Why is My Refrigerator Water Dispenser Not Working?

refrigerator water dispenser image

Is the water dispenser on your refrigerator not working? If not, you can try to solve the issue on your own or call Express Centreville Appliance Repair for refrigerator repair Centreville, Virginia.

There are many reasons for the water dispenser in a refrigerator to not work. Again, some of the reasons could sound a bit crazy. However, something as simple as a power switch has been the culprit in the past. Be sure to check the obvious potential issues before proceeding with refrigerator repair. Let’s begin to cover this appliance repair problem and see what solutions we can come up with for a broken water dispenser on a refrigerator.

The cause of a broken water dispenser is commonly either an installation issue, a filter failure or frozen water lines:

Refrigerator Installation Problems

You just bought a brand new refrigerator for your kitchen with a water dispenser, but it’s broken. The water dispenser must be connected to the water line. That might be the cause of the problem.

If the new refrigerator is replacing an old refrigerator that did not include a water dispenser or ice maker, there’s a chance that you don’t have a functioning water line near this area. Most of the time a water line is commonly run from under the house either in a crawl space or basement. You can get this type of water line at nearly any home repair store and they are pretty simple for even the average homeowner to install. Typically they have a a built-in water shut-off valve, which is important so that if you ever need to relocate the refrigerator, you can shut off the water.

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

If you removed the doors during installation the water dispenser may not be plugged in. Review the owner’s manual to see the wire harness for that particular refrigerator. Be sure that it’s plugged into the refrigerator.

If the water line is connected, most of the time there is air in the line. So, lifting and lowering the dispenser control on the refrigerator to get the air out of it is needed.
Filter Problems

On some household refrigerators, there are various filters. These filters might “expire”, clog or become frozen. All filters are based on your model and brand of refrigerator. If the filter is clogged it might cause slow filling or no flowing. It is suggested that your filter be replaced every 6 months. Changing filters can be difficult. If you have hiccups, go online or call us and find the right method to replace a filter.

One suggestion is to fill the water filter with water prior to installing it. Typically the water filters take a long time to fill up, which might lead you to believe that the water dispenser on the refrigerator isn’t working right. You should read the directions if nothing is working. To ensure it’s not air trapped in the water lines, we recommend to depress the dispenser lever for around 5 minutes.

A frozen water tank might be the source of the issue as well on some models. If the tank freezes it will leak onto the fresh food bins. Minimal food inside of the fresh food bins could cause freezing.

ADDITIONAL REFRIGERATOR RESOURCES