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 attempt to solve the issue on your own or call Ideal Edison Appliance Repair for refrigerator repair Edison, New Jersey.

There are many reasons for the water dispenser in a refrigerator to stop working. Again, some of the reasons might sound a bit crazy. However, something as obvious as an on/off switch on the refrigerator has been the culprit before. Be sure to check the obvious potential issues prior to proceeding with refrigerator repair. Let’s start to tackle this appliance repair issue and see what causes we can come up with for a broken water dispenser.

The reason for a broken water dispenser is commonly either an installation issue, a filter problem or frozen water lines:

New Refrigerator Installation Problems

You just installed a new refrigerator for your kitchen with a water dispenser, but it is not working. The water dispenser has to be hooked up to the home’s water line. That might be the issue.

If the new refrigerator is replacing a previous refrigerator that did not feature an ice maker or water dispenser, there is a chance that you do not have a water line near this area of the kitchen. Most of the time a water line is usually run from underneath the home either in a basement or crawl space. You can acquire this type of water line at almost any home repair store and they are very simple for even the average homeowner to install. Usually 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’s a connected water line, is the valve on? The valve handle should be lined up with the hose. And, is there water going through the pipe you have installed to connect the water line? Simple and basic questions, but items that have to be checked.

If you removed the refrigerator doors during installation it’s possible the water dispenser might not be plugged in. Read the owner’s manual to see the wire harness for the particular model of refrigerator. Check that it’s plugged into the refrigerator.

When the water is hooked up, usually there is air in the line. So, engaging and disengaging the dispenser lever to get the air out is needed.
Filter Issues

On some popular models, there are various filters. These filters can “expire”, clog or get frozen. All filters are based on the model and brand of refrigerator. If your filter is blocked it will cause slow filling or no flowing at all. It is suggested that your filter is replaced every 6 months. Replacing filters in a refrigerator can be difficult. If you run into hiccups, go online and find the right method to replace a filter.

One idea is to fill up the water filter with water prior to installing it. A lot of time the water filters take a long amount of time to fill, which could cause you to think that the water dispenser isn’t working. You should read the manual if all else fails. To ensure it is not air caught in the lines, we recommend to depress the dispenser arm for around 5 minutes.

A frozen water tank could be the reason for the issue as well in some refrigerators. If the water tank freezes it will begin to leak onto the fresh food bins. Minimal food in the fresh food bins will cause freezing.

ADDITIONAL REFRIGERATOR RESOURCES