Your KitchenAid Ice Maker Stopped Making Ice. Start Here.
You opened the KitchenAid freezer this morning and the bin was empty. In my experience, the arm is the first thing worth checking: the fix costs nothing and ta…
Machine, Setting or Drain? Viking Ice Makers in Denver Metro
On Viking’s current clear-ice machines (FIUI5152D, FIUI5152DADA and VBFIC1152D), a completely dark display can be the drain pump’s flood safety, not a dead control. Viking’s undercounter line uses three ice technologies today, and the model number decides which checks and codes apply. Across Denver Metro, our EPA-608 certified technicians handle Viking ice maker repair on all three and on older machines. Outdoor Viking ice machines sit outside what we service.
Clear, Craft or Nugget: Three Different Machines
Every current Viking undercounter ice machine is 15 inches wide, panel ready and fitted with a factory drain pump. None is sold as a gravity-drain model. The clear and nugget machines share no control, code set or cleaning routine.
Ice makers also sit inside other Viking units: the 5 Series side-by-side, the 3 Series RVFFR336 and the Veil all-freezer and bottom-freezer columns. This page covers their ice side. A warm freezer behind the ice maker belongs on our Viking refrigerator page or our Viking freezer page. The same routing covers a Viking Professional refrigerator ice maker in an older built-in.
Ice machines are one branch of our Viking kitchen appliances section, beside the refrigerators, freezers, wine cellars and dishwashers in Viking’s lineup.
- Clear ice: the 5 Series FIUI5152D, its low-profile ADA version FIUI5152DADA and the Builder Select VBFIC1152D. Water freezes into a clear slab on a cold evaporator plate. Heated wires cut it into cubes.
- Craft ice: the FCIU515D makes slow-melting clear cubes, 160 a day by its spec sheet. Viking documents its controls only there. Its owner manual is the clear-ice text, model name changed.
- Nugget ice: the FNIU515D freezes water in a drum, and an auger pushes the nuggets up. Viking rates it at up to 65 lb a day.
Where the Plate Sits on Each Machine
Viking’s clear-ice manuals show the plate inside the cabinet, on the left side near the top. Their service page says upper wall, behind the light, so check both. The nugget FNIU515D guide gives only the upper wall.
The clear-ice plate carries a Service Number as well as the serial, and registration asks for both. In the model number, F marks panel ready. On the Viking undercounter ice machine VBFIC1152D, VB marks Builder Select.
Display States and Er Codes by Machine
Viking prints no numbered fault codes for its current clear-ice machines, only display states. Most are reminders or settings. The first table covers the FIUI5152D, FIUI5152DADA and VBFIC1152D, whose manuals print these states word for word.
The craft FCIU515D’s spec sheet names one signal, a cleaning alert. We read its display at the visit rather than assume the clear-ice table.
The nugget FNIU515D talks through three lamps: ICE, NO WATER and DRAIN. Er15 and Er16 cover water supply and drain, Er01 and Er03 the evaporator, and Er25 an evaporator freezing in a cold room. Three sensor faults show only as lamp pairs.
| Display | Viking's meaning | What Viking tells you to do |
|---|---|---|
| CL and ICE alternating | Cleaning is due, every 3,000 cycles; ice making continues | Run the clean cycle; the reminder resets when it finishes |
| CL steady | A clean cycle is running | Wait about 45 minutes; ice making restarts by itself |
| No icons at all | The drain pump’s high-limit safety cut power after a drain restriction | Wait a few minutes; check the drain line for kinks, the open drain and the vent tube |
| Chime, self-test, then OFF | Power has returned after an interruption | Turn the unit back on |
| Door icon, tone every minute | Door open more than 30 minutes | Close the door |
| °F/°C flashes, then display and light go dark | Sabbath mode; ice making continues | Press the same key to leave it |
| °F/°C flashes, display lit, no ice | Showroom mode: Viking says the unit will not cool | Repeat the 5-second two-key command |
| Lamps | Code | Viking's condition | What Viking says to check |
|---|---|---|---|
| ICE blinks every second, switch at wash | None | Wash cycle running | Normal while cleaning |
| ICE on 2 seconds, off 1 | None | Bin full | Normal; the lamp goes out when the ice-full sensor releases |
| NO WATER blinks | Er15 | No water level detected for 2 minutes | Water supply pressure; the water level sensor |
| DRAIN blinks | Er16 | Water not drained down within 2 minutes of the drain valve opening | The water level sensor; drain valve operation |
| ICE, NO WATER and DRAIN all blink | Er01 | Evaporator not below freezing 30 minutes into ice making | A refrigerant leak; the sensor and its mounting |
| ICE blinks | Er03 | Evaporator not below freezing 10 minutes into ice making | Same checks as Er01 |
| NO WATER and DRAIN blink | Not printed | Ice-full sensor disconnected or shorted | The sensor and its mounting |
| ICE and NO WATER blink | Not printed | Evaporator outlet sensor disconnected or shorted | The sensor and its mounting |
| ICE and DRAIN blink | Not printed | Condenser air sensor disconnected or shorted | The sensor and its mounting |
| All three lamps lit steady | Er25 | Evaporator outlet below its set temperature for 2 minutes | Viking says this happens in a cold room; run it somewhere warmer |
| Each lamp flickers twice in turn | None | Cleaning due after 6 months of ice making | Run the cleaning |
What to Check Before You Book
On today’s clear-ice machines, several behaviors that look like faults are Viking’s design. A new Viking ice maker not making ice on its first day may be fine. Viking says a clear-ice cycle can take up to 1-1/2 hours. Its advice is to check after 24 hours.
