LG Ice Maker Making Small or Hollow Cubes

A bucket of ice that looks more like shells than cubes is a familiar complaint. Some cubes are half-formed, some are hollow in the middle, and some fuse into a clump that rattles in the bin. The ice maker is still working; it is just not completing the job it was built for.

What the ice maker needs to make a full cube

Each batch needs three things: a measured fill of water, a freezer cold enough to set it, and a mechanism that harvests the finished ice at the right moment. If the water supply is weak, the mold gets short fills and the cubes come out small. If the freezer is warm, the ice never solidifies all the way through. If the harvest timing slips, half-frozen pieces drop and clump.

Causes behind small or hollow ice

• A slow or restricted water supply. The same filter and line problems that slow the dispenser also shorten the fill.
• A clogged or old filter. Sediment reduces the volume reaching the mold.
• A partly closed supply valve or a pinched line. Same effect, usually worse on the ice side because the inlet valve opens for a short time only.
• A freezer that is not cold enough. A door that does not seal, a heavy load of warm groceries or a failing fan can leave the mold unable to freeze through.
• Frost on the ice maker fan or cooling path. Ice maker fan faults are covered on the LG refrigerator code IF page.
• Ice maker sensor or motor trouble. Codes such as IS for the temperature sensor and It for the motor have their own explanations.

Checks you can do from the outside

1. Check the water supply as you would for a slow dispenser: valve open, line straight, kitchen tap flowing normally.
2. Replace the water filter if it is past its reminder, then discard the first several batches of ice.
3. Look at the freezer door. Move boxes that hold it open, and wipe the gasket so it closes flat.
4. Check that ice has not fused in the bin. Empty it, let any clumps melt, dry the bin and put it back.
5. Give the machine a full day to rebuild a normal batch after any change. Judging after one tray misleads.

What not to do

Do not chip ice out of the mold or the chute with a metal tool. Do not pour hot water into the ice compartment, and do not open the rear cover of the ice maker. The heating element, motor and sensor wiring in that assembly are not an owner repair, and moisture getting into the connector can turn a small job into a larger one.

What a technician measures

We observe a full cycle: the fill, the freeze and the harvest. We compare the water volume that reaches the mold, check the freezer temperature behavior and fan operation, and test the sensor and motor. Then we explain the finding with a written estimate, and nothing is replaced until you approve it.

Ice makers sit in different places depending on the refrigerator style. A French-door unit such as the LG LBNC12231 refrigerator repair model, listed at 11.9 cu ft, has a freezer drawer arrangement, while a side-by-side such as the LG LS23C4000 refrigerator repair model keeps the maker in the freezer door side of the cabinet. The model label, usually inside a side wall, tells us which assembly to inspect.

Reading the ice you see

Different shapes tell different stories. Thin, curved shells with a hole in the center usually mean the mold received only part of its water, so the supply and the filter come first. Cubes that look normal but cloudy, soft or wet suggest the freezer is not holding temperature long enough for the water to set. Pieces that fuse into slabs mean they are not being released cleanly or have partly melted in the bin. A bin that stays empty while the machine clicks suggests the harvest cycle is stuck or the sensor sees the bin as full.

Think too about how the ice is used. A household that empties the bin every evening gives the ice maker no time to settle, so partial batches stay in the stream. A household that rarely touches ice sees older ice melt and refreeze into clumps. Neither is a fault, though the second may mistakenly look like one. Emptying the bin, cleaning it and giving the machine a fresh day usually separates a use pattern from a real fault.

Sizing up the freezer side

• Items packed against the air vents slow the flow of cold air to the mold area.
• A freezer door opened often in summer lets in heat that the ice maker has to overcome.
• A strong odor or taste in the ice usually means an old filter or ice that has sat too long.
• Noise from the freezer fan that changes suddenly deserves a note before the visit.
• A faint smell of plastic or a sour taste is a cue to replace the filter and wash the bin.
• Ice that stops entirely after a power cut may restart after one controlled power reset.

When to book

If a new filter and a clear supply line do not bring back full cubes within a couple of days, book a visit with our LG refrigerator repair service. The LG refrigerators guide describes ice and water features by door style.

Frequently asked questions