Residential and commercial
Ice Maker Repair in Northern Virginia, DC & Maryland
An ice maker is a small machine with a water line, a valve, a mold or a plate, a heater and a motor, and any one of them can stop the ice. We do ice maker repair on the ones built into refrigerators, both the freezer-mounted kind and the kind in the door, and the stand-alone under-counter machines that make clear ice or nugget ice, across Northern Virginia, Washington DC and Maryland. The water in this region is moderately hard to hard, so scale in the line and the valve stops more ice makers here than people expect.
- $89 visit, credited to the repair
- 90-day parts & labor warranty
- Same-day most days
- Someone answers 24/7
What usually goes wrong
Ice Maker problems, in the order we see them
The symptom you notice, and what it most probably is.
- 1
No ice at all
Most probably
- The ice maker is switched off, or its feeler arm or paddle is stuck in the up position
- The fill tube has frozen solid, so no water reaches the mold
- The freezer is running too warm for the ice maker to cycle
- The inlet valve, which lets the water in, is dead or its screen is packed with scale
- The thermostat or heater on the ice maker has failed, so the cubes are never released
- 2
Small, hollow or cloudy cubes, and fewer of them
Most probably
- The water filter is past its six months and choking the flow
- A self-piercing saddle valve on the supply pipe is starving the line
- Low water pressure, often from a reverse osmosis system
- The line behind the refrigerator is kinked or pinched
- Scale is narrowing the fill tube
- 3
Frost across the back of the freezer while the ice maker keeps cycling dry
Most probably
- The fill tube froze, and the water it sprayed froze onto the back wall
- The inlet valve dribbles after it closes
- A freezer door or drawer gasket is letting damp air in
- A defrost fault in the refrigerator itself
- 4
Water on the floor, under the crisper drawers or inside the freezer
Most probably
- The inlet valve is not closing fully
- A water line or fitting behind the refrigerator is split or loose
- The fill cup or the ice maker body is cracked
- The defrost drain is frozen and sends meltwater the wrong way
- The drain in the door ice compartment is blocked with ice
- 5
In-door ice maker frozen solid, buzzing or grinding, bucket stuck
Most probably
- Warm, damp air is getting into the ice compartment and freezing around the fill tube and the bucket
- The compartment drain is blocked, so meltwater refreezes around the bucket
- The auger motor is straining against a block of ice
- The cold-air duct from the freezer is blocked, or the compartment seal has failed
- 6
Ice tastes stale, or the cubes fuse into one lump
Most probably
- The filter is overdue, or none is fitted
- The bin sat full for weeks, and the ice partly melted and refroze
- The freezer door was left ajar, or its gasket leaks
- The defrost cycle runs too long and warms the bin
- 7
Under-counter clear-ice machine: thin ice, slab will not drop, or no cubes
Most probably
- Scale from hard water has coated the freezing plate
- The recirculating pump, which runs water over the plate, is weak or clogged
- The harvest sensor has come loose from the plate
- A wire in the cutter grid is broken, so the slab backs up uncut
- The water valve is not opening, or dribbles so the ice never thickens
- 8
Nugget machine grinding, dripping or slowing down
Most probably
- The auger is scraping a scaled-up freezing cylinder
- The gear motor or its bearing is worn
- The reservoir or its float switch is fouled
- The condenser is packed with dust, so the machine cannot stay cold
- 9
Ice maker overfills, and the mold or bin has a sheet of ice across it
Most probably
- The inlet valve leaks through after it shuts
- The fill level was set too high after a valve replacement
- The fill cup or tube is out of line, so water misses the mold
By brand
Ice Maker brands we work with
Independent repair for every major make. We are not affiliated with or authorized by any manufacturer.
Ice Maker repair by brand
Samsung ice maker repair
Samsung puts the French-door ice maker in a small insulated box inside the fresh-food section. Damp air gets in and freezes there: slushy or clumped ice, a grinding auger, a bucket that will not pull out, water under the crisper trays. A defrost alone lasts a few weeks. The rest of that machine is under Samsung refrigerator repair.
