Samsung Refrigerator Ice Maker Not Dumping Ice? (Fix It Now!)

There are more than a few modern amenities built right into refrigerators these days. Most of them have ice makers built into the freezer while some have ice dispensers right in the door. You can get ice more conveniently than you ever could before.

Samsung is one of the modern manufacturers of these high-end fridges. That said, your Samsung fridge might not be dumping ice due to the child lock being on. Another possibility is that the raker in the ice maker could be stuck or damaged. Finally, check the dispenser itself for any signs of damage or ice blockages gumming up the works.

Most modern refrigerators operate in relatively the same way. The ice maker takes water from a collection pump, slowly pouring it out over the ice tray. Eventually, the water freezes over and is then broken up and distributed into the collection tray.

This provides plentiful ice up to a certain mark. When the tray is full, the ice maker will stop ice production until ice is cleared out of the tray. This way, there is always a ready supply of ice to be had in the tray.

This one might be the first place to start. Check the ice bucket to see if there is ice in it at all. If there is not, then it is a pretty clear indication that there is a problem. The ice maker may be at fault if it is even on at all.

Start by ensuring that your ice maker is on and that the ice function has been enabled. You may also want to check that the water valve is properly connected and supplying water. When there is a loose connection, water can’t get into the ice maker, keeping it from functioning at all.

Finally, check to see if the defrost function works. When the defrost is busted, then there is no way to dislodge any ice buildup. As you will see later on, there is a major issue when ice builds up and isn’t dislodged.

Perhaps the first place after verifying there is ice is to start is by taking the ice bucket out and checking the ice inside should there be any. Check your owner’s manual as removal can vary depending on what model you have. Most of the time, it’s simple; just pull it straight out or lift slightly and pull.

If the ice within is clumpy, then that explains your dumping problem. All that you have to do is let the ice thaw and break apart. You can do that in any number of ways. Clumped ice won’t dump easily, which can cause irregular dispensing.

The reason for irregular dispensing here is a lack of regular use. The auger makes ice that can’t be easily broken, meaning it fuses together and keeps the ice maker from dumping ice. Just check your ice bucket from time to time.

When the child lock is on, then the dispenser locks and so too will the display. So, even if when there is ice in the bucket, you can’t dispense it because of the child lock. This all depends on the model of your Samsung fridge as some of them have this feature and others don’t.

Check to see if you have this feature and if it is active. If it is active, then you can disable it easily. Check the manual to see how to disable the child lock so that you can use the ice dispenser once again.

This one can be hit or miss as not all Samsung refrigerators come with a raker. Should yours have one, check to make sure that there are no chunks of ice lodged in there. When ice gets lodged in the raker, it will prevent the ice maker from dispensing ice.

The good news is that you can remove the lodged ice by hand. Remember from the ice bucket that you don’t want huge chunks of ice. They fuse together and form these huge chunks that keep the raker or another component from working.

That said, the raker may not be an issue (if it is present at all) which would point to another issue, most likely the ice dispenser. If you aren’t sure whether or not your refrigerator has a raker, you can always check the manual first.

This is another of the more likely reasons why your refrigerator isn’t dumping ice. Take a look inside of your refrigerator’s ice chute. Look to see if there is a buildup or chunk of ice that is perhaps lodged in the chute.

When the chute is blocked off, that is a primary reason why your refrigerator isn’t dumping ice that the maker creates. You can try breaking it or prying it loose with your hand, but that may not work. If it doesn’t, pour a bit of warm water down into the chute. It should work to break apart the ice or you can let it melt naturally.

From time to time, ice can get into the chute and jam itself in there. That blocks up other ice cubes from getting through and dispensing. You should check the ice dispenser chute from time to time to ensure that it is clear and free.

At the back of your Samsung refrigerator is an auger motor. Check the back wall of the freezer to see if the auger motor has become frozen. When the auger motor is frozen, it means that there is nothing able to push the formed cubes toward the dispenser and down into the bucket.

You can manually depress the auger lever in order to get it running again. When it does, the heat that the auger motor creates can thaw any ice that may have built up in the area. That should at least provide a temporary solution.

It is a temporary solution. You still need to figure out why the auger motor froze in the first place. The temporary solution can cause damage to the auger motor, facilitating the need to replace it sooner rather than later anyway. Any excess moisture can result in permanent damage, too, so finding the issue or replacing the auger motor will become imperative.

Sometimes it may not be a mechanical issue at play. Most modern refrigerators run on software of some kind. From time to time, the software can malfunction, meaning that one of the different functions may not work properly.

You can always try to reset your refrigerator, holding down the button that is either at the front or side of the ice maker. Hold it for a few seconds and you should hear a chime letting you know that the refrigerator has reset.

Most of the time, resetting works. When it doesn’t, you can try a hard reset by unplugging the fridge and testing it out again.

Refrigerators can be somewhat tricky to troubleshoot, let alone perform a DIY fix. If none of these methods provide a solution, your best bet may be to call in a professional service technician to look at the problem.

A professional service technician has not only the knowledge and experience to find the cause of the issue, but the tools to implement a fix. Simply going the technician route can save you a lot of time and hassle along the way. Not to mention the fact that it can save you from potentially damaging a component of your fridge, voiding the warranty if there is one.

There are more than a few reasons why your ice dispenser may not be dumping. The most consistent reasoning is that there is ice lodged somewhere along the way. Whether that be in the ice dispenser chute or the ice bucket has a buildup of larger clumps, it all has the same impact.

After verifying that your refrigerator is making ice, work through the various areas where ice is dispensed and dumped. More often than not, you will find a buildup of ice along the way. The best way to combat this is through frequent use so ice does not build up anywhere.

But if there is no ice built up anywhere that you can see, then you are either dealing with a bad auger motor or need to reset the software. More often than not, the latter will clear up most issues in just a few moments.