--- title: "Ice Maker Making Noise: Causes and Fixes" description: "The ice maker making noise can mean a buzz or a hum from the back, a bang when the water shuts off, grinding in the door, a rattle from an undercounter unit or…" url: "https://icemakerrepair.center/problems/ice-maker-making-noise/" --- # Ice Maker Making Noise The ice maker making noise can mean a buzz or a hum from the back, a bang when the water shuts off, grinding in the door, a rattle from an undercounter unit or clatter that did not use to be there. ## What it usually means. An ice maker is never silent, and some of its sounds are part of the job: a crack as cubes break free, a clatter as they drop into the bin, a short buzz as the valve opens and water rushes in. The useful question is whether the sound is new, whether it comes at a particular moment, and whether it is getting louder. A loud buzz that goes on and on often means the valve is trying to fill with no water behind it. A bang in the pipes as the fill stops is water hammer. Grinding from the door points at the auger working against a block of ice. A hum or rattle under the counter can be a pump, a fan or ice rattling against a loose part. The 6 causes, cheapest first Answer these first 01 Does the noise come at a particular moment: during the fill, when the cubes drop, or while you dispense? 02 Is it a buzz, a bang, a grind, a hum or a rattle? 03 Is the water valve for the ice maker fully open? 04 Did the noise start after the appliance was moved or the ice maker was replaced? 05 On an undercounter unit, does it come from the front grille, the bin or the bottom? ## Check these before you book. Ice maker making noise: 5 checks, and none of them costs anything. 01 Note exactly when the noise happens and how long it lasts; a short phone recording helps us a great deal. 02 Make sure the water supply valve is open; if the water is off, switch the ice maker off to stop the buzzing. 03 Take out the bin and look for fused cubes that the auger may be grinding against. ### Also worth checking - On an undercounter unit, check that nothing touches the front grille and the unit sits level. - Tell us whether the noise is new or has been growing louder over weeks. ### How soon does it need a visit? Noise alone is rarely urgent. It is worth booking if a sound is new and getting louder, or if a buzzing valve comes with drips, water under the unit or the ice maker stopping. ## The causes, cheapest first. 6 things ice maker making noise turns out to be, from normal harvest and fill sounds to undercounter pump or fan. [The cost guide](https://icemakerrepair.center/cost/) 1. 01 no repair ### Normal harvest and fill sounds A crack, a clatter of cubes and a short buzz while the mold fills are normal. They are loudest in a quiet kitchen at night. No repair: check it yourself 2. 02 no repair ### Valve buzzing with no water behind it When the supply is shut off or the ice maker has no water, the valve buzzes loudly each time it opens. Open the supply or switch the ice maker off. No repair: check it yourself 3. 03 low ### Water hammer as the fill stops The valve shuts quickly, and a long supply line can bang as the water stops. A short loop in the line or a small arrester near the valve usually quiets it. [Fixed by water filter and supply line service](https://icemakerrepair.center/services/water-filter-and-supply-line-service/) 4. 04 low to moderate ### Valve worn or chattering A valve whose seal has worn can chatter or whine while it is open, and it often drips afterward as well. [Fixed by ice maker water inlet valve repair](https://icemakerrepair.center/services/water-inlet-valve-repair/) 5. 05 low to moderate ### Auger grinding against ice Grinding at the door is the auger pushing a block of fused cubes. Clearing the bin often ends it; a motor that keeps grinding with a clear bin is wearing. [Fixed by ice dispenser and auger repair](https://icemakerrepair.center/services/ice-dispenser-and-auger-repair/) [On a door ice maker](https://icemakerrepair.center/types/door-ice-maker-repair/) 6. 06 moderate ### Undercounter pump or fan The circulation pump, the drain pump and the condenser fan all run under the counter. A hum that turns into a rattle or a squeal is usually one of them wearing. [Fixed by drain pump and drain line repair](https://icemakerrepair.center/services/drain-pump-and-drain-line-repair/) [On an undercounter ice maker](https://icemakerrepair.center/types/undercounter-ice-maker-repair/) ## What else it could be. Most often confused with ice dispenser not working, then ice clumped or frozen in the bin. [All problems](https://icemakerrepair.center/problems/) Codes that come with it - [`Defrosting` GE Profile · Ice making and harvest](https://icemakerrepair.center/error-codes/ge-profile-defrosting/) - [`Lights flashing (auger)` GE Profile · Dispenser and auger](https://icemakerrepair.center/error-codes/ge-profile-lights-flashing-auger/) - [`IF` LG · Fans and airflow](https://icemakerrepair.center/error-codes/lg-if/) - [`40E` Samsung · Fans and airflow](https://icemakerrepair.center/error-codes/samsung-40e/) - [`Ice On/Off icon` SKS · Mode, not a failure](https://icemakerrepair.center/error-codes/sks-ice-on-off-icon/) - [`30 9 86` Sub-Zero · Dispenser and auger](https://icemakerrepair.center/error-codes/sub-zero-30-9-86/) [2 more codes, by make](https://icemakerrepair.center/error-codes/) Also related - [**Undercounter Ice Maker Not Draining** 5 causes](https://icemakerrepair.center/problems/undercounter-ice-maker-not-draining/) ### Ice Dispenser Not Working 6 causes ### Ice Clumped or Frozen in the Bin 5 causes ### No Ice Coming From the Ice Maker 7 causes ## The makes it happens on. 27 makes on this site; ice maker making noise can show up on any of them. Each mark opens that make's own page. [All 27 brands](https://icemakerrepair.center/brands/) ## Ice Maker Making Noise, where we come out. 9 metros, each with its own page. 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The control still opens the valve on schedule, and with no water behind it the valve buzzes. Switch the ice maker off whenever the supply is off. ### Is the bang in the wall when the ice maker fills a problem? It is water hammer, and repeated banging can loosen fittings over time. It is worth fixing, especially if the line is plastic. ### Is it normal to hear ice dropping at night? Yes. The ice maker works day and night, and a batch dropping into the bin is one of its ordinary sounds. ### My countertop nugget maker got louder. What should I check? Descale it following the manual, because scale on the freezing cylinder makes the auger work harder. If it stays loud, the auger motor may be wearing. --- **[Read on the site: Ice Maker Making Noise: Causes and Fixes](https://icemakerrepair.center/problems/ice-maker-making-noise/)** **[Book a visit with IceMakerRepair.center](https://icemakerrepair.center/schedule/)**