Samsung appliance repairLG ice maker repair
LG says its ice maker needs the freezer below 19°F to work, so on an LG no ice is often the first sign of a freezer drifting warm, sometimes from a weakening compressor, which we cover under LG refrigerator repair. The switch on the side of the ice maker is easy to knock off. Craft Ice models make only a few spheres a day by design.
LG appliance repairWhirlpool ice maker repair
The freezer-mounted Whirlpool ice maker is the simple kind, and parts are easy to get. It stops when the fill tube freezes, the mold heater burns out or its thermostat never starts the harvest. On side-by-sides with the bin in the door, a failed sensor pair that reads the ice level stops it. Gray flecks in the cubes mean the mold coating is peeling.
Whirlpool appliance repairGE ice maker repair
On GE refrigerators the usual finds are a fill tube frozen shut, often because the inlet valve seeps between fills, and an ice maker whose rake stalls halfway through a harvest. GE also says plainly not to feed the fridge through a self-piercing saddle valve: the hole is too small, and small, hollow, slow ice is the result.
GE appliance repairKitchenAid ice maker repair
KitchenAid under-counter machines make clear ice on a chilled plate and cut the slab on a grid of heated wires. What fails: a grid wire breaks and uncut slabs pile up, the recirculating pump weakens and the ice comes out thin, the sensor on the plate lets go, or the water valve dribbles. Scale is behind most of it, and vinegar does not shift it.
KitchenAid appliance repairSub-Zero ice maker repair
Sub-Zero under-counter ice makers come with a gravity drain or a built-in drain pump. On the pump model a failed pump or a kinked drain line usually stops the machine, because the bin cannot empty its meltwater. Sub-Zero says to clean and sanitize every six months whatever filter you have; one that skipped that for years is scaled first and broken second.
Sub-Zero appliance repairKenmore ice maker repair
Someone else built every Kenmore refrigerator, and the first three digits of the model number name the maker: 106 is Whirlpool, 795 is LG, 253 is Frigidaire. That tells you which ice maker is inside: the simple freezer-mounted Whirlpool type with common parts, an LG in-door unit, or a Frigidaire design. Have the full model number ready when you call.
Kenmore appliance repairViking ice maker repair
Viking 15-inch under-counter machines make clear ice, with or without a built-in drain pump. When one slows or stops, the fault is nearly always on the water side: scale on the freezing plate, a weak recirculating pump, a valve that will not open, or a drain that has stopped draining. A machine that runs loud and hot usually has a condenser packed with dust.
Viking appliance repair
The visit
What happens when the technician comes
A valve, a fill tube or a freezer-mounted ice maker is usually about an hour. A door compartment that has frozen solid has to be thawed completely first, and an under-counter machine that needs descaling takes longer, so allow extra time for those.
Most ice maker work means rolling the refrigerator out, because the valve and the water line are at the back. Clear the top of the fridge and the floor in front of it, empty the ice bin, and find the shut-off for the fridge water line if you can; it is often under the sink or in the basement. An under-counter machine slides out of its opening.
You hear what failed and the full repair price before any work starts. An in-door assembly or a part for an under-counter machine is often ordered, and the technician comes back to fit it.
What waiting costs you
A valve that seeps or a fitting that weeps behind the refrigerator runs quietly onto the floor for weeks. Hardwood cups, the toe-kick under the cabinets swells, and in a townhouse or a condo the ceiling below is next. A frozen fill tube keeps spraying, and frost spreads across the back wall until it blocks the air to the fresh-food side; then it is the milk and the meat, not just the ice. A door compartment frozen solid strains the auger motor and cracks the bucket, turning one repair into three. In a clear-ice machine every cycle on a scaled plate leaves a little more scale behind.
$89 visit, credited to the repair. 90-day parts-and-labor warranty.
