The short answer
On the AMA refrigerators the ice complaint splits cleanly in two — a fill problem or a harvest problem — and one look in the mould separates them. On these models a parked shut-off arm is the first thing this page would have you rule out. Most of the causes below are owner checks; the last of them is not.
What you observe on these models
- The bin is empty and the maker looks untouched — Nothing has been attempted, which points at the trigger rather than the mechanism.
- The cubes are hollow, small or half formed — A partial fill is a flow problem, not a maker problem.
- The maker buzzes at intervals and nothing follows — The valve is being asked for water and none is arriving.
- NEAR MISS — the freezer is not holding temperature — Fix the cooling first; a maker cannot harvest warm.
Causes, most likely first on this family
- Ice maker module stalled or the shut-off arm parked — A module that has stalled mid-harvest leaves the ejector fingers standing in the mould, which is visible without a tool. First, because it accounts for every observable above without needing a second fault. One design carries every cabinet size in this family, so it holds across the line.
- Supply line kinked or the shut-off barely open — This cause turns up immediately after a move or a kitchen fitting, and the timing is the clue. It ranks second — the fault the first check leaves standing.
- Mould thermostat or thermistor not sensing — The sensor that reports the cubes are frozen is what starts the harvest; if it never reports, the cycle never begins. Third: a real cause on these cabinets, but a less frequent one.
- Household supply pressure below what the valve needs — A fill that is short rather than absent, and worse at certain times of day, points at the supply rather than the appliance. Last, which is exactly why the checks above are worth spending first.
- Body: Because this family is one design at several capacities, the air path is the part that is worked hardest at the top of the ladder — which is what moves airflow causes above installation ones here.
Check in this order, and why
- Check the shut-off arm is down and that the ejector fingers are parked rather than standing mid-sweep. — First, because it settles the top of the ranking before anything else is touched.
- Pull the appliance out, follow the line for a kink and check the shut-off is fully open. — Next, once the check above has come back clean.
- Look in the mould: solid ice that is never ejected points at the harvest side rather than the fill side. — Last, so that nothing further is spent until the cheaper checks are exhausted.
Power down first, then work
Safety
Unplug the appliance or switch off its breaker before removing any panel, because a capacitor can hold a charge after the power is off. Nothing on the sealed system is owner work; those lines are under pressure. Shut the water supply off before disturbing the valve or the fill line, and never thaw a fill tube with a flame or a heat gun.
Models in the AMA family
Reference| Model number | Family key |
|---|---|
| AMA27S1E | amana:refrigerator:ama |
| AMA31** | amana:refrigerator:ama |
| AMA31**A | amana:refrigerator:ama |
| AMA31**E | amana:refrigerator:ama |
| AMA31**Q | amana:refrigerator:ama |
| AMA31**QA | amana:refrigerator:ama |
| AMA31BKE | amana:refrigerator:ama |
| AMA31S1E | amana:refrigerator:ama |
| AMA31S3E | amana:refrigerator:ama |
| AMA31S5E | amana:refrigerator:ama |
| AMA35** | amana:refrigerator:ama |
| AMA35**A | amana:refrigerator:ama |
| AMA35**AQ | amana:refrigerator:ama |
| AMA35**Q | amana:refrigerator:ama |
| AMA35BE | amana:refrigerator:ama |
| AMA35BK | amana:refrigerator:ama |
| AMA35RD | amana:refrigerator:ama |
| AMA35S1 | amana:refrigerator:ama |
| AMA35S1Q | amana:refrigerator:ama |
| AMA35S2 | amana:refrigerator:ama |
| AMA35S3 | amana:refrigerator:ama |
| AMA35S4 | amana:refrigerator:ama |
| AMA35WE | amana:refrigerator:ama |
| AMA43BKE | amana:refrigerator:ama |
| AMA43R**E | amana:refrigerator:ama |
When to call a technician
Call once water has been proved to reach the appliance and the maker still does nothing: the fault is then inside the maker, and a module is not a part to fit by guesswork.
The other faults covered for this family
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
