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Before anything else on an AVFF cabinet, look at the arm or the switch: an ice maker that has been turned off, or whose bail arm is resting in the raised position, is the single commonest cause of no ice on any refrigerator. It costs nothing to exclude and it explains a surprising share of the complaints that reach a technician.
What this looks like at the cabinet
- The mould is completely dry — No water is arriving, so the fault is upstream of the ice maker rather than in it.
- Cubes are welded into the bin as one lump — Melt and refreeze between cycles, which is a compartment question rather than an ice maker one.
- A knock in the pipework each time it fills — Water hammer at the fill valve, which is a plumbing symptom rather than an ice maker one.
- NEAR MISS — no ice and the food in the freezer is soft — That is a cooling fault first. Fix the temperature and the ice usually returns on its own.
Causes, most likely first on AVFF models
- Fill tube frozen shut — If a fill overshoots or the compartment runs very cold, the tube that delivers water can ice over, and every subsequent fill adds to the blockage rather than reaching the mould. On AVFF this is where to start, because the alternative first checks all need the cabinet moved or a panel off and this one does not.
- Freezer section not cold enough to cycle the mould — An ice maker only harvests once the mould reaches its release temperature, so a compartment running a few degrees warm makes ice slowly or stops entirely. It ranks second on AVFF rather than first only because the cause above it is quicker to exclude, not because it is rarer.
- Air path to the compartment blocked by how it is packed — A compartment packed to the rear wall stops the cold air reaching the mould, so the machine can be running correctly and the ice maker still never see its release temperature. Ranked third here, because the two causes above it are both quicker to settle and more often the answer on a cabinet of this size.
What to check first, second, third
- The order for AVFF cabinets — It is arranged so that everything visible from inside the compartment is settled before anything behind or beneath the cabinet is touched.
- Look for ice at the back of the compartment above the mould — A visible spike of ice is the fault. Clearing it is a temporary fix; what caused the overshoot is the real question.
- Judge the freezer section by the food in it — Ice cream that is soft and packets that flex are a temperature answer, not an ice maker answer.
- Clear the rear of the compartment and leave a gap — Anything hard against the back wall or a vent is a candidate before a part is suspected.
Before any panel comes off
Safety
Isolate before you open: unplug the appliance or switch off its breaker, and remember that a capacitor can hold a charge after the power is off. Water and a live cabinet are the combination to avoid here — dry the floor before you start, and if the fault has already put water near the plug or the cord, isolate at the breaker rather than by pulling the plug out of a wet socket.
Models in the AVFF family
Reference| Model number | Family key |
|---|---|
| AVFF146DLJ#** | avanti:refrigerator:avff |
| AVFF146DLJ0B | avanti:refrigerator:avff |
| AVFF146DLJ0SS | avanti:refrigerator:avff |
| AVFF146DLJ0W | avanti:refrigerator:avff |
| AVFF18DLJ#** | avanti:refrigerator:avff |
| AVFF18DLJ0B | avanti:refrigerator:avff |
| AVFF18DLJ0SS | avanti:refrigerator:avff |
| AVFF18DLJ0W | avanti:refrigerator:avff |
| AVFF21DLJM#** | avanti:refrigerator:avff |
| AVFF21DLJM** | avanti:refrigerator:avff |
| AVFF21DLJM*** | avanti:refrigerator:avff |
| AVFF24DLJM#** | avanti:refrigerator:avff |
When this stops being owner work
Call when the next step would need a meter, and call earlier than that for three things: a breaker that will not stay in, a plug or cord warm to the touch, and oil at any joint in the tubing. Everything above those lines is owner work and most of it needs no tool at all, which is why the order puts it first.
Nearest pages for this model group
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
