Title: How much did you pay to fix your fridge's ice maker?
- Ran into this exact situation last year. Thought it’d be a quick fix—ice maker stopped dumping cubes, figured it was just the motor or the arm stuck.
- Looked up the part (OEM, not a knockoff) and it was about $80. Decided to do it myself since I’ve swapped out water valves and thermostats before.
- Here’s where it got tricky: my model had a slightly different harness than the replacement, even though the numbers matched. Ended up having to splice wires, which I’m not wild about, but it worked... for a week.
- Then the ice maker started leaking down into the freezer drawer. Turns out I hadn’t seated the gasket right when putting it back together. Had to take it apart again, which was a pain with all the cramped space.
- All in, spent about $80 on the part, but probably three hours of my time and a lot of cursing. If I’d had to call someone, local repair shops quoted $250-300, parts and labor.
- Agree 100% on reading the actual service manual. YouTube’s great for visuals, but sometimes the details are wrong or they skip steps. Nearly missed a hidden screw because of that.
- One thing I’d add: if you’re not sure, take photos as you go. Saved me from mixing up connectors when putting everything back.
- Would I do it again? Maybe, but only if I’m sure the replacement part is a perfect match. Otherwise, not worth risking a control board.
It’s wild how much more complicated these things have gotten. Used to be you could just swap a part and be done, now it feels like defusing a bomb sometimes.
Paid $90 for the part, but I swear it cost me at least five years off my life. Ended up with frostbite on two fingers and a freezer door that won’t quite close right now. Next time, I’m just buying bags of ice.
$90 for the part isn’t bad, but yeah, the “labor” cost in pain and frustration is always way higher than you expect. Here’s what I’ve seen over the years:
- Those freezer doors are a pain to realign once you’ve had them off. Even a tiny bit off and you get frost build-up or that annoying gap. Sometimes loosening the hinge screws and giving it a gentle lift before tightening helps, but it’s never perfect on the first try.
- Frostbite—been there. Always seems like you’re working with bare hands because gloves just make it impossible to grip those tiny screws or connectors. I keep a box of those thin mechanic’s gloves around now, not perfect but better than nothing.
- Ice makers are one of those things that seem simple until you actually have to swap one out. Half the time, it’s not even the ice maker itself but some frozen line or sensor buried behind everything else.
- Honestly, sometimes buying bags of ice is less hassle if you don’t use much. But if you’ve got a family or host people often, fixing it is worth it...eventually.
One thing I’d add: check your door seal now that it won’t close right. If there’s even a little gap, your fridge will run overtime and your food won’t stay as cold as you think. Sometimes warming up the gasket with a hair dryer helps it reseat.
I get why people just call in a pro for this stuff, but then again, where’s the fun in that? Well...maybe “fun” isn’t the word after frostbite, but you know what I mean.
Sometimes loosening the hinge screws and giving it a gentle lift before tightening helps, but it’s never perfect on the first try.
That’s the trick, but man, it’s always a two-person job if you want to avoid cussing at the thing. I’ve seen folks forget to unplug the fridge before messing with the ice maker—definitely not worth the risk. Even those “simple” swaps can surprise you with a hidden sharp edge or a live wire. I’m with you on the gloves, too. Those thin nitrile ones are a lifesaver for grip and keeping your skin intact, even if you lose some dexterity.
And yeah, that door seal—if it’s not sitting right, you’re just asking for more headaches down the line. Sometimes a little patience and a hair dryer go a long way, but if it’s warped, replacement’s the only real fix.
I’ll never forget the time I tried swapping out my old Frigidaire’s ice maker—thought it’d be a quick Saturday fix. Ended up with a pinched finger and a door that wouldn’t seal for two days because I didn’t check the gasket alignment. Had to use my wife’s hair dryer, just like you mentioned, but honestly, I think I spent more time fussing with that seal than actually installing the ice maker. Cost me $120 for the part, and probably another $20 in bandages and apologies. Sometimes those “easy” jobs really test your patience...
