Why is My Refrigerator Water Dispenser Not Working?

broken refrigerator water dispenser image

Is the water dispenser on your refrigerator not working? If not, you can attempt to solve the issue on your own or call Shoreline Appliance Repair for professional refrigerator repair Orange County.

There are a lot of reasons for the water dispenser in a refrigerator to not work. Again, some reasons could sound a bit crazy. However, something as simple as a power switch on the refrigerator has been the cause in some instances. Be sure to review the obvious potential problems before moving forward with complicated refrigerator repair. Let’s begin to tackle this appliance repair issue and see all of the solutions we can come up with for a broken water dispenser on a refrigerator.

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

Refrigerator Installation Issues

You just purchased a new refrigerator for your kitchen with a water dispenser, but it is broken. The water dispenser has to be hooked up to the home’s water line. That could be the problem.

If your brand new refrigerator is replacing an older refrigerator that didn’t feature an ice maker or water dispenser, there is a possibility that you don’t have a water line near this area of the kitchen. A water line is usually run from under the home either in a crawl space or basement. You can get this type of water line at almost any hardware store and they are very simple for even the average homeowner to install. Typically they have come with a built-in water shut-off valve, which is necessary so that if you ever need to move the refrigerator, you can shut off the water.

If you have an attached water line, is the valve turned 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? Simple and basic questions, but items that have to be checked.

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

Once the water is connected, usually there is air in it. So, engaging and disengaging the water dispenser control on the refrigerator to get the air out of it is needed.
Filter Issues

On some popular models, there are different filters. These filters might “expire”, become clogged or become frozen. All of the filters are based on your style and brand of refrigerator. If the filter is blocked it might cause slow filling or no flowing at all. It is suggested that your filter be replaced every 6 months. Replacing filters can be hard sometimes. If you run into issues, go online and learn the right process to change a filter.

One recommendation is to fill up the water filter with water prior to installation. A lot of time the water filters take a long amount of time to fill up, which could lead you to believe that the water dispenser isn’t working right. You should read the directions if all else fails. To ensure it’s not air trapped in the water lines, we recommend to depress the dispenser lever for about 5 minutes.

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

ADDITIONAL REFRIGERATOR RESOURCES