Samsung Ice Maker Not Working? Settings, Ice Buildup, and Water Supply

Quick answer

A Samsung ice maker that stops making ice usually has one of three problems: the freezer is warmer than 0°F, the ice maker is switched off (the Ice Off icon is lit) or its bucket isn’t seated, or not enough water reaches it because the supply valve is partly closed or the filter is old. Check those first, then press and hold the ice maker’s Test button until it chimes. If the ice maker is frozen over with a sheet of ice, Samsung says not to defrost it yourself and to request service.

First, find your ice maker

Where the ice maker sits decides where the Test button is and how long the test takes. Samsung’s troubleshooting pages ask whether yours is in the fridge compartment or the freezer.

Where the ice maker is	Test button location	Test run time
Fridge compartment	Right-hand side of the ice maker, with the bucket out	About 6 minutes
Side-by-side freezer	Right-hand side of the ice maker, with the bucket out	About 30 seconds
Back of the freezer door	Newer models: bottom, toward the left. Older models: front, toward the left, behind the ice maker cover	About 30 seconds
Bottom freezer	Front of the bottom of the ice maker, with the bucket lifted out	About 30 seconds
Dual cubed and Ice Bites ice makers, bottom left freezer	Reach under each ice maker, between the vent and the bucket. Each has its own button	About 30 seconds

Layouts vary by model. Your user manual shows exactly where yours is. Source: Samsung US ice maker reset and troubleshooting pages listed below

Normal output, per Samsung: a fridge compartment ice maker makes one tray every 45 to 65 minutes, and a freezer ice maker one tray about every 85 minutes. A tray is 8 cubes on a full-size fridge and 6 on a counter-depth model.

1. Give it time after installation or a fix

A new Samsung usually starts making ice within 6 to 12 hours of installation. Throw out the first batches to flush the water lines, the buying guide suggests. After you fix a problem below, ice should start within 3 hours. Full output, about 2 trays every 3 hours, can take 24 hours to return.

2. Check the freezer temperature

The freezer must be at 0°F or colder to make ice, even when the ice maker sits in the fridge compartment.

• Read the display. If the freezer is warmer than its setting, and the fridge wasn’t installed within the last 28 hours, treat it as a cooling problem first. See Refrigerator Not Cooling? What to Check Before You Call for Service.
• If the freezer is set above 0°F, set it to 0°F or lower and turn on Power Freeze. Check again after 3 hours.
• Keep the doors closed. Opening the door pauses ice production and lets warm air in.

3. Make sure the ice maker is sealed off

An ice maker that isn’t sealed off can get too warm to make ice. In the fridge compartment, the ice bucket has to be fully seated and locked. In the freezer, the freezer door has to close correctly. Frost on the bucket or in the freezer means warm air is getting in; see step 8.

4. Check that the ice maker is turned on

Most Samsung models have an Ice Off icon that lights up when the ice maker is off. For ice, it should not be lit. Depending on the panel, you touch the Ice Off button, touch and hold Ice Maker (unlocking the panel first on some), or hold Power Freeze / Ice Maker for 3 seconds. Other cases:

• Top freezer models use an Ice On icon. Leave it lit.
• Family Hub: Fridge Manager, then Fridge Settings. SmartThings-capable models can switch it in the app.
• Dual ice makers: one button controls both Ice Off icons. Keep tapping until neither is lit.
• BESPOKE Dual Ice Maker: use the arrow buttons to pick Cubed Ice or Ice Bites, confirm, and select On.

Also make sure Child Lock isn’t on. A blinking Ice Off icon means something else: the ice bucket isn’t inserted correctly, or at all.

5. Empty the bucket of anything but ice

If anything besides ice is in the bucket, such as the scoop or food, the ice maker may think the bucket is full and stop.

• Shift the ice forward. The bucket holds 2 pounds, and ice piled at one end under the ice maker stops production.
• Dump clumps. Samsung suggests emptying the bucket every other week.
• Dual cubed and Ice Bites models: the scoop holder belongs at the front of the freezer. On 4-Door Flex models RF23D and RF29D, a backward scoop holder blocks a sensor; the side marked “REAR” faces the ice maker.
• Reseat the bucket until it clicks. If it won’t, turn the gear on the back of the bucket 90 degrees and try again.

6. Run the Test button

Samsung calls this resetting the ice maker. On most models, remove the ice bucket first (see the table).

1. Press and hold Test until it chimes, which can take up to 10 seconds.
2. One chime means the ice maker passed. Several chimes mean it needs service.
3. No chime, but it moves? It was still reset.
4. No chime and no movement? Unplug the fridge or switch off its breaker for 2 minutes, then try again. If an error code appears, see the codes below.
5. Watch the end. After about 6 minutes (fridge compartment) or 30 seconds (freezer), the water valve should hum and pour water into the ice maker.
6. Put the bucket back until it clicks.

