Ice makers are fantastic devices, providing a steady supply of ice whenever you need it — no dealing with ice trays or melting bags of ice.

You may not think about it now, but you’ll quickly realize how convenient ice makers are when yours stops working.

Your ice maker could have one of many issues — some might involve a quick fix, while others might take a little more work.

Below is a list of the most common ice maker problems. No matter which of these issues you’re having with your ice maker, you can count on Barner Murphy to fix it fast and at an affordable rate.

Accidental Pause

To prevent overfilling your ice bin, most ice makers have a control arm that will pause ice production. Your ice maker’s control arm may have been moved by accident or broken, activating the pause feature when the bin isn’t full.

Consult your owner’s manual to learn more about your specific ice maker’s pause function.

Clogged Filter

When not given proper maintenance, ice maker filters can get clogged. Find the filter section of your owners manual to locate your filter, then inspect it for debris.

Clogged/Shut-Off Water Line

A water line supplies your ice maker with water to freeze. When clogged or broken, you won’t get more ice. Make sure the water supply valve is on and not restricted by anything.

Frozen Water Line

Your water line may be frozen. If you want to fix this yourself, first turn off the water supply and unplug your fridge. You can use a hairdryer to defrost the water line, but keep it above the water source to avoid being shocked.

Once defrosted, turn on the water and power again and you should hear water running through the line. If not, call Barner Murphy — we can identify the root problem.

Frozen Ice Maker

Perhaps the ice maker itself is frozen. If so, check the thermostat. Always make sure the temperature matches the manufacturer’s recommendations — too low of a temperature and the water will freeze too early.

Checking the thermostat every so often can help to prevent your ice maker from freezing before it becomes a problem.

Leaky Ice Maker

Your ice maker might be working but also leaking water onto your floor or in your freezer. Check to make sure your refrigerator and ice maker are level and look for water line damage. Also, make sure the fill cup lines up with the water funnel.

If nothing seems wrong with any of the above, you should call a professional to help.

Have you run into any of these problems? Not sure how to fix them? Contact Barner Murphy right away so we can get your ice maker back to normal. Call us today — all new customers get $15 off their first service call.

Sump pumps removing water from basements and crawl spaces, transferring the water to your waste removal system.

Although sump pumps are vital to preventing water damage and its accompanying effects, your sump pump may break at some point. As a result, installing a backup sump pump will provide optimal protection.

Sump pump and backup system installation is one of our specialties here at Barner Murphy. Read to learn more about these systems.

Sump Pump Benefits

Let’s look at some of the biggest reasons why you need a sump pump in your home.

Prevents Water Damage

The main reasons to have a sump pump is to drain away water that may slowly cause damage.

Prevent Flooding Damage

Sump pumps are excellent at dealing with slow water buildup, but they shine when it comes to basement flooding.

See, when heavy rain hits, your basement could quickly gain several inches of water — water that can damage your basement itself as well as any possession you store down there.

Sump pumps funnel that water away to minimize the damage.

Prevent Mold/Mildew Buildup

Mold and mildew thrive in wet environments. When water gets into your basement, the mold and mildew growth can damage your home as well as cause health problems — especially for those who have asthma or other breathing issues.

Sump pumps keep mold and mildew at bay, protecting the health of your and your family.

Reduce Electrical Fire Chances

Water in the basement can short-circuit appliances down there, leading to fires. The little old sump pump can stand guard against life-threatening electrical fires by preventing water buildup.

Backup Sump Pump Benefits

Sump pumps are excellent devices, but they may fail or become overwhelmed by the amount of basement water buildup. In that case, backup sump pumps carry numerous advantages.

Increased Sump Pump Capacity

Sump pumps can process a lot of water, but not always at an optimal speed in cases of bad flooding. An additional sump boosts the amount of water you can drain from your basement.

Missed Maintenance

Sump pumps require maintenance every so often. The problem is that since your sump pump is situated in the floor, you may not notice that it needs maintenance until it’s too late.

That backup sump pump still provides drainage while allowing you to notice that the first sump pump may be out of commission.

Battery Power

The same weather that leads to flooding can cause power outages. Should your sump pump draw electricity from the grid, it will be useless.

Backup sump pumps tend to use batteries — when your regular sump pump fails, you’ll still be protected.

As you can see, sump pumps and backup systems keep costly, nasty damage at bay. To learn more about the benefits of sump pumps and backup systems, call Barner Murphy today. We provide sump pumps and backup systems to Bucks County residents, and we enjoy educating out customers on their benefits.

Photo Credit - Sump Pump Advisor