How to Troubleshoot a Kenmore Icemaker That Blinks Twice

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Blinking lights with your icemaker could be due to a dirty water filter.
Image Credit: cegli/iStock/GettyImages

The lights on the refrigerator are meant to make using the hulking appliance easier. When the steady lights begin to blink, the Kenmore refrigerator is trying to tell you something.

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A Kenmore ice maker with a red light blinking twice or in a constant beat could be due to something as simple as a dirty water filter, an issue with a sensor or a stuck ejector arm. There are a few ways to determine what may be wrong with the Kenmore appliance and cease those irritating blinking lights.

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Safety Precautions for Troubleshooting

If you have to work with the Kenmore ice maker's electrical system or pull the ice maker from the appliance, then you should put a few precautions in place. Shut off the water supply cutoff valve that is connected to the water line and unplug the refrigerator. You can find the valve behind the refrigerator.

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If you plan to remove and replace the Kenmore ice maker, put fresh food and perishables in a cooler. Keeping the appliance unplugged and open for more than an hour can cause food issues. Have towels ready to wipe up any puddles of water from melting ice that can create a slippery surface.

Water Filter Change

Changing out the water filter can stop the red lights from blinking on the Kenmore refrigerator user panel. Consult the owner's manual and locate the water filter. Allow 24 hours for the refrigerator to reset if the lights continue to blink after the freshwater filter has been nestled into its housing.

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Kenmore Ice Maker Optical Sensor

The Kenmore ice maker optical sensor is meant to raise or lower the temperature inside the freezer. It also gauges how much ice has collected in the bin so that it doesn't overflow.

If the Kenmore Elite refrigerator ice maker is not working and the red light is blinking, you may need to override the sensor using the manual controls. The Kenmore ice maker manual shutoff switch is typically located on the top right side of the appliance's interior. Check the owner's manual if the manual on and off switch is not easy to locate.

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Manually Manipulating the Ice Maker

After turning the ice maker to the off position, look for a wire arm on the side of the ice maker's ice bin. The Kenmore manual on Manuals Library notes that ice will only be made when the arm is in the lowered position.

You can create ice with the ice maker off by lowering the arm. It will stop making ice if it is raised to the top of the bin.

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Changing the Freezer Temperature

The freezer temperature can be changed by pressing the arrows on the keypad up or down. For Kenmore refrigerators without a keypad, look for a dial or switch to change the temperature of the freezer and bypass the optical sensor.

When ice isn't tumbling properly from the machine, it could be that the ice maker switch was accidentally turned off. Check that the ice maker switch is turned on, and if not, then use a multimeter to test the switch for continuity, according to Repair Clinic. A lack of continuity means that the switch is defective and will need to be replaced.

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