How To Defrost A Samsung Ice Maker Without Calling Maintenance

Ice makers are one of those household appliances that we tend to take for granted until they break. Only then do we really appreciate how much we depend on our ice makers. Over the years, built-in ice makers have replaced the time-consuming and often messy act of filling and popping ice out of plastic ice trays. If you've got a Samsung refrigerator and your ice maker has suddenly stopped working, you might not have to relive the days before ice makers were a thing. You also might not even have to pay the sometimes steep cost of an ice maker repair. Instead, you can try defrosting it at home. The process is simple and involves using the Forced Defrost setting on your freezer.

A broken ice maker can be caused by a number of things, from a clogged filter to a water valve issue. It could even be something simple like having the temperature of the freezer set too high or not having pressed the on button. If, however, your Samsung ice maker is not working because you see ice accumulation and you suspect that defrosting it might solve the issue, you will be happy to know that this is something that can be done fairly easily and without having to call a maintenance person.

Defrosting an ice maker on a refrigerator can seem like a daunting task to some people, especially to those who are not the "handy" type. There's nothing to be intimidated about, luckily. YouTuber Homeowner How To shows how to do this in the video above. 

To defrost your Samsung ice maker, you'll need to remove the ice bucket. If your ice maker has visible frost accumulation, a hand towel should be laid down in the place of the ice bucket. Next, you need to initiate your freezer's Forced Defrost mode by simultaneously pressing the "freezer" and "lighting" buttons and holding them for about 8 seconds or until you hear a beep. To get to the Forced Defrost setting, press the "lighting" button until the letters "Fd" display on the screen.

Now, your ice maker should begin defrosting. The defrosting process will take up to an hour and your refrigerator will beep for the duration of the process. After your unit is finished defrosting, finish wiping up any excess water and go ahead and replace your ice bucket. It's that easy! After you finish the defrosting process, you just need to make sure to keep your ice maker clean and try to prevent the issue from happening again.

If you are interested in learning how to prevent needing to go through this process too often, the good news is that there are some easy things you can do to prevent frost build-up. These include making sure your food has cooled to room temperature before putting it in the freezer and keeping your freezer set to 0 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Another great way to prevent frost build-up in your Samsung ice maker is to ensure your freezer door stays closed as much as possible. Whether you are opening the door to browse ice cream choices or to sort out what frozen foods will be kept or tossed to get your freezer more organized so it runs more efficiently, it's important to make sure the door is fully closed when you are done. The idea is to prevent warm air from entering the freezer as much as possible. With these few tips, and knowing the features to defrost your ice maker at home, you'll be enjoying crisp, cool beverages again in no time.