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 by yourself or call Cain Appliance Repair for professional refrigerator repair CITY, STATE.

There are many reasons for a water dispenser in a refrigerator to not work anymore. Again, some suggestions might sound a bit crazy. However, something as simple as an off switch has been the culprit in the past. Be sure to review the obvious potential issues before moving forward with complicated refrigerator repair. Let’s begin to cover this appliance repair issue and see what solutions we can reference for a broken water dispenser.

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

New Refrigerator Installation Issues

You just bought a new refrigerator with a water dispenser, but it is broken. The water dispenser has to be connected to the water line. That could be the cause of the problem.

If your new refrigerator is replacing an older refrigerator that didn’t include a water dispenser or ice maker, there’s a possibility that you don’t have a water line running to this area. Most of the time a water line is usually run from underneath a home either in a basement or crawl space. You can acquire this line at almost any hardware store and they are very 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 should need to relocate the refrigerator, you can shut off the water.

If there is an attached water line, is the valve turned on? The valve handle must be in line with the hose. And, is water running through the pipe that you have installed to connect the water line? Obvious and common questions, but items that have to be confirmed.

If you had to remove the doors during installation it’s possible the water dispenser is not plugged in. Check the manual to see the wire harness for that particular refrigerator. Be sure that it is plugged into the refrigerator.

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

On some of the models, there are various filters. These filters can “expire”, clog or freeze. All of the filters are dependent on the model and type of refrigerator. If your filter is blocked it can cause slow filling or no flowing. It’s recommended that your filter is changed every 6 months. Changing filters in a refrigerator can be challenging. If you have problems, go online and find the proper method to replace a filter.

One recommendation is to fill the filter with water prior to installing it. Typically the water filters can take a long time to fill, which could lead you to believe that the water dispenser isn’t working. You will want to read the owner’s manual if all else fails. To ensure it’s not air trapped in the water lines, depress the dispenser arm for about 5 minutes.

A frozen water tank could be the reason for the problem as well on some models. If the water tank is frozen it will begin to leak onto the fresh food bins. Minimal food inside of the fresh food bins will cause freezing.

ADDITIONAL REFRIGERATOR RESOURCES