Samsung Refrigerator Ice Maker Keeps Freezing Up – Solutions
If you find that your Samsung ice maker keeps freezing up in your refrigerator, do the following:
1. Check the Ice Compartment
Inspect the compartment for the ice maker to see if there is any leak. Put a flashlight under it and see if there are bright reflections on the inside. If this is so, it means there are cracks on the compartment wall that need to be sealed.
Remove the ice bucket and the ice maker. Then, take the auger motor assembly out of the compartment. Next, seal the compartment along the left side and the back using an epoxy sealant.
Allow the sealant about 24 hours to dry completely. After this time, you can replace the auger, ice maker and ice bucket, in that order.
If the compartment has a leak, humid air will easily enter and cause frost to build up around the ice maker.
2. Check the Ice Bucket Gasket
Take the ice bucket out of the refrigerator and inspect the gasket. If it is weak or loose, replace it as soon as possible. This is because a weak gasket compromises the temperature around the ice maker. It lets warm air into the compartment and makes for an easy buildup of ice.
3. Check the Ice Chute Flap
The flap that covers the ice chute and acts as its door should rest flush on the housing. If it does not rest flush, check to see if there is any piece of ice keeping it from closing properly.
Even if you see nothing there, it helps to pour some warm water down the chute to clear it completely. This will help remove any ice or debris around the mouth of the chute. After this, try closing the flap to see if it rests flush to the housing.
If the flap does not close fully, warm air will pass through the tiniest space into the ice maker. With time, the ice maker will freeze up.
4. Check the Temperature
If the temperature in the freezer is too low, it could lead to the ice maker freezing up. Therefore, increase the temperature setting for the freezer if it is lower than 0 degrees Fahrenheit.
And if it is higher than 10 degrees Fahrenheit, turn it down a few degrees. This is because a high temperature causes the compressor and fans to work extra. And in doing so, the freezer becomes too cold, freezing everything in it, including the ice maker.
5. Check the Location
Remove the unit from any direct heat source or even direct sunlight. This is because the unit will automatically put in extra effort to maintain a cool temperature whenever it heats up. And when it does this, it could freeze more than is required. This affects the ice maker.
If you cannot move the unit from where it is, lower the temperature to the recommended point. Doing this will optimize the coolness inside the unit without freezing the ice maker or any other item.
6. Check the Water Line
If your Samsung ice maker keeps freezing up, inspect the water line to see if it is frozen. If it is or if it has ice stuck in it, thaw it by pouring some hot water over it using a syringe or a turkey baster.
And if you can, detach the water line from the refrigerator and thaw the ice in your kitchen sink. Once you are done, attach it again.
A frozen water line means there is no supply of water to the ice maker. And if the ice maker keeps working, it will freeze eventually even though it is making little or no ice.
Note: It is important to avoid using a hair dryer on the water line. This is because the water line is plastic and using heat directly on it may warp the plastic. And if this happens, you will have to get a new water line.
Remove the valve’s screen filter and clean it with warm water and soap. Next, test the solenoid of the ice maker with a multimeter to see if it is still receiving power. If there is no power to the solenoid, replace the valve because it is bad.
A faulty inlet valve can cause water to overfill the ice mold and spill around the ice maker. When this happens, the spilt water will freeze around the ice maker.
You can also check to see if the fan of the ice maker, which is in the auger assembly behind the ice maker, is frozen. Thaw it by manually defrosting the unit or putting it in the forced defrost mode.
Note: These steps work for all types of Samsung ice makers. So if a Samsung ice maker keeps freezing up in a french door refrigerator, a side-by-side refrigerator, a top freezer refrigerator or a bottom freezer refrigerator, these work for you.
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Why Does My Samsung Ice Maker Keep Freezing Up?
Several issues in your refrigerator cause the ice maker to freeze up all the time. It is one thing to know how to solve the problem but an entirely different thing to know how to prevent it in the future. Otherwise, the ice maker will freeze up again.
The first thing to check is how low the temperature setting is. Typically, it should be between 0 and 5 degrees Fahrenheit for the ice maker to work. However, if it is lower than 0 degrees, the ice maker may constantly run and freeze over time.
This is especially true if the condenser coils are dirty. Dirty coils compromise the refrigerator’s cooling capacity, causing the compressor and fans to run constantly. Over time, the freezer becomes too cold and freezes everything, including the ice maker. Clean the coils once or twice a year to improve the refrigerator’s cooling capacity.
