Why is My Refrigerator Water Dispenser Not Working?

image of refrigerator water dispenser

Is the water dispenser on your refrigerator not working? If not, you can attempt to solve the issue on your own or call Achieve Appliance Repair for refrigerator repair Arlington, Texas.

There are a lot of reasons for a water dispenser in a refrigerator to stop working. Again, some of the suggestions might sound a bit crazy. However, something as obvious as an on/off switch on the refrigerator has been the reason in the past. Be sure to review the obvious potential issues prior to proceeding with complicated refrigerator repair. Let’s start to tackle this appliance repair issue and see all of the reasons we can reference for a broken water dispenser on a refrigerator.

The reason for a broken water dispenser is typically either an installation error, a filter problem or frozen water tubes:

Refrigerator Installation Problems

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

If the new refrigerator is replacing an old refrigerator that did not include an ice maker or water dispenser, there is a possibility that you do not have a water line running to this area of the kitchen. Most of the time a water line is usually run from underneath a home either in a crawl space or basement. You can buy this type of water line at nearly any home repair store and they are very simple for even the average homeowner to install. Typically they have a a water shut-off valve, which is necessary so that if you should need to move the refrigerator, you can shut off the water.

If there’s 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 installed to connect the water line? Simple and basic questions, but items that have to be accounted for.

If you removed the refrigerator doors during installation it is possible the water dispenser may not be plugged in. Review the manual to find the wire harness for that particular model of refrigerator. Ensure that it is plugged into the refrigerator.

When the water is hooked up, usually there’s air in it. So, engaging and disengaging the water dispenser control to get the air out is needed.
Filter Problems

On some of the popular refrigerators, there are various filters. These filters could “expire”, clog or become frozen. All filters are based on your model and brand of refrigerator. If the filter is blocked it might cause slow filling or no flowing period. It is suggested that your filter is replaced every 6 months. Replacing filters in a refrigerator can be difficult. If you run into problems, go online and learn the proper method to replace a filter.

One recommendation is to fill the water filter with water before installing it. A lot of time the water filters need a long amount of time to fill up, which might lead you to think the water dispenser on the refrigerator isn’t working. You will want to read the manual if nothing is working. To ensure it’s not air caught in the water lines, depress the dispenser arm for about 5 minutes.

A frozen water tank might also be the source of the problem as well in some models. If the water tank freezes it will begin to leak onto the food bins. Small amounts of food in the fresh food bins will cause freezing to occur.

ADDITIONAL REFRIGERATOR RESOURCES