The ice maker reset button is almost always on the ice maker module inside the freezer or ice compartment, not on the refrigerator control panel. Remove the ice bucket and look at the module body: you are searching for a small recessed button, often marked Test or Reset, sometimes hidden behind a snap-off cover alongside a pair of status LEDs. On Samsung French-door models it typically sits behind the ice bucket on the module face. LG places a Test button on the module body that must be held for about three seconds. Whirlpool, Maytag, KitchenAid, and Amana freezer-mounted modules usually have a small button under a plastic cover. Many GE and older units have no reset button and are reinitialized by raising and lowering the feeler arm instead.
When no button exists, the equivalent action is a five-minute power cycle at the wall or breaker. That clears the control and restarts the cycle from the beginning.
Reset Button Locations by Brand
| Brand | Location | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Samsung (French door) | Module face behind the ice bucket; some models have a panel Ice Maker Reset | Hold until a chime sounds, then allow the test cycle to finish |
| LG / Kenmore Elite by LG | Test button on the ice maker module body | Press and hold roughly 3 seconds until a chime sounds |
| Whirlpool / Maytag / KitchenAid / Amana | Small button under a snap-off cover on the module | Single press to force a harvest cycle |
| GE / GE Profile / Café | Typically none | Raise and lower the feeler arm, or power cycle |
| Frigidaire / Electrolux | Usually none; some have an on/off switch on the module | Power cycle for five minutes |
| Bosch | Control panel sequence rather than a module button | Follow the model manual or call service |
| Sub-Zero / Thermador / Viking | Control panel service sequence | Best left to a technician to preserve stored diagnostics |
Module revisions change within a model line, so the manual for your exact model and serial is the authority.
How to Find the Button on Your Model
- Switch the ice maker off at the control panel and unplug the refrigerator before reaching into the compartment.
- Lift the ice bucket straight up and out. Most buckets release with a latch at the back or a tab under the front lip.
- Look at the module face and underside. You are looking for a recessed button roughly the diameter of a pencil eraser, usually gray or black, often next to one or two small LEDs.
- Check for a thin plastic cover. On Whirlpool-family modules the button hides behind a cover that unsnaps with a fingernail.
- Note the LEDs. A steady or flashing status light often encodes a fault, and the pattern is listed in the model manual.
- If there is no button, close up and power cycle instead.
What the Test Cycle Actually Tells You
A forced test cycle is far more useful than a blind reset because it exercises each stage in sequence, and listening to it localizes the fault.
- Motor runs, no water arrives: the inlet valve, filter, supply line, or a frozen fill tube is at fault.
- Water arrives, cubes never release: the mold heater or the ejector motor has failed.
- Nothing happens at all: the module itself, its wiring harness, or the control board output is dead.
- Cycle completes normally: the hardware is sound, so look at freezer temperature or the shutoff arm.
Run one test cycle and let it finish. Repeatedly interrupting a harvest can strip the ejector gear teeth.
When the Reset Does Not Hold
A reset that works briefly and then fails again within a day or two is telling you a component has gone, not that the reset failed. The usual culprits are a fill tube heater that no longer fires, a thermistor misreporting compartment temperature, an inlet valve with a weak solenoid, or in-door compartment frosting on flagship French-door models.
At that point further resets only delay the diagnosis. Our technicians test valve coil resistance, heater continuity, and thermistor values on site, and carry the OEM parts for the major platforms. Book through our refrigerator repair service, check whether the repair is worth it, or review installed costs on our Boston pricing guide.