm
• Pressed the reset button until you were blue in the face
• Frantically pressed the on/off switch
• Unplugged the unit

What can you do once you’ve tried everything but the ice maker still won’t play ball? If you’re still having problems, then the issue with your ice maker may be more complex. It will probably need more than a simple reset to fix it.

What kind of problems am I talking about? Your ice maker may have one of the following issues:

• A mechanical malfunction
• An electrical problem
• A damaged part such as the water valve

What should you do to fix problems like these? Take a look at the information below to find out:

What should you do if you can’t tell which category the problem falls into? In this case, consult your user manual. The manual will help you to troubleshoot some of the problems with the ice maker. This will help you to pinpoint the problem. If you don’t have the manual, try contacting Whirlpool directly for more help.

Still Stuck?

If these tips haven’t helped – don’t worry. There may be other quick fixes you can try.

We’re fortunate enough to have a lot of readers on our website, but unfortunately I can’t answer everyone’s questions personally. To help, we’ve teamed up with JustAnswer to connect you to a qualified Appliance expert.

You can connect with an appliance expert below, who will help you solve your specific issue. They do charge a small trial fee, so just remember to cancel the trial once you get your ice maker working again.

Why Do Ice Makers Need a Reset?

Ice makers are a little bit like humans.

(Hold on, there’s an explanation coming.)

Before you go on vacation you might feel a little cranky, worn out, and exhausted. After your vacation, you feel like you’ve recharged your batteries and are ready to face the world.

Now, the reset button is kind of like a vacation for your ice maker. Your ice maker has had its buttons pushed a bunch of times and has worked non-stop around the clock. This could result in a confused and unresponsive appliance.

I know what you’re thinking, aren’t these appliances supposed to be smart? Yes! They are, but unfortunately, the smarter the technology, the more there is that could go wrong with it. So, a little reset here and there helps to clear the system of a backlog of conflicting data. It will help it unwind and run smoothly again. Just like a couple of cocktails on the beach for 10 days does for every one of us.

Conclusion

It’s important to have a well-functioning ice maker. This is especially true when the warm weather comes. Has your ice maker stopped working? Then a simple reset may be just what it needs to give it a new lease of life. I hope this article has shown you how to reset your Whirlpool ice maker without calling a technician.

If this article has helped you, why not check out some of our other articles and free guides? You could even sign up for our email list!

Have a great day!

-Craig

Where is ice maker reset button whirlpool?