It becomes a fault when it outlasts that timing. On a built-in machine, little ice after 48 hours in a room between 55°F and 90°F is worth a call. So is a display still dark after the drain test.
The numbered checks are Viking’s for those machines, then come the nugget FNIU515D checks. Viking refrigerator ice maker troubleshooting comes last, starting with a cold freezer and the water supply.
- Half-empty clear-ice bin
Viking keeps the bin just above freezing so ice melts slowly and stays clear. After day one it may hold about 18 lb, though up to 39 lb was made.
- Smaller clear cubes
With light use, stored cubes shrink as they melt. Viking calls it normal, and full size returns as the bin refills.
- Dark clear-ice display
The drain pump’s safety cuts power when water backs up. Power returns by itself, with a chime and OFF, once the drain clears.
- Power: a grounded outlet, the control on ICE, the breaker. Viking warns a GFCI outlet is prone to nuisance tripping.
- Room: at least 55°F, and below 90°F for a built-in machine. In a colder room the bin sensor can read a full bin and stop early.
- Water: the valve open, no kinked line, the reservoir drain plug seated. Viking advises against reverse osmosis, softened and de-ionized water.
- Condenser air: the front grille open, brushed or vacuumed once or twice a year.
- Drain test: unit OFF, pour 3 quarts into the bin. It must drain fully without the power cutting out.
- Cleaning: when CL and ICE alternate, use Viking-approved cleaner only. Never force ice through the grid cutter; it breaks the heated wires.
- Nugget door: keep it shut. With it open, the FNIU515D cannot sense a full bin, which takes about 10 hours to fill.
- Nugget bin full of water: switch off and clean the mesh at the bottom of the bin. A loose bottle label can block the drain.
- Nugget water and cleaning: Viking advises against softened water. When the three lamps flicker in turn, run the wash with Viking Ice Machine Cleaner.
- 5 Series side-by-side: a Viking fridge ice maker not working may show dSp IcE. With the freezer cold, the bail arm down and the water on, press the alarm button.
- 3 Series RVFFR336: the Viking refrigerator ice maker on off switch is a 3-second hold on Freezer Set.
- Veil FDFZIC and FDBMIC: check the ice maker icon, the water connection and the filter date. NO WATER IN means the water was shut off with the ice maker on.
Discontinued Viking Ice Machines
An older Viking Professional ice maker signals with lights or a switch, not a display or Er codes. Viking’s FAQ still quotes figures for these older machines. Current owners should follow their own manual, or the craft FCIU515D’s spec sheet. The outdoor FGIM515, not the indoor FGIM5151, sits outside what we service.
- FGIM5151 and FPIM5151: tapered clear cubes from molds, 24 per batch. G marks gravity drain and P a drain pump. Viking’s spec sheet for this generation also lists a Viking DPFGIM ice machine drain pump as an accessory.
- FGIM and FGNI lights: Check Water flashing means no water, and the control retries every 20 minutes. Time to Clean lights after 6 months.
- FGNI515 and FPNI515: nugget machines whose output Viking calls severely reduced above 90°F.
- VUIM150D, DUIM150D and DFIM150D: a heated-wire slab like today’s FIUI, with an On/Off/Clean rocker switch. Below 45°F, drain the water system; Viking excludes freeze damage.
- Plate: under the control panel in the upper compartment, per the FGIM and FGNI manuals; the FGIM installation guide says upper left interior.
When to Call Wilson & Myers
If Viking’s checks pass and the machine still makes little or no ice, the fault is inside it. An Er code points there too. Out of warranty, Viking ice machine repair is ours on all three technologies and older machines.
