How To Disable Your Fridge’s Automatic Ice Maker

One of the easiest ways to save money and energy around your home is disable your fridges automatic ice maker. I know, I know, it’s pretty nice to be able to walk up to your fridge/freezer open up the door and have a bucket full of ice waiting for you, but did you ever stop to think just how much that ice is costing you? Automatic ice makers can add as much as 120 kWh per year or more to your electric bill! So if you’d like to start saving that money instead of spending it, just follow these easy steps to turn your automatic ice maker off and start saving money today.

How to disable your fridge’s automatic ice maker

Before proceeding, check out this quick video on how to turn off an automatic ice maker:

1. Open up your fridge/freezer and locate your automatic ice maker. In most cases the automatic ice maker will be located in the upper left corner of your freezer, however your unit could be different. Simply open up the door and find your automatic ice maker – if you can’t find your automatic ice maker, consult the owners manual that came with your unit.

2. Remove your freezers ice bucket (if needed). Depending on the design of your fridge/freezer you may or may not need to remove the ice bucket before being able to access the on/off switch for the ice maker. If you’re unsure, consult the owners manual that came with your unit.

3. Turn the power switch to the off position. The on/off switch for your automatic ice maker should be clearly labeled. Simply take your finger and turn the switch to the off position.

4. Place the ice bucket back into your freezer. Now that you’re automatic ice maker has been turned off simply put the ice bucket back into place (if needed) and close the door.

If you’d still like to have ice available to you, try switching over to those old-school ice trays. Not only will they allow you to continue having ice available when you want it, they’ll act like mini thermal batteries for your fridge/freezer, thus helping it to use energy more efficiently!

If you’re looking for more ways to save money and energy around your home, check out our green home improvement projects: Green Living Ideas, after all, is a top 20 home improvement website!

Photos courtesy of Flickr Creative Commons (Automatic Ice maker)

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Tags: automatic ice maker, do it yourself, energy savings, energy-efficiency, fridge/freezer, money savings, savings

About the Author

Peter Young graduated from Pacific Lutheran University (PLU) with a degree in journalism and has made sustainability and eco-conscious living mainstays of both his professional and personal life. It was during his time at PLU that he began his journey with sustainability and it's what has led him to writing for Green Living Ideas. He currently resides in Honolulu and works for Pono Home, an energy efficiency company focused on reducing carbon emissions and promoting a healthier, greener lifestyle.