Some of us hate waiting for the ice maker to produce ice. Whether you are just impatient or your ice maker is sluggish, you can learn how to make ice maker work faster and lessen your wait!

Make Your Ice Maker Work Faster

Is your ice maker not making ice fast enough and do you want a way to get the ice bin full in less time? Try this.

How Does An Ice Maker Work?

Before we jump in on how to make your ice maker produce more ice, it’s good to understand how an ice maker works:

An electric water inlet valve on the back of the refrigerator turns on the water supply. The water flows through the tube in the back of the freezer and travels to the icemaker where it fills the ice tray molds.
A small thermostat attached to the ice cube tray monitors the temperature of the tray to make sure it is cold enough. Once the optimal temperature is reached, it means the water in the ice cube tray is frozen.
An electric heater warms the bottom of the tray just enough to allow the newly-made ice to release and get dumped into the ice bin.
When the ice maker sweeper arm returns to its original position, the cycle repeats until the ice bin is full and deactivates the sweeper arm.

Although a relatively simple process, the whole thing hinges on the ice maker being cold enough to trigger ice production. This is whereyoucome in.

Typical Ice Maker Cycle Time

So now that you know the ice maker process, the question remains, “How long does it take for ice maker to make ice?” A really good refrigerator unit will produce 8-10 ice cubes in about 90 minutes. It will continue this cycle until the ice bin is full. Depending on the size of your ice bin, it could take 24 hours to fill it completely. But who wants to wait that long?

To make your ice maker work faster, you want to help it do its job.

Why Your Ice Maker Is Slow Making Ice

Is your ice maker slow making ice? Bummer. It could be due to the freezer temperature being a little higher. Freezer temperatures need to be between 0-5 degrees Fahrenheit. The colder the freezer, the faster things freeze. Even a few degrees makes a difference.

Helping your ice maker work faster is as simple as helping the water freeze faster.

How To Make Your Ice Maker Work Faster

Now, how to make ice faster than ever makes sense! Here’s what to try if your refrigerator ice maker not making ice fast enough:

Lower the Freezer Temperature:the water in the ice tray freezes quicker, triggering the tray thermostat to warm and release the ice, which starts the process all over again. The circle of life in the ice maker machine! To make your ice maker work faster, simply lower the freezer temperature by 3-5 degrees.

Flake Ice Machine

Inspect the Door Seal:clean the freezer door gasket if it’s dirty. Cold air can seep out if the seal has lost its integrity. If you notice any cracks or tears, the gasket should be replaced.
Clean Out the Freezer:If you have too much food in your freezer compartment, your refrigerator can’t circulate cold air efficiently, raising the internal temperature. Keep your freezer about 3/4 of the way full for the optimum temperature.
Change the Water Filter:A clogged refrigerator water filter can restrict water flow and cause slow ice production. Replace the water filter at least every six months to improve your ice maker’s speed.