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GE Ice Maker Will Not Shut Off

Kaye Wagner

Many General Electric refrigerators and freezers are equipped with an ice maker that automatically supplies ice once it detects that the source has been depleted. Sometimes the machine is not calibrated correctly and the detection mechanism is blocked, so the machine continues to produce ice and will not turn off. Remedy this with a few simple steps.

Blocked Feeler Arm

All GE ice makers have a feel arm that determines when the maker should produce more ice. This keeps the ice maker full at all times. If the feeler arm gets caught on a piece of ice or another obstruction, it will not be able to drop into the ice basket to determine if the ice is actually full. Thus, the ice maker will continue to produce ice. Fix this by removing the obstruction to let the feeler arm drop into the basket.

Broken Feeler Arm

If the feeler arm breaks off or if even a part of it breaks off, the machine will produce ice that will eventually overflow the ice basket. Prevent this by not putting anything other than ice in and around the ice basket. Replace a broken feeler arm as soon as you notice it by purchasing a replacement part through GE or a GE retailer.

Improperly Installed Ice Bucket

The ice bucket is located underneath the ice maker and it catches all of the produced ice, which allows the feeler arm to determine when you have enough ice. If you haven’t placed the bucket in the right place, the ice will fall into the freezer and the ice maker will not turn off. Prevent this by placing the ice bucket right underneath the ice maker. Some freezers have a freezer shelf that you need to install that will elevate the bucket right underneath the ice maker.

Turning Off the Ice Maker

While you are troubleshooting the issue it is best to turn off the ice maker to keep the area free while you are working and to prevent you from wasting water and ice. To do this, raise the feeler arm until it locks into place. If the feeler arm is broken, simply elevate the base of the arm, or if the arm is completely broken off, rotate the nut clockwise until it stops. If you have a plastic paddle rather than a feeler arm, press the power switch on the front of the ice maker or on the refrigerator control panel.