--- title: "Undercounter Ice Maker Not Draining: Causes and Fixes" description: "An undercounter ice maker not draining leaves standing water in the bottom of the bin, turns cubes into a slushy layer, smells musty, or shows a drain light." url: "https://icemakerrepair.center/problems/undercounter-ice-maker-not-draining/" --- # Undercounter Ice Maker Not Draining An undercounter ice maker not draining leaves standing water in the bottom of the bin, turns cubes into a slushy layer, smells musty, or shows a drain light. ## What it usually means. An undercounter ice maker is built to drain constantly. Its bin is not refrigerated, so ice melts slowly all day, and a clear-ice unit also rinses away water at the end of each batch. That water leaves through a drain at the bottom of the bin, either falling by gravity to a floor drain or standpipe, or collected in a small pump that lifts it to the sink drain. When the line clogs with slime or scale, sags where water can sit, or runs uphill, or when the pump stops, water stays in the bin. The ice sitting in it melts faster and refreezes into clumps, the standing water grows film, and on the worst days it spills out from under the door. The 5 causes, cheapest first Answer these first 01 Is there standing water in the bottom of the bin, and how deep is it? 02 Does the unit drain by gravity to a floor drain, or does it have a pump? 03 Can you hear a pump running, and does it run longer than it used to? 04 Is the drain line visible, and does it sag, kink or run uphill anywhere? 05 When was the unit last cleaned, including the drain? ## Check these before you book. Undercounter ice maker not draining: 5 checks, and none of them costs anything. 01 Switch the unit off, remove the ice into the sink and look at the drain opening at the bottom of the bin. 02 Follow the drain line as far as you can see it and look for kinks, dips or a section that runs uphill. 03 On a pump model, listen for the pump when water sits in the bin, and note if it hums without draining. ### Also worth checking - If water has reached the floor, close the supply valve and keep clear of any outlet in the wet area. - Tell us when the unit was last cleaned and whether it drains to a floor drain or a pump. ### How soon does it need a visit? A slow drain is not an emergency, but it gets worse and can end in an overflow. Switch the unit off if water sits in the bin, and book a visit. If water reaches the floor, close the supply valve and keep away from a wet outlet. ## The causes, cheapest first. 5 things undercounter ice maker not draining turns out to be, from drain opening in the bin clogged to drain pump or its float failed. [The cost guide](https://icemakerrepair.center/cost/) 1. 01 no repair ### Drain opening in the bin clogged Chips of ice, scale flakes or a stray item can block the opening at the bottom of the bin. Clearing it by hand, with the unit off, often solves it. No repair: check it yourself 2. 02 low ### Slime in the drain line Film grows in the drain tubing because it is always damp. Over months it narrows the line until water backs up into the bin. [Fixed by undercounter ice maker cleaning and descaling](https://icemakerrepair.center/services/undercounter-ice-maker-cleaning-and-descaling/) [On an undercounter ice maker](https://icemakerrepair.center/types/undercounter-ice-maker-repair/) 3. 03 low ### Line sagging, kinked or running uphill A gravity drain needs a steady downward slope. A dip where water sits or a kink where the unit was pushed in stops the flow. [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/) 4. 04 low ### Check valve stuck Pump drains use a one-way valve so water does not flow back. A valve stuck with scale lets the same water return to the bin. [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/) 5. 05 moderate ### Drain pump or its float failed Units installed without a floor drain rely on a small pump. When the pump motor or the float switch that starts it fails, the water stays. [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/) 6. What it costs ### Every repair on the site's cost scale, side by side Open the cost guide ## What else it could be. Most often confused with undercounter ice maker overflowing, then ice maker leaking on the floor. [All problems](https://icemakerrepair.center/problems/) Codes that come with it - [`CL` Electrolux · Mode, not a failure](https://icemakerrepair.center/error-codes/electrolux-cl/) - [`drn Err` True Residential · Drain and pump](https://icemakerrepair.center/error-codes/true-drn-err/) - [`E11` U-Line · Water supply and fill](https://icemakerrepair.center/error-codes/u-line-e11/) - [`P1` U-Line · Drain and pump](https://icemakerrepair.center/error-codes/u-line-p1/) - [`Er16` U-Line · Drain and pump](https://icemakerrepair.center/error-codes/u-line-er16/) - [`Er16` Viking · Drain and pump](https://icemakerrepair.center/error-codes/viking-er16/) Also related - [**Ice Maker Light Flashing** 6 causes](https://icemakerrepair.center/problems/ice-maker-light-flashing/) Water on the floor or near power ### Undercounter Ice Maker Overflowing 6 causes Water on the floor or near power ### Ice Maker Leaking on the Floor 6 causes ### Ice Tastes or Smells Bad 5 causes ## The makes it happens on. 27 makes on this site; undercounter ice maker not draining can show up on any of them. Each mark opens that make's own page. [All 27 brands](https://icemakerrepair.center/brands/) ## Undercounter Ice Maker Not Draining, where we come out. 9 metros, each with its own page. 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No. Harsh drain cleaners can damage the plastic and leave residue in a unit that makes ice to drink. Use the cleaner and steps the manual lists, or let us clean it. ### Why does my new undercounter unit drain poorly? New installs often have a drain line with a dip or a standpipe too high for a gravity drain. That is usually corrected by rerouting the line or adding a drain pump. ### Is a little water in the bin normal? A few drops from melting ice are normal. Water that pools and stays is not. ### Does the drain pump need maintenance? Cleaning its reservoir and check valve during the regular descaling keeps it working. Slime there is what stops most of them. --- **[Read on the site: Undercounter Ice Maker Not Draining: Causes and Fixes](https://icemakerrepair.center/problems/undercounter-ice-maker-not-draining/)** **[Book a visit with IceMakerRepair.center](https://icemakerrepair.center/schedule/)**