The short answer for ARBM models
When an AVG ARBM refrigerator stops making ice, work the chain in order: is water arriving, is the compartment cold enough to freeze it, and is the harvest mechanism cycling. On these machines the first two links account for most cases, and both are checkable without opening anything up.
What this looks like in use
- You can hear the fill valve buzz but no water comes — On the ARBM models listed below, the valve is being told to open and nothing is arriving, so the restriction is upstream of it.
- The ice tastes of the freezer — Across the ARBM line, ice absorbs odour from an uncovered load, and old ice absorbs more of it.
- The mould fills but the cubes come out hollow or small — Across the ARBM line, hollow cubes are the classic sign of a compartment that is not cold enough for long enough.
- Production is slow rather than absent — For ARBM models, a compartment slightly too warm slows every cycle without stopping any of them.
- The mould holds water but it never releases — On ARBM models, water is arriving and the harvest is failing, which is a temperature or a mechanism question.
- NEAR MISS — nothing in the cabinet is properly cold — Then ice is the least of it: the cooling-failure page is the right place, and ice will return when cold does.
What goes wrong here, most frequent first
- A closed, kinked or frozen water supply — It leads because the machine cannot make ice out of nothing, and the whole supply chain is checkable without tools.
- A compartment that is not cold enough to freeze — Ranked high because a freezer holds food safely at 0 °F (−18 °C) or below, and an ice mould needs that same cold to cycle at a useful rate. That holds for every ARBM model listed here.
- A water filter long past its life — A clogged filter starves the valve and gives you small hollow cubes on the way to none at all.
- A failed ice-maker module or its wiring — Last: the module itself is the least likely link in the chain and the only one that is a parts-and-labour job. On ARBM models it earns that place.
Check in this order, and why
- Look at the bin-full arm or sensor first — On every ARBM model in the table, clear the bin, make sure the arm swings freely, and give it a cycle before going further.
- Follow the fill line from the machine to the valve — Kinks behind the cabinet and a half-open saddle valve are the two commonest faults on the whole page.
- Empty the bin completely and let it refill — On every ARBM model in the table, it resets the shut-off arm and tells you whether the maker works at all.
- Listen for the fill buzz after a harvest — A short buzz means water is being asked for; silence means the maker is not calling for it.
Before you take any panel off
Safety
Unplug the refrigerator or switch off its breaker before any panel comes off — a capacitor can hold a charge after the power is off. Turn the water supply off at the same time and put a towel down: an ice-maker fitting that has been dry for weeks will weep as soon as it is disturbed. Never use a screwdriver or a knife to free ice.
Models in the ARBM family
Reference| Model number | Family key |
|---|---|
| ARBM150SE | avg:refrigerator:arbm |
| ARBM171DSE | avg:refrigerator:arbm |
| ARBM171SE | avg:refrigerator:arbm |
| ARBM172BSE | avg:refrigerator:arbm |
| ARBM172SE | avg:refrigerator:arbm |
| ARBM172WE | avg:refrigerator:arbm |
When to call a technician
Call once the bin has been emptied, the arm is free, the supply valve is open, the line is not kinked and a thermometer says the compartment holds temperature — and there is still no ice. What is left is the fill valve, the mould heater or the maker module, and all three sit behind a panel with mains in it.
Other faults on the ARBM line
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