You may also want to check for cracks or gaps in the ice maker compartment. Poor usage can cause cracks to appear in the compartment. That makes it easy for warm, moisture-laden air to enter the cold compartment ad condense, forming ice in no time. The same applies if the ice chute flap or door does not create a tight seal.
Check the ice bucket while inspecting the ice compartment. The ice bucket may also have cracks that let warm air into the compartment. If that is the case, you must replace the ice bucket to avoid damaging the ice maker due to excessive freezing.
However, if everything is in good working condition, check the water line. A frozen water line restricts the flow of water. As a result, the ice maker does not have water supply, and while it continues trying to produce ice, it freezes. This is because of the cold air demand it puts on the freezer. You may notice that everything in the freezer quickly freezes if the ice maker runs without water.
Contact the Samsung Service Center for further assistane if troubleshooting and repairing faulty parts do not solve the ice maker freezing problem.
Samsung Freezer Overfreezing – Quick Fix
Do the following if your Samsung freezer is overfreezing:
1. Close the Door Properly
Ensure that the door of the freezer closes properly each time it is opened. And when it is opened, ensure it is not held open for too long. The cold air in the compartment will escape easily and quickly if the door is closed improperly. And warm air will take its place quickly. This is especially true if you live in a humid area.
Also, ensure the seal of the door is in good working condition. Do this by using the dollar bill test. Close the freezer door on top of a dollar bill. Then, try to pull the bill out with the door still closed. If the bill falls out or comes out, the seal is weak and should be replaced.
You can also clean the seal if it is significantly dirty. Dirt keeps the seal from working as it should. So clean it well using warm water and mild soap.
Additionally, keep items from resting on the back wall of the freezer. It is easy for ice to build up if this happens because of the closeness of the items to the air vents.
If it is a bottom drawer freezer, ice could keep the drawer from closing fully and the seal from working well. So if you notice this, try defrosting the freezer first or chipping the ice away. See if this fixes the sealing issue. If not, replace the seal.
Check the flap of the ice route to be sure it sits flush to the housing. If it is not, remove anything holding it open and make sure it closes properly this time.
Otherwise, humid air will freely enter into the freezer through the route and cause frosting, thereby ensuring that the Samsung ice maker keeps freezing up.
3. Ensure Proper Ventilation
Make sure nothing is blocking the air vents in the freezer. This will make for proper airflow around the compartment.
If anything obstructs the vents, there will be areas colder than others, even to the point of freezing. And any item around the vents will freeze up.
In addition, be sure to space the items in the freezer correctly. That is, do not overstock the freezer. Keep it 3/4 of the way full or 1/2 way full, at the least. This helps air to pass freely. Besides, there will be enough items to absorb the cold air.
4. Reset the Temperature
It is possible to accidentally move the temperature lower than it should be. So there is no harm in checking the setting. If it is too low, under 0 degrees, adjust it a few degrees higher. The best bet is to keep it at 0 degrees.
It also helps to check if the Power Freeze function is on. Turn it off by pressing the Freezer button and holding it for about 3 seconds.
This function drops the temperature in the freezer lower than the set point in a short time, whether you adjust it or not. The best time to use it is when you have a lot of items to freeze within a short time.
The Power Freeze function runs for about 72 hours non-stop but goes off automatically after this time. So unless you manually turn it off, it will keep the freezer too cold.
If the setting of the temperature is too low, the freezer will keep freezing, no matter what else you do.
5. Clean the Condenser Coils
Check the coils at the back of the freezer, at the bottom part. If they are dirty, significantly so, clean them using a condenser brush or a vacuum brush. Regularly clean the coils to maintain them.
The refrigerator may try to make up for the slack of the coils not dissipating heat. It does this by having the compressor and other parts of the refrigerating system run more than needed.
While this can cause overheating and warmness inside the unit, it can also cause over freezing.
6. Align the Door Hinges Properly
This applies if you recently removed the door of the unit for any reason. Check to see if it aligns properly with the rest of the body with the hinges tightly fixed. Warm air will take advantage of the smallest gap to enter the unit and compromise the temperature.
If you are not sure about doing this yourself, check the user manual or have a refrigerator repair agent fix it for you.
7. Unclog the Defrost Drain
Empty the freezer and check the drain at the back wall. If there is ice over it, pour some hot water over the hole to melt the ice. Make sure the water runs free into the drain pan at the bottom back of the unit before you stop.
And if there is debris in the drain, use a stiff wire to remove the debris or pour a mixture of hot water and vinegar down the hole. Do this until the water runs clean and free into the pan.
