Why is My Refrigerator Water Dispenser Not Working?

broken refrigerator water dispenser

Is the water dispenser on your refrigerator broken? If not, you can try to repair the issue by yourself or call Greeley Appliance Repair for refrigerator repair Greeley, Colorado.

There are several reasons for a water dispenser in a kitchen refrigerator to stop working. Again, some of the suggestions might sound a little strange. However, something as obvious as an off switch on the refrigerator has been the cause in some instances. Be sure to review the obvious potential issues prior to moving forward with complicated refrigerator repair. Let’s start to tackle this appliance repair issue and see what reasons we can cite for a broken water dispenser on a refrigerator.

The reason for a water dispenser not dispensing is commonly an installation issue, a filter failure or frozen water tubes:

Refrigerator Installation Issues

You just purchased a new refrigerator for your kitchen with a water dispenser, but it’s broken. The water dispenser must be connected to the home’s water line. That could be the issue.

If your new refrigerator is replacing an older refrigerator that didn’t feature a water dispenser or ice maker, there’s a chance that you do not have a water line near this area of the kitchen. Most of the time a water line is commonly run from under the house either in a crawl space or basement. You can buy this line at just about any home repair store and they are very simple for the typical homeowner to install. Typically they have include a built-in water shut-off valve, which is important so that if you ever need to move the refrigerator, you can shut off the water.

If there is a water line, is the valve turned on? The valve handle should be lined up with the hose. And, is water running through the pipe you have used to connect the water line? Simple and questions, but things that have to be accounted for.

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

When the water line is connected, most of the time there’s air in it. So, engaging and disengaging the dispenser control to get the air out of it is needed.
Filter Issues

On some refrigerators, there are different filters. These filters can “expire”, clog or freeze. All filters are based on the model and brand of refrigerator. If your filter is clogged it might cause slow filling or no flowing. It’s suggested that your filter should be replaced every 6 months. Changing filters in a refrigerator can be challenging. If you have issues, go online or call us and learn the proper process to change a filter.

One idea is to fill the water filter with water before installing it. Typically the water filters will take a long amount of time to fill up, which could lead you to assume that the water dispenser is not working. You should read the owner’s manual if all else fails. To ensure it’s not air caught in the lines, depress the dispenser lever for around 5 minutes.

A frozen water tank might be the reason for the issue as well on some models. If the water tank is frozen it will leak onto the food bins. Limited food inside of the fresh food bins might cause freezing.

ADDITIONAL REFRIGERATOR RESOURCES