How to Fix a Frozen Water Line in a Refrigerator

Ice is important. It really helps make your drinks cool down and that is a good feeling when you have been doing your chores outside. Being cool helps you protect your health as well as keeping you refreshed for whatever else you have planned for the day.

The only setback to those good feelings is when the water line becomes frozen. When it does, you lose cold water and the ice you need to stay refreshed and ready to go. Keep reading our article to find out how to fix this problem in no time. Once you do, you will have your ice and cold-water supply back again.

The Steps to Fix Your Frozen Water Line

Step 1 – Empty Your Freezer Section

Depending on the amount of food in your freezer and if you want to empty the fridge section as well, you may need more than one insulated cooler to put your frozen food. Then, if you can’t use them right away, dump any ice in your ice bucket into your kitchen sink.

Step 2 – Move the Fridge

You need to have access to your water valve and moving your fridge out from the wall provides that access. It also provides access to the power cord which needs to come out as well.

Once the fridge is far enough away from the wall and you have room to work, turn the water valve off.

Step 3 – Remove the Ice Maker

There should be two small bolts or screws holding this device in place. All you have to do is find the right socket size or screwdriver and loosen those bolts or screws. You do not have to take them completely out as the brackets on the ice maker should have a larger hole where you slide the ice maker up and slip it off.

Step 4 – Releasing the Wire Harness

This is essential as it allows you to remove the ice maker completely from the freezer and be placed out of your way. What you do here is squeeze the two sides of the wire harness together and pull it from your freezer.

Be careful with this step as you do not want to damage any part. After you get it safely from the wall, place the ice maker and the harness on a nice thick towel to soak up any water.

Step 5 – Use Your Hair Dryer

This will be the quickest way to thaw out your water line. You could let the fridge sit there and defrost but that may take hours. The best thing to do is use your hair dryer and be careful.

First, you remove any excess ice from the freezer ceiling (a step not needed in frost-free models). Then position the dryer in a way that any water drops do not find their way into the device. A short is the last thing you want at this stage.

Place the level hair dryer near the fill tube. This tube extends out into your freezer and should be easy to spot. Then let the dryer thaw out the tube and collect any ice as it drops into the freezer section.

Step 6 – Replacing the Ice Maker

Once you have thawed out the blockage, your task is almost over. Now you have to reverse your steps and put the ice maker back into its proper place. Again, watch how you do it as you do not want to damage an expense to replace or repair part.

Once the wire harness is back into position, place the ice maker’s brackets on the screws/bolts and tighten them up again.

Step 7 – Finishing the Job

Once the ice maker is back into position, you can return the ice bucket to its spot. Next, go to the back of your fridge and turn the water valve on before you plug the fridge back in.

Now push the fridge back into its original position and return your frozen and other foods to the freezer or fridge compartments.

Step 8 – Double Checking the Issue

To avoid having to do this chore again, you should double-check to see if the thermostat is set at the right level. If it isn’t, then you may have to redo your work in the near future.

The thermostat should be set somewhere between 0 and 5 to make sure the ice maker does not get too cold and freeze up again.

Having cold water and ice readily available makes any drink refreshing and good tasting. To make sure you have a continuous supply of both, keep your thermostat set to the proper temperature level.

It is not a difficult task to thaw out the water line, but it can be an inconvenience. Keep those inconveniences to a minimum by doing some routine double-checks to make sure everything is set right.