Causes
- One of the two ice buckets is not seated correctly — the RF90F29AECR has a Dual Auto Ice Maker with two separate buckets (Ice Bites and Cubed Ice) in the left freezer door. Each bucket has a sensor switch that only engages when the bucket is pushed fully into its rails. If the display shows a blinking "Ice Off" indicator, the bucket is not inserted properly or is missing entirely, and that side of the ice maker stops producing ice while the other side keeps working.
- The ice maker was turned off, or the fill tube froze solid — the ice maker has its own On/Off control and will stop producing if it was disabled. More commonly, the small water fill tube that feeds the ice mold freezes up, which is a well-documented Samsung issue. A frozen fill tube starves the mold of water, so the maker cycles silently and never drops ice. Ice maker sensor errors such as 8E, 14E, or 39E on the Family Hub screen point to frost buildup on the sensor.
- A clogged or overdue water filter (HAF-QIN) restricts water flow — the RF90F29AECR uses the HAF-QIN filter, which should be replaced every 6 months. As the filter clogs, water pressure to the ice maker drops below what the fill valve needs, producing hollow, small, or no ice at all. If you have replaced the filter recently, the new one may also have trapped air or been seated without the sealing ring aligned.
- The water line is not connected, kinked, or the shutoff valve is closed — on a new installation, the fridge will make no ice if the water line was never connected, the saddle valve is closed, or the line is pinched behind the fridge. Air trapped in a newly connected line also prevents the fill valve from delivering water until the line is purged.
- Warm air entering through a poorly sealing door causes frost on the ice maker — a gap in the freezer door gasket or a door left ajar lets humid air into the ice maker compartment. The moisture freezes onto the ice mold, auger, and sensors, jamming the mechanism. This is the root cause behind the repeated frost-and-jam failures Samsung refrigerators are known for.
How to Fix
- Check the "Ice Off" indicator and reseat both buckets — if the display shows a blinking "Ice Off" message, slide both ice buckets (Ice Bites and Cubed) fully out and push them back in until they click into the rails. Make sure nothing (a bag of frozen food or the door shelf) is blocking the buckets from seating. The blinking indicator should stop, which confirms the sensor switch is engaged.
- Confirm the ice maker is turned on — on the Family Hub screen, open the Fridge Manager app, go to Fridge Settings, and verify the ice maker is set to On for both Ice Bites and Cubed modes. Also check the freezer temperature is set to 0°F or lower — an ice maker that is On but set too warm will produce very slowly or not at all.
- Replace or reseat the HAF-QIN water filter — remove the filter from the base grille (or the filter indicator location for your install), install a new HAF-QIN filter, and then run 1–2 gallons of water through the Beverage Center dispenser to purge air and seat the filter. If the filter was recently changed, remove it and reinstall it to confirm the O-rings are seated. A clogged filter is one of the most common causes of slow or stopped ice production.
- Verify the water line and purge trapped air — confirm the water line behind the fridge is connected, not kinked or pinched, and that the shutoff valve is fully open. If the fridge is new or the line was disconnected, run water through the dispenser until the stream is steady with no sputtering. A sputtering dispenser means air is still in the line, which will also stop the ice maker.
- Defrost a frozen fill tube or ice maker — if ice maker sensor errors (8E, 14E, 39E) appear or you suspect a frozen fill tube, unplug the refrigerator and leave both doors open for 2–4 hours so the ice maker compartment fully thaws, then plug it back in. Do not chip at the ice with tools — this damages the mold and auger. On models with the two-button control panel, a Forced Defrost mode (Fd) can be used instead: hold the Fridge and FlexZone buttons for 8 seconds, then press Fridge to cycle to Fd.
- Reset the ice maker and wait 24 hours — after the steps above, turn the ice maker Off, wait a few minutes, then turn it back On to reset the fill cycle. New ice can take up to 24 hours to appear because the maker must freeze a full batch. If the first batch comes out small or hollow, the water pressure or filter is still the problem — repeat steps 3 and 4.
- Clean the freezer door gasket and test the seal — wipe the gasket with a damp cloth and dish soap, then run the dollar bill test: close the door on a bill and pull it out. If it slips out with no resistance, the seal is weak and warm air is reaching the ice maker. Adjust or level the door if needed, and never leave the freezer door ajar.
- Run Self Check and contact Samsung if the error persists — on the Family Hub panel, open Fridge Manager → Fridge Settings → Self Check and tap Start. If an error code such as 8E, 14E, 39E, or 40E displays and returns after defrosting, the ice maker sensor, auger motor, or water valve likely needs service — request a repair through the SmartThings app or Samsung support with the error code ready.