Repair or replace
Repair your ice maker, or replace it?
Repair it when
- The refrigerator cools well and only the ice has stopped. A valve, a fill tube, a thermostat or the ice maker module is a repair at any age.
- It is a freezer-mounted ice maker. The whole module is a common part, and the fridge around it is not affected.
- On an under-counter machine the pump, water valve, plate sensor, cutter grid or drain pump failed. All of those are repairs.
- The machine is scaled up. A proper descaling brings back most slow or thin-ice machines.
Replace it when
- Refrigerant has leaked at the freezing plate of an under-counter machine that is well past a dozen years old. The plate is the machine.
- Parts for a discontinued under-counter model can no longer be bought.
- The refrigerator around the ice maker is failing: a compressor or refrigerant fault on an old freestanding fridge. Decide about the fridge, not the ice maker.
- It is a portable countertop ice maker. We do not service those, and they are rarely worth repairing.
One honest limit: a door ice maker that keeps refreezing after its seal, air duct and drain have all been put right is showing the limit of the design, and we say so. The technician gives you the options at the visit, and the $89 visit fee counts toward the repair you choose.
Hard water, the line behind the fridge, and the valve on it
The water across Northern Virginia, Washington DC and Montgomery County is moderately hard to hard. That is not a health problem. It is an ice maker problem. Scale builds where water sits and freezes: on the screen inside the inlet valve, in the fill tube, and on the plate of a clear-ice machine. A refrigerator filter improves the taste but does not soften water, so it does not stop scale. Then the line itself. Many older hook-ups use a self-piercing saddle valve clamped onto a copper pipe, and GE says not to use them because the opening is too small. A reverse osmosis system can also leave too little pressure to fill the mold.
In the freezer, in the door, or under the counter
A freezer-mounted ice maker has mechanical faults: the valve, the fill tube, the thermostat, the heater, the motor. It is the simplest kind to fix. An in-door ice maker on a French-door refrigerator sits in an insulated compartment on the fresh-food side, with the door swinging open all day. That is why it frosts over, and why a defrost alone is a short fix. An under-counter machine has no freezer at all: the bin melts from below and drains away, so it depends on clean water parts and a working drain. Both refrigerator kinds stop when the freezer runs warm, and then the real job is refrigerator repair.
Safe to check before you call
Make sure the ice maker is switched on and the feeler arm or paddle is down; both get knocked when the bin goes back in. Check that the freezer is at 0°F or close to it. Look at the filter date, because past six months it chokes the fill. See that the line behind the fridge is not pinched against the wall and the shut-off is fully open. After a new filter or a new hook-up, give it a full day and throw away the first bins. On an under-counter machine, check the drain hose for a kink. Our guide to an ice maker not working has more. Never chip at a frozen compartment with anything sharp.
Recent repairs
Some ice maker repairs we have done
August 2026Oakton, VA
Whirlpool ice maker repair in Oakton
No ice at all from a Whirlpool top-freezer ice maker in Oakton. Our technician went out to it. Three things stop these: the fill tube freezes over, the…No ice at all from a Whirlpool top-freezer ice maker in Oakton. Our technician went out to it. Three things stop these: the fill tube freezes over, the mold heater fails, or the thermostat never lets the harvest start.
Google reviews
What people said after a ice maker repair
- SD
Stuart Dornfeld
August 2026 · gas stove
The is my 2nd time using FixDaddy. The first time was to repair my LG washing machine. This time it was to repair my Creda gas stove. Scheduling was easy. They showed up on time. Provided excellent service. I will use them again.
- GH
Gary Hauler
June 2026 · dryer
Very professional service. Quick to respond to request and came when they said. Though I didn't have them fix my issue (I realized I should probably just buy a new dryer as there were some unknowns) there was no hard sell of any extra service.