However, it is important to check the defrost system of the unit. While you can fix the problem of over freezing by manually defrosting the freezer, it is only temporary.
The freezing means something has failed in the defrost system. We say this because newer models of refrigerators and freezers are frost-free.
But if your unit is an older model, you can defrost it manually. Simply empty the freezer and store food items in another freezer or cooler. Unplug the unit and open the door.
Place towels around the edge of the unit to catch dripping water. You can speed up the defrost process by placing bowls of hot water inside the freezer or scrubbing the ice with a cloth soaked in hot water. You can also scrape the ice off with a wooden or plastic spatula as it melts.
It could take as long as 24 hours for all the ice to melt completely if you don’t speed the process up. So give it time.
Then, make sure the freezer dries completely before plugging it back in to cool. If there is leftover moisture, it will form frost and reduce the waiting time before you need to manually defrost the freezer again.
If you still cannot find the cause of the over freezing in the Samsung freezer, report the issue to Samsung and request service. You can also choose to chat with our refrigerator experts here to assist you.
Here is a video explaining the causes and fixes of frost buildup in a freezer…
If you find that your Samsung refrigerator is overfreezing, do the following:
1. Check the Temperature
Be sure that the temperature of the refrigerator is set not lower than 37 degrees Fahrenheit. Any setting lower than this will make the compartment to become too cold.
If it has digital settings, ensure there is nothing malfunctioning inside that changes the setting automatically. And if it has analog setting, be careful not to accidentally shift the knob.
2. Check the Power Cool Feature
Take a look at the Power Cool icon on the display. If it is lit, it means the function is on. Turn it off by pressing the Freezer button and holding it for about 3 seconds.
This will explain why the refrigerator is freezing everything. The function drops the temperature in the compartment to the lowest point. It is best when the refrigerator is warm and needs to cool fast.
3. Check the Door Seal
A compromised door seal will not be able to trap anything. Therefore, test the seal by closing the door on a piece of paper or on a dollar bill. Now, try removing the paper or bill with the door closed. If you can do this, replace the seal because it is weak.
Also, clean the seal because a dirty seal does not close tightly. And be sure to clean it often to avoid an accumulation of dirt.
When the door of a refrigerator does not seal tightly, humid or warm air easily gets into the unit. The moisture in the air freezes and forms frost inside, contributing to the accumulation of ice.
Move the refrigerator away from direct sunlight. And if there is any other heat source getting to it directly or indirectly, move the unit away from it.
The refrigeration system tends to work harder to keep the unit cold if it senses that it is getting too warm. As a result, the refrigerator will either become too cold from excess supply or too warm from overworked components.
If it proves too difficult to move the refrigerator to another location, keep the temperature setting at the recommended point. Doing this will help maintain a regular temperature inside the unit.
5. Check the Vents
Be sure nothing is blocking the vents so that air can flow freely. If they are blocked, the refrigerator will try to make up for the poor airflow by working harder. In the process, it will over freeze.
Additionally, keep food items away from the vents so they don’t freeze. This is especially true if the items are rich in water, such as vegetables and meat. They will freeze quickly and will likely contribute to the quick freezing of other items as time goes by.
Finally, don’t rest any item on the back wall of the refrigerator. The back wall and the bottom are the coldest part of the unit. So anything placed there will over freeze, especially if the refrigerator runs constantly.
Additional Things to Check
If all the above are in order yet the refrigerator is over freezing, then check the temperature control thermostat and the thermistor. Test them using a multimeter to check for continuity. If there is no continuity in one or both of them, replace them.
You can also check the air damper control. If it is in the open position permanently, it means it is broken and should be replaced.
The open position means there is no check in the amount of cold air that flows from the freezer into the refrigerator. This can cause over freezing.
While the temperature control board or the main control board could malfunction and cause freezing problems, it is rare. Therefore, don’t be quick to check and replace any of the boards; it is easy to misdiagnose them. Ensure all the other parts are in proper working order before settling on the boards.
Recap
When your Samsung ice maker keeps freezing up, as well as the freezer or refrigerator, it is important to find out why as quickly as possible.
If you are in doubt about fixing it yourself, contact the Samsung Service center to request service.
Alternatively, chat with any of our available refrigerator technicians here. They are always ready to assist you with the problem.
Remember: Unplug the refrigerator any time you want to fix a part of it. Wear rubber work gloves if you have a good pair. Doing these prevents accidental electrocution.
