Why is My Refrigerator Water Dispenser Not Working?

Is the water dispenser on your refrigerator not working? If so, you can attempt to solve the problem by yourself or call Ericson Appliance Repair for professional refrigerator repair.

There are many reasons for a water dispenser in a refrigerator to not work anymore. Again, some suggestions could sound a little strange. However, something as obvious as an on/off switch has been the reason before. Be sure to review the more obvious potential problems prior to moving forward with refrigerator repair. Let’s begin to cover this appliance repair issue and see what solutions we can cite for a broken water dispenser.

The cause of a broken water dispenser is usually an installation problem, a filter failure or frozen water tubes:

Refrigerator Installation Problems

You just bought a new refrigerator for your kitchen with a water dispenser, but it is broken. The water dispenser has to be hooked up to the home’s water line. That might be the cause of the problem.

If your brand new refrigerator is replacing an old refrigerator that didn’t have an ice maker or water dispenser, there’s a possibility that you do not have a functioning water line near this area. Most of the time a water line is usually run from under the home either in a crawl space or basement. You can purchase this line at just about any home repair store and they are pretty easy for even the typical homeowner to install. Typically they have include a built-in water shut-off valve, which is necessary so that if you ever need to move the refrigerator, you can turn off the water.

If there is an attached water line, is the valve turned on? The valve handle should be lined up with the hose. And, is water running through the pipe that you have installed to connect the water line? Obvious and questions, but things that have to be checked.

If you removed the doors during installation the water dispenser may not be plugged in. Read the manual to find the wire harness for the particular refrigerator. Check that it is plugged into the refrigerator.

When the water is hooked up, most of the time there is air in the line. So, engaging and disengaging the dispenser control to get the air out is needed.
Filter Issues

On some popular models, there are various filters. These filters can “expire”, become clogged or become frozen. All filters are based on the model and type of refrigerator. If the filter is clogged it will cause slow filling or no flowing. It is suggested that your filter should be replaced every 6 months. Changing filters in a refrigerator can be challenging. If you have problems, go online and learn the proper method to change a filter.

One suggestion is to fill the water filter with water before installation. Typically the water filters need a long time to fill, which could lead you to assume the water dispenser isn’t working. You will want to read the directions if all else fails. To be sure it’s not air trapped in the lines, we recommend to depress the dispenser arm for about 5 minutes.

A frozen water tank might also be the cause of the issue as well on some refrigerators. If the tank is frozen it will start to leak onto the food bins. Minimal food inside of the fresh food bins might cause freezing.

ADDITIONAL REFRIGERATOR RESOURCES

• Refrigerator Not Cooling
• Refrigerator Noisy
• Refrigerator Ice Maker Not Working
• How Does a Refrigerator Work?