Have you ever reached into your ice bin and found ice cubes that look normal—until you pick one up and realize it’s thin, hollow, and breaks apart easily? This is a common issue we see in fridge-mounted ice makers and it usually points to one thing: low water pressure.
At Appliance Professional, we’ve diagnosed this issue many times across a wide range of brands, and here’s what you should know.
💧 What Causes Hollow Ice?
Hollow ice cubes form when not enough water fills the ice mold before the freezing cycle begins. This incomplete fill results in a thin shell of ice with an empty center.
The most common cause? Low water pressure—often due to one of the following:
- A water filter that’s clogged or overdue for replacement
- Low water pressure in your home
- A kinked or clogged water line (either behind the appliance or inside the unit)
- Rarely, a faulty water valve
Even though a faulty ice maker might seem like the culprit, the issue often lies in the water supply. One of the biggest clues? Slow flow from your water dispenser. If your fridge is dispensing water slowly, the same limited pressure is likely affecting the ice maker.
🧰 How to Fix It
The good news is that most hollow ice problems are easy to fix—and don’t require replacing your ice maker.
Here’s what we recommend:
- Replace your water filter, and make sure you use a genuine OEM filter (off-brand filters may be cheaper, but don’t always work as well as you expect).
- After changing the filter, give it 24–48 hours to flush the lines going to the ice maker and produce a new batch of ice.
- Check that your water line isn’t kinked or crimped behind the fridge.
- If your water dispenser is still running slowly—or the ice is still hollow—it’s time to call a professional.
👨🔧 We’re Here to Help
Whether your ice maker is built into your fridge or part of a separate undercounter system, we’re trained to find and fix water pressure issues, valve problems, and ice maker faults. We service homes throughout Columbia, Lexington, Irmo, Forest Acres, Blythewood, Chapin, and West Columbia.
We’re factory-authorized for premium brands like Sub-Zero, Liebherr, Thermador, Marvel, U-Line, Monogram, Jenn-Air, Bosch, GE, Electrolux, Whirlpool, and many more. Plus, we handle out-of-warranty repairs for nearly every brand, too.
If your ice cubes are hollow, weak, or taking forever to freeze, don’t waste time guessing. Schedule service online or call us today—we’ll make sure your ice is as solid as your fridge.