Direct answer
For the LG LRMVS3006 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
- LG LRMVS3006 refrigerator (LRMVS3006*)
- LG French-door refrigerator; InstaView, Craft Ice, ThinQ and linear/Smart Inverter compressor equipment varies.
- The specific fault this record addresses: makes small, hollow or misshapen ice
What it does not cover
- ×The same symptom on a different LG 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
- LRMVS3006*. LG French-door refrigerator; InstaView, Craft Ice, ThinQ and linear/Smart Inverter compressor equipment varies.
- Type — InstaView French door
- A French-door fridge with InstaView (a glass door panel that lights up when you knock twice, so you see inside without opening it). If the panel does not light, it is the knock sensor/setting, separate from cooling.
- Ice — dual makers incl. Craft Ice
- TWO ice makers: a normal one in the door AND a Craft Ice maker in the freezer that makes slow-melting round balls. Craft Ice makes only a few spheres a day by design — 'not enough Craft Ice' is usually that expected slow rate, not a fault. Ice/water faults otherwise trace to the water line, filter and freezer temperature.
- Cooling — Linear Compressor
- LG's Linear Compressor (10-year warranty) runs continuously at variable speed rather than cycling on/off, so it is quieter and holds steadier temperatures — a faint continuous hum is normal, not a fault. Dual evaporators keep fridge and freezer air separate.
- Symptom boundary
- This record covers LG LRMVS3006 refrigerator when it makes small, hollow or misshapen ice. A different symptom on the same hardware, or this symptom on a different LG 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. LG publishes this as "[LG refrigerator ice] The ice in the ice storage bin sticks together or becomes smaller.". Undersized and clumped/misshapen cubes — LG's closest match to small or hollow ice. What that article does not carry is the model boundary — it is written for a product line, and LRMVS3006* 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
My LG LRMVS3006 Craft Ice maker barely makes any ice.+
That is expected — the Craft Ice maker produces only a small number of round ice balls per day (roughly three, more on some settings), because each sphere takes time to freeze solid. It is meant for a few cocktails, not bulk ice; the regular in-door ice maker handles everyday needs. If BOTH ice makers make nothing, then check the water line, filter and freezer temperature, which is a different problem.
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 LG model?+
No. It is scoped to LRMVS3006*. LG French-door refrigerator; InstaView, Craft Ice, ThinQ and linear/Smart Inverter compressor equipment varies.
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.