--- title: "Undercounter Ice Maker Repair | IceMakerRepair.center" description: "A built-in residential ice maker that lives under a kitchen, bar or basement counter, making clear cubes or chewable nugget ice on its own cooling system, with…" url: "https://icemakerrepair.center/types/undercounter-ice-maker-repair/" --- # Undercounter Ice Maker Repair A built-in residential ice maker that lives under a kitchen, bar or basement counter, making clear cubes or chewable nugget ice on its own cooling system, with a water line in and a gravity drain or a small drain pump out. ## Is yours an undercounter? An undercounter ice maker is a complete appliance in a cabinet-sized box, usually 15 inches wide, with a front door that opens onto an insulated bin. It does not share anything with the rest of the kitchen except water and power. Clear-ice models run a thin stream of water over a cold plate and let the ice grow in layers, so minerals stay in the water and go down the drain; nugget models freeze water inside a cylinder and an auger scrapes it into soft, chewable pieces. That means two water paths instead of one: a supply line with its own valve, and a drain that carries away melt and the water that was not frozen, either by gravity to a floor drain or standpipe, or with a small pump that lifts it to the sink drain. Most calls on these models come down to one of those two paths, or to scale building up on the plate or in the cylinder. What fails on an undercounter ice maker How to tell 01 It sits under the counter like a small appliance of its own, with a full-width door that opens down or to the side onto a deep bin of ice. 02 Opening the door shows a scoop and a pile of clear, square or crescent cubes, or soft pellets of nugget ice, with no other food inside. 03 Behind the lower kickplate or in the cabinet next to it there is a water supply valve and either a drain hose into a floor drain or a small pump box. 04 A control on the top edge of the door frame, or behind the kickplate, has a clean or descale button and one or more indicator lights. Not yours? [Door ice maker](https://icemakerrepair.center/types/door-ice-maker-repair/) [Freezer ice maker](https://icemakerrepair.center/types/freezer-ice-maker-repair/) [Countertop ice maker](https://icemakerrepair.center/types/countertop-ice-maker-repair/) ## What fails on this design. On an undercounter ice maker: a drain that backs up, scale on the plate or in the cylinder, a water valve that sticks open or closed, the cooling side losing its grip. The problems it shows ### A drain that backs up A kinked hose, a clogged drain pump or a gravity drain with too little fall lets melt water stand in the bin and eventually spill out of the door. It is the single most common reason water appears on the floor in front of one. ### Scale on the plate or in the cylinder Hard water leaves a white crust that slows harvest, clouds the ice and, on a nugget model, makes the auger labor. Regular descaling keeps it away; neglected, it stops the ice maker altogether. ### A water valve that sticks open or closed An inlet valve that will not close keeps the reservoir overflowing into the drain, and a drain that cannot keep up turns that into a flood. One that will not open starves the ice maker, and the light for low water or a clean cycle comes on. ### The cooling side losing its grip A condenser choked with lint or pet hair, a fan that has stopped, or a cabinet with no room to breathe makes the ice maker slow and warm. The sealed system itself fails less often and is the costliest repair it has. ## Getting at it, and whether to. Most undercounter models service from the front: the kickplate and the lower panel come off, and the water valve, drain pump and condenser sit behind them. [What repairs cost](https://icemakerrepair.center/cost/) On the visit 1. When the plate, the evaporator or the control is at the back, the unit slides out of its cabinet on its leveling legs, with the water valve shut and a towel on the floor first. 2. A unit on a gravity drain needs the drain hose to fall steadily to its outlet; a pump model needs its discharge line clear to the sink or standpipe, so both ends are checked. 3. Before the visit, turn the ice maker off and let the bin empty or move the ice to a cooler, since a door left open for long melts the bin into the drain. Repair or replace Built-in ice makers cost enough and fit their cabinetry tightly enough that most problems are worth repairing, especially the drain, the water valve, a pump, a fan or a thorough descaling. The question gets harder when the sealed cooling system fails on an older unit, or when the control board for a discontinued model is no longer made. In that case the technician weighs the part against a new unit sized for the same opening, and tells you which way the numbers point. Book a visit for an undercounter ice maker ## The problems it shows. On an undercounter ice maker, most often undercounter ice maker not draining. [All problems](https://icemakerrepair.center/problems/) ### Undercounter Ice Maker Not Draining 5 causes, cheapest first Water on the floor or near power ### Undercounter Ice Maker Overflowing 6 causes, cheapest first ### Cloudy or Discolored Ice 6 causes, cheapest first ### Ice Maker Light Flashing 6 causes, cheapest first Water on the floor or near power ### Ice Maker Tripping the Breaker 5 causes, cheapest first ### Ice Maker Error Code 8 causes, cheapest first ## Who builds an undercounter. 12 of the makes on this site build an undercounter ice maker. Each mark opens that make's own page. [All 27 brands](https://icemakerrepair.center/brands/) ## Undercounter ice maker repair, where we come out. 9 metros, each with its own page. 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The ice in the bin melts slowly by design, because most of these bins are insulated but not frozen. A little water that disappears down the drain is normal. Water that stays, rises or smells stale means the drain is slow or blocked. ### How often should an undercounter unit be descaled? Most makers ask for a cleaning every six months, and more often in a home with hard water. Cloudy ice, slow production or a white crust on the plate or around the water outlet are signs it is overdue. Use only the cleaner your maker specifies, since some plates and cylinders are damaged by the wrong one. ### Our unit sits in a basement bar with no floor drain. Can it still work? Yes, with a drain pump that lifts the water up to a nearby sink drain or standpipe. Many models have one built in or offer it as a kit; without one, the unit needs a steady downhill run to a drain. ### What should I do if water is spreading out from under the ice maker? Stay clear of any outlet or cord sitting in the water, and close the supply valve behind the kickplate or in the next cabinet. Switch the circuit off at the breaker only if the panel is dry and away from the water, then soak up what you can and book the visit. --- **[Read on the site: Undercounter Ice Maker Repair | IceMakerRepair.center](https://icemakerrepair.center/types/undercounter-ice-maker-repair/)** **[Book a visit with IceMakerRepair.center](https://icemakerrepair.center/schedule/)**