Many people complain that their refrigerator ice makers aren’t working as well as they are supposed to. This is usually because they don’t know how to properly take good care of them.

To help you out, here are tips given by refrigerator ice maker repair professionals on how to take good care of their ice makers:

Keep the ice maker clean

Ice makers turn water into frozen cubes; therefore, it might seem absurd having to regularly clean the unit to keep it functioning properly. You should note that the machines are like any other machine you might be having in your home—you need to clean it.

When you go for a long time without cleaning it, you promote germ growth which not only prevents the machine from functioning as well as it’s supposed to, it also poses a great health risk.

You need to periodically sanitize your ice maker to keep it functioning optimally. If your refrigerator has built-in ice makers and water dispensers, you don’t have to rigorously sanitize it. Cleaning it once every month is enough to keep it in top shape.

Start with turning off the unit then shut off the water flow to it. Then remove the ice bin and melt or discard the remaining ice.

Using a mixture of warm water and dish soap, clean the insides of the ice bin then disinfect it once clean. Once you are done, return the bin to the freezer and turn the ice maker and water flow back on.

It will take you some time for the ice to produce again as the ice maker needs to get back to its operating temperature. Discard the first batch of ice made. This is because it tends to contain some cleaning solution that isn’t healthy for you. Ice from the first batch also tends to taste bad.

Place it at the right location

Where you place the ice maker not only determines how well it functions, it also determines how long it lasts. Where you place the ice maker depends on the type of ice maker that you have.

If you are installing a built-in unit, choose a location that is easily accessible. The goal is to place it in an area where you can easily go back and forth from the ice maker without any problems.

Are you thinking about installing portable ice makers? You should note that these units are compact and require an outlet to function properly. The appliances are ideal when you already have a place to plug them in.

Avoid placing the portable ice maker next to beverages as someone can easily spill something on them. You can place the ice maker and other beverages on the same counter, but don’t place them too close to each other.

Change the water filter

A dirty water filter prevents you from making quality ice. It also makes the ice maker work too hard; therefore, it keeps on developing issues. It also doesn’t last for a long time. Most of the modern ice makers come with filtration systems that determine the quality of water that you get.

Over time, it’s common for the filters to get dirty or get damaged. For you to have good quality ice and for your ice maker to last for a long time, you should make a habit of replacing the ice filter when necessary.

It’s easy to change the filters even by yourself. One of the things you should do is to ensure that you get high-quality filters from a reputable brand. For ideal results, buy the filters from the same company you bought the ice maker.

Get rid of clogs as early as possible

Refrigerator ice makers are prone to clogs. The clogs result from the jamming of the ice dispenser chute. If you have a modern fridge, it’s easy to fix the problem.

According to refrigerator repair professionals, you need to remove the ice bin then clean it. You should then dry everything then replace the bin.

If you have an older fridge, you might require the services of an appliance repair Northern VA professional to help you remove the ice maker located in the freezer compartment.