Why is My Refrigerator Water Dispenser Not Working?

defective refrigerator water dispenser

Is the water dispenser on your refrigerator not dispensing water? If not, you can try to solve the problem by yourself or call Storm Appliance Repair for professional refrigerator repair.

There are several reasons for the water dispenser in a kitchen refrigerator to not work. Again, some reasons could sound a bit crazy. However, something as simple as a power switch has been the culprit in some instances. Be sure to check the more obvious potential problems before proceeding with complicated refrigerator repair. Let’s start to cover this appliance repair problem and see what reasons we can cite for a broken water dispenser.

The cause of a water dispenser not working is typically either an installation problem, a filter failure or frozen water lines:

Refrigerator Installation Issues

You just installed a brand new refrigerator with a water dispenser, but it is not dispensing water. The water dispenser must be hooked up to the water line. That could be the reason for the problem.

If your new refrigerator is replacing an old refrigerator that didn’t have an ice maker or water dispenser, there’s a chance that you do not have a functioning water line near this area of the kitchen. A water line is typically run from under a house either in a crawl space or basement. You can purchase this line at nearly any home repair store and they’re pretty simple for the average homeowner to install. Typically they have come with a built-in water shut-off valve, which is necessary so that if you should need to relocate the refrigerator, you can shut off the water.

If you have a water line, is the valve on? The valve handle should be in line with the hose. And, is there water going through the pipe that you have used to connect the water line? Obvious and questions, but items that need to be confirmed.

If you had to remove the refrigerator doors during installation it is possible the water dispenser might not be plugged in. Read the owner’s manual to find the wire harness for that particular refrigerator. Check that it is plugged into the refrigerator.

When the water is connected, usually there’s air in the line. So, lifting and lowering the dispenser lever on the refrigerator to get the air out is necessary.
Filter Problems

On some of the refrigerators, there are various filters. These filters can “expire”, clog or get frozen. All filters are based on your model and type of refrigerator. If the filter is blocked it might cause slow filling or no flowing at all. It’s recommended that your filter is changed every 6 months. Changing filters can be difficult. If you run into problems, go online or call us and learn the right process to replace a filter.

One suggestion is to fill the water filter with water before installing it. Typically the water filters need a long time to fill up, which could lead you to think that the water dispenser is not working right. You will want to read the directions if nothing is working. To ensure it’s not air trapped in the water lines, depress the dispenser arm for about 5 minutes.

A frozen water tank might be the cause of the problem as well on some refrigerators. If the tank is frozen it will start to leak onto the food bins. Limited food in the fresh food bins could cause freezing.

ADDITIONAL REFRIGERATOR RESOURCES

Copyright ©2024  Storm Appliance Repair