Frozen Fill Tube
Ice blocks the tube that fills the mould, so no water reaches it.
An ice maker that quits, slows, jams, or leaks is less urgent than a warm fridge, but it still needs a real diagnosis — the same symptom has several causes. Potomac Refrigerator Pros takes ice maker calls by phone only, Monday to Sunday, 8:00 AM to 10:00 PM. Call (301) 368-8305 with the brand and model, the filter age, and the freezer temperature. A written estimate comes before work starts — no form, no email booking.
Serving Potomac, North Potomac and Montgomery County, MD, centered in Potomac Village, MD 20854
Monday to Sunday, 8:00 AM to 10:00 PM
Name the exact symptom when you call, because an ice maker fault is not one fault: no ice at all; slow ice; small or hollow cubes; jammed or clumped ice; water leaking into the freezer; a noisy ice maker; or ice making fine while the dispenser fails, or the other way round. The freezer temperature matters first: the freezer should be at 0°F, per USDA guidance, and a freezer running warm slows ice long before the fridge feels warm. Potomac water matters too: WSSC Potomac River supply averages 120–130 mg/L dissolved calcium and magnesium, classed as hard, so scale and sediment can affect fill valves and filters — a filter and water-supply check comes before assuming the ice maker itself has failed.
No single symptom maps to one part. Diagnosis is inspection, with a multimeter and temperature readings, not a phone guess.
Ice blocks the tube that fills the mould, so no water reaches it.
The valve that lets water in sticks, leaks, or never opens.
A filter past its life slows flow and starves both ice and water.
Weak supply pressure leaves cubes small, hollow, or missing.
A freezer above 0°F makes ice slowly, or not at all.
A failed module, sensor, or control stops the cycle even when water is fine.
Warm, humid air entering the ice box frosts parts and jams the mechanism.
Check that the ice maker arm or switch is on, that the water supply is on, and how old the filter is and whether it is seated correctly. Check the freezer temperature — it should be at 0°F — and whether the dispenser still gives water, which separates a supply fault from an ice maker fault. If water is leaking, shut the water supply, mop and dry, and call. Do not force jammed ice, do not remove covers, and do not touch the inlet valve or wiring yourself.
Call: Call (301) 368-8305 with brand and model if known, filter age, freezer temperature, whether the dispenser works, and your area or ZIP code.
Diagnose on Site: Water supply, inlet valve screen, fill tube, ice maker module and thermostat, and fan or board involvement are tested, tracing the fault with a multimeter before anything is replaced.
Written Estimate Before Work: Plain-language diagnosis and estimate first, and you decide. A control-board fault, with the replacement comparison where relevant, comes before any work.
Repair and Test: The failed part is replaced, the line is flushed where needed, and ice production is tested through cycles before the visit ends.
After: Filter-change timing for hard water, and what to watch — slow ice, hollow cubes, or a jam returning. No fixed-for-life promise, and no warranty term — warranty terms are unconfirmed and must come from the partner.
No Potomac-specific repair price dataset exists, and none is invented here. Market figures, not a quote, and not a Potomac price. Your written estimate is the only price that counts.
$138–$350 typical, most around $220.
Source: Thumbtack refrigerator repair cost, 2026.
$200–$1,300, average $650, most $300–$1,000 — higher, likely including larger and sealed-system jobs.
Source: HomeAdvisor refrigerator repair cost, 2025.
By part, HomeAdvisor: ice maker $60–$330.
If repair costs more than about half a comparable new unit, replacement is usually favoured; if far less, repair usually wins. Lifespans (Fridge.com analysis of DOE/AHAM data) are about 14 years for a top-freezer, 13 for a bottom-freezer, and 12 for side-by-side and French-door units, with built-ins about 15 years — guides, not promises.
Repair almost always.
Apply the 50% test: an ice maker module, valve, or filter fault is an easy yes, while a control-board fault near half the replacement price is not.
Apply the 50% test; minor fixes such as a seal, filter, valve, or thermostat can be worth it at any age.
With a major failure, replacement is usually favoured; sealed-system repair on a standard unit over 10 years old rarely pays.
