If the buttons on your KitchenAid refrigerator aren’t working – it’s very possible that the Child Lock, or Control Lock, is to blame.
It’s easy to turn this on and off, so it’s not uncommon for it to be activated by mistake.
While these locks are great at keeping curious kids safe and your kitchen a flood-free zone, it can be equally frustrating when they stop your refrigerator from working as it should.
Thankfully it’s easy to diagnose – if you see the ‘CONTROL LOCKED’ error message on the display when pressing any buttons on the control panel, this is a sign your Control Lock has been activated.
As such, this prevents you from changing settings such as the fridge/freezer temperature, the type of ice being dispensed, or water/ice from dispensing at all.
Kitchenaid Refrigerator Child Lock/Control Lock
The vast majority of KitchenAid models only have one combined Control, Dispenser, and Child Lock; if it’s on, the display screen will read ‘CONTROL LOCKED’ when you try to press buttons or change any settings.
As a result, you’ll be unable to update any temperature settings, dispense water or ice, or change from crushed to cubed ice – until the Control Lock is disabled.
How to Turn On Control Lock
To turn the Control Lock on, simply press and hold the ‘TO LOCK’ button for 3-5 seconds until the display screen confirms the lock has been turned on.
How to Turn Off Control Lock
To turn the Control Lock off, simply press and hold the ‘TO LOCK’ button for 3-5 seconds, until the display screen confirms the lock has been turned off.
If your control panel is unresponsive, you can reset it by turning the refrigerator off at the mains power for 5 minutes before turning it back on and trying again.
If this doesn’t work, you can check your user manual.
Other Reasons Your KitchenAid Refrigerator Control Panel Isn’t Working
If you’ve run through the list, and none of the locks are active – but your control panel still isn’t responding, you’ll need to complete further troubleshooting to find the source of the problem.
As with mobile phones, the easiest fix for many bugs is a ‘hard reset’ which is completed by powering your refrigerator off at the mains power for 30 minutes – before turning it back on.
If this doesn’t work, it indicates there’s likely an electrical fault, either with the control panel itself or with the wiring. Unless you’re confident with electrical DIY, I’d advise contacting a professional at this point.
Related: How to Unlock Whirlpool Refrigerator