- KI
Kemale Ismayilli
February 2026 · Bosch dishwasher
I was looking for a local Bosch specialist near me in Arlington, and found FixDaddy. They fixed my Dishwasher on the spot! Super fast and professional. If you need a reliable technician in the DMV, this is the one!
- TW
Troy Wilson
June 2026 · Perlick refrigerator
Scheduled same day service to troubleshoot my Perlick Refrigerator. The technician came out in under 2 hours and diagnosed the problem quickly. Very impressed with the service.
5.0105 reviews
Every review on this page is copied from our public Google profile, word for word.
FAQ
Ice Maker repair: frequently asked questions
Why did my ice maker suddenly stop making ice?
Usually one of five things: it was switched off or the arm is stuck up, the fill tube froze, the freezer is running too warm, the inlet valve died, or the thermostat or heater on the ice maker itself failed. Each one is a different part and a different price, which is why the technician tests rather than swaps. If the freezer is also frosting up or the fridge side is warm, the ice maker is the symptom, not the cause, and our freezer repair page covers those faults.
Do you repair the ice maker built into the refrigerator door?
Yes. In-door ice makers on French-door models from Samsung, LG, Whirlpool, GE and others are the kind that freezes over most. The job is more than a defrost, because the compartment seal, the cold-air duct and the drain are what let it freeze over in the first place.
Do you work on under-counter nugget and clear-ice machines?
Yes, the stand-alone under-counter machines from KitchenAid, Sub-Zero, Viking and the other makes we work on, in homes, offices and rentals. Most of what goes wrong with them is on the water side, scale, pump, valve, drain, and that starts with a proper descaling. A sealed-system fault is the one case where we may tell you repair is not the right answer.
My ice is small and hollow. Is that worth a visit?
It is the ice maker telling you it is not getting enough water. The mold half-fills, freezes thin, and the machine cycles more to keep up. Before you call, check the filter date and that the line behind the refrigerator is not pinched. If it is a saddle valve on the supply pipe or a reverse osmosis system, that is a visit.
Can you replace the water line and the shut-off valve behind the fridge?
Yes. A new braided line and a quarter-turn shut-off valve in place of a saddle valve is a common part of an ice maker repair, and it is where many slow leaks start. If the supply pipe itself needs work beyond the appliance connection, we tell you and stop there.
How much does it cost to fix an ice maker?
We do not quote a repair price before we have seen it, because an ice maker can be a small valve or a whole assembly behind a door panel, and guessing on the phone is how people get surprised. Our visit fee is $89. The technician finds exactly what's wrong and gives you the full repair price at your home — no pressure. If you go ahead, the $89 counts toward the repair, and every repair has a 90-day warranty.
Is the repair covered if the ice stops again?
Every repair has a 90-day parts-and-labor warranty. If the same fault comes back within that time, we come back. For in-door units we explain at the visit what the warranty covers and what the design itself will keep doing.
Should I add a water softener or a better filter for the ice maker?
A refrigerator filter takes out sediment and chlorine taste; it does not remove hardness, so it will not stop scale. Whether a softener is worth it is a house question, not an ice maker question. What helps the ice maker most is a filter changed on time, a clean line without a saddle valve, and, for an under-counter machine, a descaling every six months.
Near you
Ice Maker repair, town by town
- Appliance repair in Alexandria Northern Virginia
- Appliance repair in Annandale Northern Virginia
- Appliance repair in Arlington Northern Virginia
- Appliance repair in Ashburn Northern Virginia
- Appliance repair in Bethesda Maryland
- Appliance repair in Burke Northern Virginia
- Appliance repair in Centreville Northern Virginia
- Appliance repair in Chantilly Northern Virginia
- Appliance repair in Chevy Chase Maryland
- Appliance repair in Fairfax Northern Virginia
- Appliance repair in Fairfax Station Northern Virginia
- Appliance repair in Falls Church Northern Virginia
Ice Maker not doing its job?
Someone answers now. The visit is $89, credited to the repair, and most days we are out the same day.