The exception: a repair buying two or three more years on a perfectly fitting unit can beat a swap needing joinery, and replacement add-ons can add several hundred dollars.
Call (301) 368-8305, Monday to Sunday, 8:00 AM to 10:00 PM. Serving Potomac, North Potomac and Montgomery County, MD, centered in Potomac Village, MD 20854. Outside this area, say your ZIP code on the call so range can be checked honestly.
Work is performed by a Maryland licensed holder.
Not sure you are in range? Call with your ZIP code — we are always happy to check.
Montgomery County, MD
Montgomery County, MD
Montgomery County, MD
Montgomery County, MD
Montgomery County, MD
Montgomery County, MD
Montgomery County, MD
Montgomery County, MD
Montgomery County, MD
Montgomery County, MD
Straight answers for an ice maker not working in Potomac, MD — diagnosis first, written estimate before work.
An ice maker that makes no ice at all usually has a frozen fill tube, a failed inlet valve, a clogged filter, low water pressure, a freezer running too warm, or a failed ice maker module. The freezer temperature is checked first, because a freezer above 0°F slows or stops ice on its own.
Detail: Check that the arm or switch is on, the water supply is on, and the filter is seated. A technician then tests supply, valve, fill tube, and module in turn. Source: market research, ice maker symptom-to-cause table.
Small or hollow cubes usually mean too little water is reaching the mould: low water pressure, a clogged or old filter, a partly blocked fill tube, or a valve that does not open fully. The cubes freeze, but there is not enough water in them to form solid ice.
Detail: Check filter age and whether the dispenser flow is also slow, which points to supply or filter rather than the ice maker itself. A technician tests pressure, filter, valve, and fill tube. Source: market research, ice maker causes.
Repeated freezing up or jamming usually comes from a frozen fill tube, a leaking valve that drips water into the mould, warm humid air entering through a weak door seal, or a freezer temperature that is not holding at 0°F. Each cause leaves ice where it should not be, and the mechanism then sticks.
Detail: Do not force jammed ice or chip it with sharp tools. Note whether the jam returns after clearing, and whether frost is building elsewhere, and give those facts on the call. Source: market research, ice maker and frost causes.
Water leaking into the freezer from an ice maker usually comes from a failed inlet valve, a cracked or loose fill tube, or a mould that overfills because the valve does not shut off. The leak then freezes into a sheet or a jam, which hides the source until it is traced.
Detail: Shut the water supply if water is leaking, mop and dry, and call. A technician tests valve, fill tube, and mould level, rather than replacing the whole ice maker on a guess. Source: market research, leak and ice maker causes.
Hard water can contribute to ice maker trouble: WSSC Potomac River supply averages 120–130 mg/L dissolved calcium and magnesium, classed as hard, and scale and sediment affect fill valves, filters, and dispenser flow. That makes regular filter changes more important, though no Potomac ice maker failure rate has been measured from hardness.
Detail: A slow ice maker in Potomac should prompt a filter and water-supply check before assuming the ice maker itself failed. Source: WSSC, via the market research, hard-water section.
Change the filter on the schedule in your refrigerator manual, and sooner if flow slows, ice slows, or taste changes — in hard-water Potomac supply, a filter can load up faster than in soft-water areas. A filter past its life is a common, cheap cause of slow ice and slow dispenser flow.
Detail: Note the filter age on the call; it is one of the first facts a technician asks for. Never run a fridge long-term with a filter removed unless the manual says the bypass is safe for your model. Source: market research, hard-water and filter guidance.
An ice maker fault alone rarely justifies replacing a whole refrigerator: a module, valve, or filter repair is usually a small job against the price of a new unit, and it is worth it at almost any fridge age. The 50% rule only bites when the fault is a control board or a sealed-system failure on an old unit.
Detail: Get the written estimate first and compare it with a comparable new unit including delivery and installation, then decide. Source: market research, repair-versus-replace framework.
Ice maker not working? Call (301) 368-8305 and tell us the brand, model, and symptoms. You get a written estimate before any work starts. No form, no email booking — phone only.
Call (301) 368-8305Service Area Map, centered on Potomac Village, MD 20854, as a geographic center only.