Kenmore Ice Maker Not Working But Water Does? The $15 Valve Fix

I was three hours out from a backyard barbecue when I realized the tray in my freezer was bone dry. I pressed the water dispenser in the door—chilled, filtered water flowed perfectly. I assumed it was just a fluke, but as the guest list climbed to thirty, I realized my kenmore ice maker not working but water does situation was a full-blown crisis. I ended up buying ten bags of gas station ice that melted before the first burger hit the grill.

• The water dispenser and ice maker use different solenoids on the same valve.
• A working water dispenser does not mean your inlet valve is healthy.
• Most Kenmore 106.5 models fail because of a $15-$30 dual inlet valve.
• A manual reset can diagnose a dead motor but won't fix a plumbing blockage.
• Countertop units are the only way to avoid 'ice anxiety' during parties.

The Deceptive Dispenser: Why I Was Completely Baffled

There is a specific kind of gaslighting that happens when your fridge door gives you a glass of water but refuses to drop a single cube. You check the line. It is connected. You hear the hum. It sounds fine. You assume the filter is clogged, so you swap a $50 Pur filter only to find the tray still empty three hours later.

This is where most people give up. They assume the entire ice maker unit is fried. In reality, your Kenmore is lying to you. Just because the dispenser works doesn't mean the ice maker is getting a drop of moisture. I spent a whole Saturday morning with a flashlight and a bad attitude before I figured out the plumbing logic behind this mess.

It is incredibly common when a kenmore ice maker stopped working. We rely on that door dispenser as a diagnostic tool, but it is actually a false positive. It is like having a car that plays the radio but won’t start the engine. You have to look past the door to find the real break in the chain.

How a Dual Inlet Valve Actually Works (And Fails)

Behind that cardboard panel at the bottom of your fridge sits the primary culprit: the dual water inlet valve. Think of it as a Y-splitter with two electronic gates. One gate opens when you push your glass against the lever; the other opens when the ice maker's internal timer says it is time to refill the mold.

The solenoid for the ice maker is almost always the first to go. It is a smaller coil that takes more abuse from hard water buildup. This reminds me of the time my Kenmore Elite leaking water turned my kitchen into a swamp because a different part of the valve failed to close. In this case, the valve simply fails to open, leaving the tray high and dry.

If that solenoid is burnt out, the fridge thinks it is doing its job, but no water ever reaches the tray. You can have 60 PSI at the wall, but if that $15 plastic part is dead, you are living a cubeless life. It is a binary failure—the part either works or it doesn't, and there is no 'limp mode' for your ice production.

Tracing the 'Kenmore Icemaker Not Getting Water' Issue

To confirm this, you have to get physical. Pull the fridge out—and yes, it is going to be dusty back there. Locate the water line entering the back of the unit. You'll see a plastic block where the main line splits into two smaller tubes, usually one clear and one blue.

When you encounter a kenmore icemaker not getting water, use a multimeter to check the terminals on those solenoids for continuity. If you get a reading of 'O.L' or infinity on the ice maker side, the coil is toast. It is a 10-minute swap once you have the part, requiring nothing more than a nut driver and a towel to catch the drips.

My Kenmore Refrigerator 106.5 Ice Maker Troubleshooting Process

Before you go buying parts, run the kenmore refrigerator 106.5 ice maker troubleshooting gauntlet. First, check the fill tube—that little plastic spout that pokes into the back of the ice maker. Take a hairdryer to it for two minutes. If a chunk of ice slides out, you just saved yourself twenty bucks and a trip to the parts store.

Next, look at the infrared optics. On many 106-series Kenmores, there is a red LED on the right-hand wall of the freezer. If it is blinking a code, the fridge thinks the bin is full even when it is empty. If the light is steady when you block the sensor with your hand, the boards are fine and the problem is mechanical or hydraulic.

I have seen people replace the entire $150 motor assembly when the only problem was a frozen tube or a dusty sensor. Don't be that person. Test the cheap stuff first. Most of the time, the fix is simpler than the manual suggests.

How Do I Reset My Kenmore Ice Maker?

If the mechanics seem fine but it is just sitting idle, you might ask: how do i reset my kenmore ice maker? On most models, you have to pop off the front plastic cover of the ice maker unit itself. You will see a large gear and some metal contact points labeled with letters.

Use a piece of insulated wire to jump the 'T' and 'H' holes. This forces a harvest cycle. If the fingers start to rotate, your motor is alive. If the cycle finishes and no water enters the tray, you are back to the inlet valve. A reset is a diagnostic tool to prove the motor works, not a magic fix for a dead valve.

Why I Stopped Fighting the Fridge and Bought a Portable Unit

After the third time I had to pull my 300-pound fridge away from the wall to fix a $5 plastic clip, I snapped. Built-in ice makers are notoriously the most repaired part of any kitchen appliance. They live in a harsh environment of sub-zero temps and constant mechanical vibration. It is a recipe for failure.

I finally picked up a reliable portable ice maker to sit on my counter. It makes the first batch of bullet ice in about 6 minutes, whereas my fridge takes two hours to drop a single tray. Plus, if the portable unit breaks, I don't have to move my entire refrigerator to fix it—I just set it on the workbench.

For those who care about the look of their kitchen, I opted for a sleek black ice maker that actually matches my modern appliances better than the original hardware. It has become my primary ice source, and the fridge unit is now just a backup for when the whole family is over. The peace of mind is worth every inch of counter space.

FAQ

Why is my water dispenser working but the ice maker isn't?

They use separate valves. The solenoid that controls the ice maker can fail independently of the one for the water dispenser, even though they are housed in the same plastic assembly at the base of the fridge.

Can a clogged filter stop only the ice maker?

Rarely. Usually, a clogged filter slows down both. If water pressure at the door is strong, your filter is fine and the issue is likely the inlet valve or a frozen fill tube in the back of the freezer.

How long should a Kenmore ice maker last?

In my experience, you will get 5 to 7 years before the first major component fails. If you have hard water and don't use a high-quality filter, expect the inlet valve to scale up and die much sooner.