Ice makers
Small or hollow ice cubes: following the water back to the wall
Small, thin or hollow ice cubes usually trace back to the water supply: saddle valves in older houses, wall valve boxes in new townhomes, filters and sensors.
Ice makers · Bothell
Ice maker repair in Bothell, from dual-ice refrigerators to rentals
Two-thirds of Bothell East homes went up after 2000, and many of their refrigerators make ice in two places. We repair ice makers, fill valves, dispensers and water lines, and sort out whether the fault is in the appliance or the plumbing behind it.
- Newer homes
- About 67% of Bothell East homes built since 2000.
- Filter neglect
- Common in rentals where tenants change and filters do not.
- Outside our scope
- Countertop ice machines and refrigerant repairs.
- $95 diagnosticcounted toward the repair you approve
- Up to $18 offfor seniors 65+, veterans and military
- $10 offthe second appliance checked on one visit
- Same-day visitsMonday through Saturday
Many refrigerators in Bothell's newer subdivisions carry two ice makers: a standard one in the freezer drawer and a second in the door that feeds the dispenser, and some LG models add a separate maker for slow-melting round ice. Both draw from one inlet valve with several outlets, each opened by its own small solenoid coil. So when one side quits while the other keeps working, the likely suspects are that side's valve coil, its fill tube, or its own module, not the whole system. Testing each path separately is how we avoid replacing parts that were never broken.
Elsewhere in town the setup is simpler. Older houses on the King County side, many apartments and most manufactured homes have a single tray-style ice maker in the freezer, which fails less often but still wears out its valve, module and mold heater. Across all of them, the water side matters as much as the machine: filters, supply lines and shutoff valves cause a large share of the ice calls we take in Bothell. Ice makers inside Whirlpool, KitchenAid, GE, LG, Frigidaire and Maytag refrigerators and freezers are all part of our work. Countertop ice machines are not something we service.
Ice maker problems we find in Bothell
What you seeOne ice maker works while the other has stopped
Likely causeFailed coil on a multi-outlet inlet valve, or that side's fill tube frozen
What we doTest each coil and fill path, then replace the valve or thaw and protect the tube
What you seeIce jammed in the chute, dispenser flap frozen shut
Likely causeChute door heater failed or the flap seal worn
What we doTest the heater and flap, replace the faulty part and clear the chute
What you seeCubes taste stale or smell like the freezer
Likely causeOld filter, or ice sitting for weeks and absorbing odors
What we doReplace the filter, clean the bin, and check the gaskets and defrost drain
What you seeThin cubes and a weak dispenser stream
Likely causeOverdue filter, low supply pressure or a half-closed shutoff
What we doCheck pressure at the valve, change the filter and replace a weak valve
What you seeShutoff arm down, bin empty, no sound of filling
Likely causeModule stalled, or a stuck arm or switch
What we doRun a test cycle on the module and replace it if it will not complete
What you seeBuzzing behind the refrigerator with no water flowing
Likely causeValve coil energized but the valve stuck, or the supply turned off
What we doConfirm water reaches the valve, then replace the valve
Dual ice makers, rental filters and long supply lines
Door ice makers bring a part that tray models lack: the little flap at the top of the dispenser chute, kept from freezing shut by a small heater. When that heater fails, a film of ice seals the flap, the auger pushes cubes into a blocked chute, and the dispenser jams. Damp kitchen air, common enough in a convergence-zone town, speeds up frosting around a worn flap seal. Clearing the ice gets things working for a day or two; replacing the heater or the seal keeps it working. We test both, along with the auger motor, whenever a door dispenser has stopped delivering ice.
Rentals near the UW Bothell campus and downtown share one habit: the refrigerator water filter rarely gets changed between tenants. A filter left in place long past its rated life slows the flow to the ice maker, so cubes come out thin or hollow, and it can give ice a stale taste. Whichever utility supplies the address, the water reaching that filter is soft and treated, so an odd taste usually points to the filter, an old bin of ice or a dirty defrost drain rather than the tap. We note the filter date on every visit and tell the owner or tenant when it is overdue.
