Ice Bucket Is Improperly Attached
If you don’t lock the ice bucket correctly into the ice maker, the ice might not fall directly into the bucket, thus underfilling it.
Since the bucket won’t fill up, the shut-off arm won’t flip to stop the production of ice.
As a result, the ice maker will be producing excessive amounts of ice continuously.
Dysfunctional Shut-off or Feeler Arm
The shutoff arm has a sensor that detects if the ice bucket is full. Its mechanism is to stop ice production once the bucket reaches maximum capacity. If the ice bucket is underfilled, the shut-off arm will remain in an upright position.
However, if the arm becomes dysfunctional, you can say goodbye to its ability to stop ice production when the bucket becomes full.
Luckily, you can reset your shut-off arm manually by simply pressing it down.
In most cases, overstuffing your freezer can be the root of the problem of a malfunctioning shut-off arm. The congestion of products stops the arm from doing its work properly.
To avoid this, clear your freezer or arrange the items inside neatly.
Also, there may be a build-up of ice suppressing the arm’s movement. Here, you’ll need to defrost your freezer to melt the ice.
Decreased Water Pressure
The water pressure for ice makers should be at 20 psi. However, if the water pressure is lower than that, the fridge’s inlet valve will fail to close.
As a result, the water will flow into the ice maker continually, and in return, the ice maker will produce ice nonstop.
If the water pressure isn’t the problem, the water inlet valve is probably defective. If a water inlet valve doesn’t open or close properly, this can result in two things.
First, if a valve is constantly open, water will continue to flow through, thus producing more ice. Second, if the valve is always closed, the ice maker won’t create ice as much as it should.
In this case, it’s best to call an expert to replace your defective valve.
Defective or Dirty Components
If none of the previous reasons are causing the problem, there may be a build-up of dirt or grime in the ice maker’s internal components.
Allow an expert to troubleshoot the problem and replace damaged components if possible.
To prevent this from happening in the future, disassemble and clean your ice maker at least once a month with a water and vinegar solution.
Conclusion
Now that you’ve read our article, you know why your ice maker is overflowing.
Some of the most common reasons are improperly placed ice buckets, a dysfunctional shut-off arm, decreased water pressure, and clogged or dirty internal components.
If you can’t troubleshoot your ice maker yourself, we recommend that you seek the help of a refrigerator repair expert to fix the issue.