If water poured in, give it 3 hours to make ice. If no water came in, go to step 7. If the ice maker doesn’t react at all, even after the power cycle, request service.

7. No water at the end of the test? Check the supply

Samsung’s ice maker page says the fridge needs at least 20 psi of water pressure. Below that, the ice maker can’t make ice, and small or broken cubes are another sign.

• Open the home’s water supply valve all the way. That alone may fix it.
• Look for a pinched or kinked water line behind the fridge.
• RS27T and RS22T side-by-sides have two water lines. If they’re crossed, water and ice don’t work, so check them if the dispenser hasn’t worked since installation.
• No water line at all? Turn the ice maker off to avoid noise and damage.

Have a water dispenser? Time it. Samsung says it should fill a measuring cup with 6 ounces (3/4 cup) in under 10 seconds.

• Fails: remove the water filter and test again. If it passes now, the cause is either low pressure or an old filter. Replace the filter and retest.
• Fails both ways, or only passes with a brand-new filter taken out: the water pressure is too low.

If the dispenser gives little or no water, see the water dispenser guide.

No dispenser? An expired filter can cut pressure enough to slow ice. Samsung filters are rated for 300 gallons, about 6 months in an average household. If the valve is fully open and removing the filter fixes ice production, replace it.

Changing the filter. Samsung uses three types (HAF-CIN, HAF-QIN, and HAFCU1), and the model is printed on your current filter. Turn off the water supply, twist the old filter out and the new one in, and flush 2 to 3 gallons through. Then hold Filter Reset for 3 seconds on most models. Samsung warns that third-party filters may cause leaks and damage.

Still low? If the ice maker never worked right after the water line was last adjusted, have a plumber confirm 20 psi first. A reverse osmosis system can also drop the pressure too low. Samsung says the fridge doesn’t need service in these cases.

8. Ice buildup, a frozen bucket, or an ice maker frozen over

Don’t try to defrost the ice maker itself. Samsung says that may damage it. It has an automatic defrost, and if that fails, it needs service. What you can do depends on what you see:

• Frozen over with a sheet of ice: request service. On Family Hub and other SmartThings-capable models, a firmware update can help prevent, and possibly fix, this; keep the fridge connected to SmartThings and it updates itself.
• The bucket won’t come out: most pull straight out; some lift slightly first. If it still won’t come out easily, it’s probably frozen. Don’t force it; request service.
• A block of ice in a freezer ice bucket: clear it away and look for a white wire hanging from the ice maker. If you see one, request service. If not, it may be from a spill, but another block means service.
• Frost on the ice bucket: wipe light frost with a damp cloth and dry it. Use a plastic scraper for medium frost. Heavy frost means defrosting the freezer.

Find the leak of warm air. On models where the bucket seals against an ice chute in the left door, open only the right door and look at the closed left door from inside. The chute’s gasket should sit flush against the bucket. If there’s a gap, level the fridge (front on the leveling legs, front wheels off the floor) and adjust the doors. Check the bucket’s rubber seal and the flap inside the ice chute too. Gaps like these can also make ice wet or slushy.

Samsung’s manual defrost (from its refrigerator noise page):

1. Remove perishable food and empty the ice bucket(s).
2. Lay towels under the fridge and keep more handy.
3. Unplug the fridge and prop the doors open.
4. Swap wet towels for dry ones until they stop getting wet, or for at least 24 hours.
5. Plug it back in and close the doors. After about 2 hours, put the food back.

A defrost removes ice but not its cause. If frost returns after you’ve fixed the gaps, request service. If you won’t use the ice maker for a long time, Samsung suggests turning it off to prevent ice buildup. For food safety during a long defrost, see Refrigerator Not Cooling. If you hear a fan hitting ice, see Refrigerator Making Noise.

Samsung ice maker error codes

If a code shows, don’t unplug the fridge or try to clear it unless Samsung tells you to; that makes diagnosis harder. Family Hub models can list codes with Self Check in Fridge Manager.

Code	What Samsung says it means
Ice Off blinking	Ice bucket not inserted correctly, or not at all
8E	Ice maker (freezer) sensor error
14E	Ice maker sensor error
33E	Ice pipe heater error
39E, 39C	Ice maker function error
40E, 40C	Ice room fan error

Samsung says this is not a complete list. For other codes, request service. Source: Samsung refrigerator error codes (Samsung US)

When to call for service

More refrigerator guides are in Refrigerators and Kitchen. Read the safety disclaimer before any repair.