5 Common Ice Maker Motor Problems: How to Fix Them?

In the process of daily use of ice maker, we often encounter motor failure, this article describes the reasons why the motor can not start, how to test the motor, the purchase of the motor need to pay attention to the matters, I hope to be able to your ice machine motor repair or purchase have some help.

Ice Maker Auger Motor Not Turning

The ice maker auger motor may not turn during operation, part of it stops turning during operation and part of it fails to start, the following are common phenomena.

Power supply: whether the ice maker is energized, whether the power cord is loose, whether the power supply is tripped.

Motor failure: internal coil burned, bearing stuck, overheating touch generator protection.

Foreign object stuck: the spiral rod is too large ice, or other foreign objects stuck, resulting in the motor can not start normally, or the ice is too thick will also lead to failure to start.

Control board failure: the sensor mistakenly thinks that the ice bin is already full of ice, resulting in failure to start the motor.

How to Tell If Ice Maker Motor is Bad?

Motor overheating: motor surface temperature is too hot, usually due to a short circuit or overload.

Excessive Noise: The motor makes a harsh noise during operation, usually due to worn internal bearings that become noisier during operation, or excessive loads that cause the motor to make a shrill noise.

Intermittent running: the motor can turn sometimes and stop sometimes may be due to poor internal contact, short circuit of coil part or frequent activation of thermal protection device.

How to Test Ice Maker Auger Motor？

Effective testing of screwdriver motors with a multimeter according to the manual

Procedure: Unplug the power supply, locate the motor, and set the multimeter to resistance measurement (ohms, Ω), usually selecting Rx1 or low resistance. Touch the meter pointer to each of the two main pins of the motor plug (harness side):

Normal condition: displays a specific, relatively low resistance value (within the range specified in the manual)
Damage: “0” or “1”.

NOTE: For non-experts, try not to attempt to detect motor faults yourself!

My Ice Maker Motor is Frozen, What Should I Do?

Motor icing is usually the result of severe icing inside the ice bin or condensation intrusion.

There are 2 ways to deal with icing (be sure to disconnect the power supply before operation!). Please be sure to disconnect the power supply before operation:

1. Natural thawing (recommended, safe): After unplugging the power, open the ice maker bin door and leave it open long enough for the ice to melt naturally.
2. Assisted thawing: Use a hair dryer or warm water to assist and speed up the melting speed, be sure to stay away from electronic components.
Wait until the ice is melted, dry all the water, clean up the residual foreign matter, and re-energize the motor to ensure that it can operate normally.

PREVENTION:
Check that the ice maker is completely sealed
Clean the ice bin and auger rod regularly, place ice buildup

How To Choose the Correct Ice Maker Auger Motor?

First of all, you need to record the parameters or model number on the motor (there will be parameter markings on the motor), including:

Brand
Voltage
Power
Speed
Shaft Size and Shape

Once you have documented these parameters, you usually have two options:
1. Buy the same motor as the original
2. Replace the motor with another brand.

For both cases, our suggestions are:
Motor damage due to long time use -> buy the original motor to replace it (damage due to time is inevitable)
Motor too noisy, not enough speed, original motor is expensive -> replace it with a compatible motor.

Points worth noting:
Shaft shape and size: the diameter, length and shape of the motor’s output shaft (e.g., D-shaft) must match the helix rod exactly
Rotational reversal: determine the motor’s rotational reversal (left or right)
Power and RPM: Flat-replacement motors sometimes don’t have enough power, and the icemaker won’t start properly or makes a lot of noise.

Summarize

These are the 5 common problems of ice machine motors, if you are buying small motors or have questions about motors, you can consult Fengtech, we not only produce motors, but also able to answer your questions. We believe that our rich production experience can help you solve the problem.