Thoughts on getting ice cubes separated when the tray freezes solid?

I had a similar nightmare with my old Frigidaire last winter, and I am firmly in the camp that it is usually a flow issue, not just temperature. If the water line has a partial obstruction, even a tiny blockage, the ice maker will try to produce a single, continuous loop of freezing water instead of the usual intermittent cycles that create those little cubes. My unit had about a quarter inch of debris buildup inside the inlet filter, and that was the culprit for my massive frozen brick before I ever even thought about a hard reset.

Before you panic and pull the whole shelf out, I whould try finding the water line access point and checking for flow. If you don't have a bypass valve, sometimes just gently pressing the water inlet connector slightly can encourage trapped sediment to move. This is far easier than dealing with the ice, which is basicly a giant metal prison right now. For my own unit, the fix was simply swapping the inlet filter and then running a full tank of vinegar thru the water line to clear any internal mineral deposits that might be causing the restriction. It's an annoyance, but the preventative maintenance on those lines saves you from these big frozen disasters. It sounds like your internal valves may have gotten choked by debris or scale build up.

I heard what you said about the water flow being the main culprit, and I've definitely had a unit act up like that. But in my experience with my Samsung fridge, I’ve seen this massive ice block issue happen long before a clog would ever show up. It usally comes down to the internal temperature failing to keep up with the manufacturing process. When the freezer temperature is even a few degrees too warm, especially after the unit sits without being used for a while, the ice maker starts forming massive, amorphous chunks rather than those neat cubes. It's because the surrounding ambient cold isn't strong enough to stabilize the freezing process at the required level. The machine just overproduces the frozen material instead of cycles it properly.

Instead of tearing out the whole assembly to check for debris, I'd strongly suggest you verify your freezer's actual temperature using a separate thermometer placed directly inside the compartment. Also, check the setting on your main thermostat to ensure it's set to the correct cold cycle. That usually solves the issue without needing a complete replacement of the internal parts.

I don't think focusing on the flow restriction is the main point here. While a partial blockage can definitely contribute, the fundamental reason that entire unit locks up like that is usually related to the cooling capacity failing to keep up. When the internal temperature drifts even slightly too high, the water doesn't break into tiny cubes; it just freezes into the largest single mass possible before the machine even realizes there's a problem. My unit started acting up after a compressor struggled with efficiency, not because of a clogged inlet. It was a thermal failure, plain and simple.

My expirience with this specific issue wasn't related to the water pressure or the cooling, but something totally electrical. My ice maker just froze everything solid, even though the freezer was running cold. I suspected the sensors were stuck in a 'freeze forever' loop. I used a cheap digital multimeter to test the resistance on the ice bin sensor. It was failing and sending a false signal to the control board. Replacing that single sensor fixed the continuous production cycle for me.

Update: ended up being the temperature thing some of you pointed at. I thawed the whole bin out with the door open and a hairdryer on low, and once it was empty the cubes came out normal again. Checked the door seal and it was letting warm air in, which had the freezer drifting. Swapped the gasket and it's been fine for a week now.