The short answer
On the HD family the phrase no ice covers two unrelated faults - a mechanism that has stopped cycling, and frost appearing on a cabinet that was never fitted to make ice. An ice complaint on a cabinet like this splits in two before any diagnosis starts, because some of the models in the table make ice automatically and some do not, and the two versions of the fault have almost nothing in common.
What you observe on these models
- No ice at all, on a model that used to make it — Complete stoppage points at supply or at the switch rather than at the cold, because a compartment that has gone warm usually produces bad ice before it produces none.
- A single large lump instead of separate cubes — That is a fill or a release fault rather than a freezing one, and on some models it is simply a mould that has been overfilled by a supply at high pressure.
- Trays that will not freeze through overnight — A tray takes longer than people expect, but a full night with no solid result means the compartment is not holding a low enough temperature.
- NEAR MISS - the ice maker is noisy but working — Filling and harvesting are both audible events on any model that has them, and a working cycle is not a fault however loud it sounds.
Causes, most likely first on this platform
- A control that says stop — The single most common reason an ice maker stops is that it has been told to. A bail arm lifted by a bag of ice, a switch knocked during cleaning or a control left off after a defrost all look exactly like a failure and cost nothing to undo. With one catalogued entry the first question answers itself once you have looked inside, and the rest of the page follows from that single observation.
- Temperature, before anything mechanical — Second on this platform. Temperature stays on the list even where the mechanism is plainly at fault, because a compartment running warm turns every other marginal cause into a visible one.
- Ice blocking the thing that makes ice — Third here. A jam is worth clearing before condemning anything, and it is usually the visible consequence of a temperature swing rather than a fault in its own right.
- A complaint about ice on a cabinet that never made it — Fourth. Where a model never had an ice maker, there is no fault to find: the ice being complained about is frost, and warm air getting in is what makes it.
- The water supply, on models that have one — Last. Where the model is plumbed the supply is still worth proving, especially after a move, since a kinked line behind a cabinet stays invisible until the cabinet comes out.
Check in this order, and why
- Establish whether this model has an ice maker at all — Look for a mould, a bail arm and a fill tube rather than for a badge. If none of those are there, the rest of this page collapses into a temperature and sealing question. With one catalogued entry behind this page, whatever you find here is the answer for every owner of the model.
- Check the arm and the switch before anything else — A bail arm resting up or a control switched off costs nothing to find and accounts for a striking share of total stoppages, particularly after a clean or a defrost.
- Put a thermometer in the freezing compartment — Give it several hours undisturbed. Anything above 0 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 18 degrees Celsius) explains slow, hollow or absent ice on its own, and explains it before any part does.
Before you open anything
Safety
Power down at the plug or the breaker first, and give it a moment before reaching behind anything. Do not use a hairdryer or a heat gun inside the cabinet to shift ice; the liner deforms long before the ice goes. Do not defeat any interlock to keep the mechanism turning while you watch it.
Models in the HD family
Reference| Model number | Family key |
|---|---|
| HD-663FWENZ | avanti:refrigerator:hd |
When to call a technician
Bring someone in once the free checks are clean and the mechanism still will not cycle, because the remaining causes need a meter and a panel off. Do not wait at all if the cabinet has stopped holding temperature more generally, because at that point ice is the least of it and the food is the priority.
Other faults covered for these models
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
