How to Thaw Your Refrigerator Icemaker With A Hair Dryer

Ice makers are a contemporary convenience supplied with many side-by-side refrigerator designs. If your ice maker is not producing ice, or if the ice produced is too small, the benefit is not so terrific. Typically this is because of a frozen fill tube, which may be triggered by ice supporting in the bin, or a refrigerator thermostat that is set too low. You might disconnect the refrigerator to thaw the lines, but this needs emptying the contents of the refrigerator. A more convenient choice is to use a hairdryer to quickly target the heat where needed and thaw the lines.

• Required Tools:
• Water
• Hairdryer
• Towel

Here’s the Steps:

• Validate first that your ice maker is not malfunctioning. Pour about 1/2 cup of water into the ice maker’s water tank.
• Wait two hours so that the water has time to freeze and dispense the ice. If it does not make ice, the ice maker may have a mechanical issue that requires service. If it does make ice, then you know the ice maker is practical and you can continue defrosting the lines.
• Unplug your refrigerator to turn off the power to the ice maker. You do not need to get rid of the contents of the refrigerator or freezer since it ought to remain cold for the brief length of time you’ll have it off.
• Lay a towel below the ice maker (this will soak up the melt water) Remove the ice bin and dispose out any ice inside. Set the bin aside.
• Pull down on the metal keeping clip to remove it from the housing that holds the fill tube. Note that not all ice makers will have this clip.
• Apply heat with a hairdryer to the ice maker fill tube, which is normally a white, rubber-like tube. Hold the nozzle of the hairdryer at the front of the ice maker so that the heat will blast into the fill line. Set the hairdryer to its least lowest heat setting to prevent melting the plastic lines and parts of the ice maker.
• Move the hairdryer constantly so that the heat does not focus in one area for any length of time. Be sure not to drip into the hairdryer. This can cause an electrical shock.
• Continue to apply heat until you see melt water dripping onto the towel. Switch off the hairdryer and wait up until the wetness no longer drips onto the towel.Turn the thermostat up a fraction and plug in your fridge. Turn the ice maker on again. This should fix the problem but you may need to repeat as necessary.

Bonus Tip
If you ‘d rather not use a hairdryer, you can soak the supply tubes with warm water instead. Location the bin back into the ice maker and apply warm water to the tube with a turkey baster. Let the water overflow into the ice bin. If your ice maker repeatedly freezes up, it must be pulled and inspected by a qualified service specialist.

South End Plumbing specializes in faucet repair, so remember, we are just a click away. We also specialize in tankless water heaters – give us a call! South End Plumbing is one of the only companies that will give you a free estimate. Call us at 704-919-1722 or fill out the form online to schedule a visit.