Manufactured homes and some remodeled kitchens run the refrigerator's water supply a long way, sometimes under the floor through thin plastic tubing. A long, narrow run loses pressure, and an exposed section beneath a home with open skirting can freeze during a cold snap. Your technician checks the pressure right at the valve and, when the line is the weak point, replaces the last stretch with a braided supply line and a proper shutoff. After the November 2024 storm, some Bothell ice makers also simply failed to restart; a power reset or a module test usually tells us which.
Ice maker repair prices in Bothell
Ice maker repair in Bothell starts from $289; the lowest lines in the table cover a fill tube or an inlet valve, the top line a whole new ice maker. Treat them as starting prices, not a quote for your refrigerator. After the $95 diagnostic, your technician writes down the exact price, and nothing is replaced until whoever owns the refrigerator says yes. Approve the work and the diagnostic is credited to it. A clogged filter or a half-closed valve is reported for what it is, not turned into a parts job.
| Frozen fill tube thawed and protected | from $289 |
|---|---|
| Ice maker inlet valve | from $289 |
| Ice maker assembly | from $295 |
| Diagnostic visit | $95, counted toward the repair |
| Another appliance on the same call | $10 off its diagnostic |
2026 starting prices for Lynnwood and nearby towns. The $95 diagnostic counts toward any repair you approve, and your technician writes the exact figure down before work begins.
Ice maker repair or a different plan
A failed ice maker almost never justifies replacing a refrigerator that still keeps food cold. Valves, modules, fill tubes, chute heaters and auger motors are all replaceable, so on a refrigerator in good health the ice system is simply worth repairing. On dual-ice models, we test both makers during the visit, since a valve with one failing coil often has a second close behind it. It is a different story when the cabinet itself is warming because the compressor or refrigerant circuit has failed. We don't take on that sealed-system work, and at that point a new refrigerator is usually the better use of the money than a new ice maker. Some owners of older refrigerators also decide to shut the ice maker off and use trays, especially in rentals where nobody wants to manage filters, which is a perfectly reasonable choice we can help set up.
Common questions
Why does only one of our two ice makers work?
On dual-ice refrigerators both makers usually share one inlet valve with a separate coil for each side. If one coil fails, or one fill tube freezes, only that maker stops. The module on the dead side can also fail on its own. We test each coil, tube and module separately and replace only what has failed, then run both makers through a fill.
Our ice tastes stale. Is that the water or the refrigerator?
Usually the refrigerator. Bothell's water is soft and treated whether it comes from the Tolt or Everett supply. Stale ice most often comes from an overdue filter, cubes that sat in the bin for weeks, or freezer odors from uncovered food or a dirty defrost drain. Replace the filter, empty and wash the bin, and see whether fresh ice tastes better before booking.
Do you work on the ice maker in a manufactured home's refrigerator?
Yes. The ice maker itself is the same kind of part as in any refrigerator, but the water line feeding it is often long and partly under the floor. We check pressure at the valve, inspect the line where we can reach it and replace a weak section with braided tubing. If a stretch under the home froze, we explain how to protect it.
Can low water pressure stop an ice maker?
It can. Inlet valves need a minimum pressure to open fully, and a clogged filter, a partly closed shutoff or a long, narrow supply line can drop below it. The result is thin cubes, a slow dispenser or no ice at all. Check that the shutoff valve behind the refrigerator is fully open and the filter is current, then call us if the problem continues.
The ice maker is fine but the freezer is warm. Will you replace the compressor?
No, compressor and refrigerant repairs are sealed-system work that we don't take on. We would first test the parts we do repair, including the evaporator fan, defrost heater, start relay and control board, since those cause many warm-freezer calls. If the compressor or refrigerant is truly the problem, we explain it in writing and help you weigh replacement.
Something not working?
Ring (425) 287-5458 from Monday to Saturday, or book a Bothell ice maker visit online. Once you approve the repair, the $95 diagnostic becomes a down payment on it, and seniors 65+, veterans and active-duty military families can have up to $18 taken off as well.
Repair tips
Book a repair
Tell us what broke
Three quick steps. We call back to confirm a time; requests that come in during the morning can usually be seen the same day.
- $95 diagnostic counted toward the repair you approve
- Up to $18 off for seniors 65+, veterans and military
- $10 off the second appliance checked on one visit
- Same-day visits Monday through Saturday
Rather call? (425) 287-5458 · Mon–Sat 8–7