Direct answer
For the GE GDE21EYKFS bottom-freezer refrigerator, low water flow, restricted filter and incorrect freezer temperature commonly change cube shape. First, compare dispenser flow and recent filter history.
What this covers
- GE GDE21EYKFS bottom-freezer refrigerator (GDE21EYKFS)
- GE bottom-freezer refrigerator; a single fresh-food door above a pull-out freezer drawer.
- The specific fault this record addresses: makes small, hollow or misshapen ice
What it does not cover
- ×The same symptom on a different GE product line, which has its own record and its own cited source
- ×An on-screen error code whose meaning has not been checked against this exact model's manual
- ×Live electrical, gas, sealed-system, internal battery-cell or structural repair — a technician boundary, not a self-service step
Differential
What actually causes this, and how to tell them apart
These are ordered by how often each one is the answer, not by how easy it is to try. The point of the middle column is that two causes producing the same headline symptom rarely produce the same detail — that detail is what tells you which one you have before you change anything.
- 1
The water filter is clogged or overdue
What separates it Cubes shrank gradually, and the dispenser flow is also slower than it used to be.
How to confirm Because fill is timed rather than measured, restricted flow directly produces smaller cubes. This is the most common cause.
- 2
Supply pressure is too low
What separates it Small cubes from new, or after plumbing work, with a partly closed shut-off valve or a saddle valve that was never fully opened.
How to confirm Check the supply valve is fully open and the line unkinked. Manufacturers state a minimum supply pressure for ice production.
- 3
The fill tube is partially frozen
What separates it Cube size varies batch to batch, with visible ice in the fill tube at the back of the freezer.
How to confirm A partially frozen tube passes some water and blocks the rest, giving inconsistent, often hollow cubes.
- 4
The freezer is too warm for a complete freeze
What separates it Hollow or slushy cubes that have frozen only at the shell.
How to confirm A harvest triggered at the threshold on a warm freezer releases cubes that have not frozen through.
- 5
The filter was changed without purging the line
What separates it Small or cloudy cubes immediately after a filter change, improving over subsequent batches.
How to confirm Air in the line after a filter change disrupts fill volume. Purging several gallons at the dispenser clears it.
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
Every item below stops existing the moment a reset, re-pair or settings change is made. Written down first, they are what separates the causes above; recovered afterwards, they are guesswork.
- Whether dispenser water flow is also reduced, which points at the filter or supply pressure.
- When the water filter was last changed, and whether the line was purged afterwards.
- Whether cube size is consistently small or varies between batches.
- The actual freezer temperature.
Time the dispenser flow into a measuring jug and compare against the manual's figure
ReversibleBecause ice fill is timed rather than measured, flow rate translates directly into cube size.
Replace the water filter if it is overdue and purge several gallons afterwards
ReversiblePurging clears the air that otherwise disrupts the next few fills.
Confirm the supply shut-off valve is fully open and the line is not kinked
ReversibleA partly open valve is common after the unit has been moved.
Check the fill tube at the back of the freezer for ice
ReversibleA partially frozen tube gives inconsistent, hollow cubes batch to batch.
Discard two full batches and assess the third
ReversibleThe first batches after any change are not representative.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
Generic advice for the product line fails here. Each item below is a property of this specific model family that changes which of the steps above apply to you.
- Model scope
- GDE21EYKFS. GE bottom-freezer refrigerator; a single fresh-food door above a pull-out freezer drawer.
- Type — BOTTOM-FREEZER (no through-door dispenser)
- A bottom-freezer refrigerator — single fridge door on top, freezer drawer below. It has NO through-door water/ice dispenser, so dispenser symptoms do not apply; you take ice from the freezer and water from inside.
- Ice maker
- Has an automatic ice maker in the freezer (fed by a water line) on ice-maker builds. 'No ice' traces to the water line/valve, the ice maker being off, or the freezer temperature. If no ice maker is installed, you use trays.
- Cooling
- Air is routed between the compartments; a warm fridge is usually blocked vents or a door ajar. Clean the condenser coil underneath periodically to prevent gradual warming.
- Symptom boundary
- This record covers GE GDE21EYKFS bottom-freezer refrigerator when it makes small, hollow or misshapen ice. A different symptom on the same hardware, or this symptom on a different GE product line, has its own record with its own causes and its own cited source.
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
Continuing past any one of these costs more than the repair saves — in safety, in warranty, or in evidence a technician needs.
- !Close the water supply for leaks, and never bypass filtration unless the model explicitly supports a bypass plug.
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Visible sources support the visible claims. Home Product Support records the publisher, the fact used and the review date; community reports can suggest an issue but do not become a published fact on their own.
Where the manufacturer's article stops. GE Appliances publishes this as "Owner support". Official GE and GE Profile model manuals, troubleshooting and service entry point. What that article does not carry is the model boundary — it is written for a product line, and GDE21EYKFS is the scope applied here. Where a control label, terminal, indicator pattern or reset sequence differs on your unit, the manual for that exact model is the authority, not this page and not the article.
Exact questions
Common follow-ups
Where's the water dispenser on my GE GDE21EYKFS?+
There isn't one — this is a bottom-freezer model without a through-door dispenser, so you fill water from inside and take ice from the freezer's ice maker (if fitted) or trays. Dispenser troubleshooting does not apply. If it has the automatic ice maker and it is not making ice, check the water line and valve, that the ice maker is switched on, and the freezer temperature.
My ice cubes got smaller and hollow.+
That is almost always water flow rather than freezing. The ice maker fills for a fixed length of time rather than measuring a volume, so anything that slows the water — usually an overdue filter — directly produces smaller, hollower cubes. Check whether the dispenser flow has also slowed, which confirms it.
Does this answer apply to every GE model?+
No. It is scoped to GDE21EYKFS. GE bottom-freezer refrigerator; a single fresh-food door above a pull-out freezer drawer.
What should I record before troubleshooting small ice or hollow cubes?+
Record the complete model identifier, exact message or indicator, software/firmware where visible, the operating stage and what still works.
Why is a factory reset not the first step?+
A reset can erase accounts, networks, maps, schedules or preferences without distinguishing small ice, hollow cubes. The ordered checks preserve that evidence.
When should I stop and use qualified service?+
Close water for leaks; never bypass filtration unless the model explicitly supports a bypass.
Answer for the exact device and software version shown above.