Why do Ice Makers Make a Knocking sound?

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If you are wondering why your ice maker is making a knocking sound, you are just about to find out why.

A lot of ice machines make sounds while it is running, for others, they might suddenly start making disturbing sounds due to a technical fault or other reasons.

Why do Ice Makers Make a Knocking sound

Some of the reasons why your ice maker might be making knocking sounds include the following reasons:

  • The level of Water in the Ice Machine: Portable ice makers are not connected to a water line, rather they feature reservoirs that have to be manually filled with water to make ice. The issue comes in when the water level in the reservoir is low or when the reservoir is empty, it might cause the machine to make knocking sounds.

What to do – Always ensure that the water reservoir has enough water to make ice. However, the water level must not be too high to prevent water leakages.

  • Blockage of the Water Pump: The water pump works like a pipe and helps to carry water from the reservoir to the freezing compartment of the machine. Any form of blockage in the drain pump will hinder the flow of water into the machine, thereby preventing ice production. This may cause it to make knocking sounds.

What to do – Locate the water pump using the manual, remove the filters, and check for any form of blockage which might be debris or any other form of dirt.

Wash the channel thoroughly using lemon juice, vinegar, and a mild brush. Ensure to check the water pump regularly for any form of blockages.

  • Siting of the Ice Maker: Where you place your ice maker is very important. It is advisable to sit your ice machine on a stable surface like a tabletop or countertop. Ice Makers vibrate while it is running and placing them on an uneven surface might cause them to make knocking sounds as they hit the surface in quick successions.

What to do – Place your ice maker on a more stable surface, however, if the knocking sound persists, then it has a different source.

  • Operation of the Compressor: Some ice makers, especially portable ice makers feature inbuilt cooling compressors for spreading cold air through the machine. When the compressor starts or stops working, it might cause it to make knocking sounds. The making of knocking sounds caused by the working of compressors are more rampant with commercial ice makers than portable ice machines.
  • Ice Cube Sizes: Different ice machines make different sizes of ice cubes, some make large, medium, and small-sized cubes, some make just large and small-sized cubes while others make just one size of ice cubes. Some machines find it strenuous to make large-sized cubes and the ice cubes can be stuck in the machine even though they have the options for it and this can make it produce knocking sounds.

What to do – The knocking sound should stop when you change the setting of the ice size, make ice cube sizes that are convenient for the machine.

Sometimes, knocking sounds produced by ice machines might be due to mild causes with simple solutions. At other times, the knocking sound might be due to more complicated reasons.

If there is no improvement after troubleshooting, then you should, by all means, seek professional help, especially if the ice maker does not make noise before that time.