The short answer
Owners of this refrigerator land here for one reason, and a block in the bin is melt and refreeze, which means the compartment is warming between compressor runs. This one leaves the ice page quickly — it is a temperature symptom, and the compartment is what needs attention.
What you actually see
- Hollow or partly formed cubes — Half-filled cubes point at fill volume rather than at freezing.
- Ice that smells or tastes of the freezer — Odour transfer happens when ice sits for weeks, and it is a usage pattern rather than a fault.
- Water on the freezer floor under the ice maker — Overfilling shows as ice sheets under the maker rather than as cubes in the bin.
Causes, ranked for this refrigerator
- Freezer compartment not cold enough to harvest — Check this first: this is why an ice complaint is often the first sign of a cooling problem, arriving before anybody notices the food. It is worth being sure about this one rather than half-sure, since everything after it assumes a verdict.
- Ice maker switched off or the arm parked up — Check this second: every ice maker has an off position and it is the single most common reason one stops, especially on a unit that has been moved or serviced. This is the entry most often blamed correctly and diagnosed carelessly, so take the extra minute.
- Fill tube frozen shut — Third in order: it is self-perpetuating: once the tube is closed the machine keeps calling for water it cannot receive. Confirm it before moving on, because the entries below read differently once it is ruled out.
What to check, in order
- First — the freezer temperature — Leave a thermometer in the freezer section for several hours. A freezer holds food safely at 0 °F (−18 °C) or below, and an ice maker wants at least that.
- Second — the on/off arm or switch — Take everything out of the bin and check the arm swings freely through its full travel.
Checks an owner can do safely
- Step 1. Check the supply valve and the line — Follow the line from the cabinet back to the shut-off. Open the valve fully and straighten any kink where the line passes behind the unit.
Tools: flashlightAbout 15 min
- Step 2. Look for ice in the fill tube — Shine a light on the small tube that feeds the mould. Clear any plug of ice with a warm damp cloth, never with a tool.
Tools: flashlight, warm damp clothAbout 15 min
- Step 3. Throw away the first two batches — After any water work, discard the first two batches. They carry whatever was standing in the line.
Tools: noneAbout 5 min
Before you open anything
Safety
Shut the water off at the valve and pull the plug before you start. A capacitor can hold a charge after the power is off. Dry the floor before you kneel on it, and if water has reached the base of the cabinet or the outlet, stop and have the circuit checked.
When this becomes a service call
The line is not about confidence, it is about what the next step needs. Call when the compartment is properly cold, water is arriving, the arm is down and the mould still never harvests — that is the module, and it is a part swap with a harness behind it.
Sources
General guidance- The Control of Hazardous Energy (Lockout/Tagout) — OSHA 1910.147 and manufacturer service manuals, fetched
- Refrigeration and Food Safety — USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, fetched
Nearest pages
What this page does not cover
Scope, stated plainly: this covers Black+Decker refrigerators as a class. It does not cover the differences between families, production years or control revisions, and a model-specific page will beat it on any of those. Use Related pages to get down to the page written for your exact unit.
Related pages
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