On the nugget FNIU515D, Viking’s table sends Er01 and Er03, the sensor faults and Er16’s sensor or valve to a technician. We take those calls too. On clear-ice machines we take the LED light, broken grid cutter wires and a Viking ice machine drain pump that fails Viking’s test.
Our EPA-608 certified technicians handle the sealed system and its R600a refrigerant. Viking sends plumbing faults outside the machine to a plumber, and we say when that is the cause. I usually read the lamps or display first.
Viking refrigerator ice maker repair is ours too, with the freezer checked on the same visit. We source parts through national supplier networks and manufacturer contracts, and we fit OEM parts when the supplier has the right one. Every paid repair carries our 100-day labor warranty. It covers the work on your invoice.
Inside a Viking warranty term, contact Viking’s warranty service first. Otherwise, book a repair with the model number and the display or lamp state in hand.
Recalls and Viking Ice Machines
No recall covers a Viking ice machine, current or legacy, or a current Viking refrigerator’s ice maker. Viking’s recall page lists eight notices, summarized on our Viking brand page. CPSC records match, and none names an ice machine.
The nearest is CPSC 14023, on the dispenser wiring harness of four discontinued built-in side-by-sides: the FDSB5421D, VCSB5421D, FDSB5481D and VCSB5481D. It covers date codes 101712 through 052913: the first six numeric characters of the serial, read as month, day and year. The serial label sits on the interior ceiling, behind the light housing. Connectors in the harness can overheat or short circuit.
If your model and date code match, turn it off and unplug it immediately; Viking arranges a free in-home repair. We do not repair a recalled unit.
Warranty Terms and Where Covered Work Goes
Viking’s current indoor refrigeration warranty sheet gives ice machines 2 years of full cover, parts and labor. The sealed system’s cover runs longer. Its compressor, evaporator, condenser, tubing and dryer stay covered for parts and labor through year 6.
The FIUI5152D, FIUI5152DADA and FNIU515D manuals still print a twelve-year limited sealed-system paragraph. The current sheet stops at year 6. We promise nothing beyond it. Confirm your model’s term with Viking before any sealed-system repair.
Inside those terms, Viking’s warranty service does the work, and Viking excludes repair by anyone else. Out of warranty, the repair is ours. The same sheet groups Viking’s undercounter wine cellars with ice machines.
Wrong cleaning chemicals are excluded on the clear-ice machines. On the FNIU515D, any cleaner but Viking Ice Machine Cleaner voids the warranty, as does an altered power cord. Power loss and improper installation are excluded too.
Viking Ice Maker Repair FAQ
Why is my Viking ice maker not working?
Start with the machine type. A current clear-ice model needs the control on ICE, water and a room between 55°F and 90°F. On a nugget FNIU515D, a blinking NO WATER lamp is Er15: no water reached its level sensor.
Why is my Viking refrigerator ice maker not working?
On a 5 Series side-by-side, the freezer must be cold, the bail arm down and the water valve on. Then clear dSp IcE with the alarm button. A Viking refrigerator not making ice after that needs a technician.
A warm freezer belongs on our Viking refrigerator page.
Why is my new Viking fridge not making ice yet?
It may need time. Viking gives 24 to 48 hours on the 5 Series side-by-side and 1 to 2 days on the RVFFR336. A Veil column takes 12 to 24 hours. Past that, Viking fridge ice maker repair starts with the freezer temperature and the water supply.
Why is my Viking freezer not making ice?
Start with the column’s settings. On a Veil all-freezer column, check that Vacation is off, the ice maker icon is on and water is connected. The bottom freezer FDBMIC7360 makes ice only with Fresh Select set to Freezer.
A warm freezer is covered on our Viking freezer page.
Is there a Viking ice maker reset button?
It depends on the machine. On the 5 Series side-by-side, the alarm button resets the icemaker system after dSp IcE.
On a clear-ice machine, power returns by itself once a drain fault clears. The display shows OFF; turn it on. On the nugget FNIU515D, Viking says to restart it once the cause behind the Er code is fixed.
What do Er15 and Er16 mean on a Viking nugget ice machine?
Both are FNIU515D water codes. Er15, NO WATER blinking, means no water level for 2 minutes; check the supply valve and pressure. Er16, DRAIN blinking, means the water did not drain down in 2 minutes. Past those checks, the level sensor or drain valve is our work.
Do you repair the older Viking FGIM5151 ice maker?
Yes, out of warranty. The Viking ice maker FGIM5151 is a discontinued clear-ice model with a gravity drain. The FPIM5151 is its pump version. A flashing Check Water light means no water reached it.
Viking Ice Maker Not Making Ice?
Tell us the model number from the plate and what the display or lamps show. A clear-ice FIUI and a nugget FNIU are diagnosed differently.
