Why is My Refrigerator Water Dispenser Not Working?

refrigerator water dispenser image

Is the water dispenser on your refrigerator not working? If so, you can try to solve the issue on your own or call A&L Tempe Appliance Repair for refrigerator repair Tempe, Arizona.

There are many reasons for the water dispenser in a kitchen refrigerator to stop working. Again, some of the suggestions could sound a bit crazy. However, something as simple as a power switch has been the reason in some instances. Be sure to check the obvious potential issues prior to moving forward with complicated refrigerator repair. Let’s begin to cover this appliance repair problem and see all of the solutions we can come up with for a broken water dispenser.

The cause of a broken water dispenser is typically either an installation problem, a filter failure or frozen water lines:

Refrigerator Installation Problems

You just installed a brand new refrigerator for your kitchen with a water dispenser, but it is not dispensing water. The water dispenser has to be connected to the water line. That could be the cause of the issue.

If your new refrigerator is replacing a previous refrigerator that didn’t feature an ice maker or water dispenser, there’s a possibility that you do not have a water line near this area. A water line is usually run from underneath the home either in a crawl space or basement. You can get this type of water line at almost any home repair store and they’re pretty simple for the typical homeowner to install. Usually they have a a built-in water shut-off valve, which is necessary so that if you need to move the refrigerator, you can turn off the water.

If there is a connected water line, is the valve on? The valve handle needs to be in line with the hose. And, is water running through the pipe you have used to connect the water line? Simple and questions, but items that need to be checked.

If you removed the doors during installation the water dispenser may not be plugged in. Review the owner’s manual to find the wire harness for that particular refrigerator. Check that it is plugged into the refrigerator.

If the water is hooked up, most of the time there is air in it. So, engaging and disengaging the water dispenser lever on the refrigerator to get the air out of it is needed.
Filter Problems

On some refrigerators, there are different filters. These filters can “expire”, become clogged or get frozen. All filters are based on your style and type of refrigerator. If your filter is blocked it will cause slow filling or no flowing at all. It’s recommended that your filter is changed every 6 months. Changing filters can be difficult. If you have issues, go online and learn the proper method to change a filter.

One suggestion is to fill up the water filter with water before installation. A lot of time the water filters need a long amount of time to fill, which might cause you to think that the water dispenser isn’t working. You will want to read the manual if nothing is working. To be sure it is not air caught in the water lines, we recommend to depress the dispenser lever for about 5 minutes.

A frozen water tank might also be the cause of the problem as well in some refrigerators. If the tank freezes it will begin to leak onto the food bins. Minimal food in the fresh food bins might cause freezing to happen.

ADDITIONAL REFRIGERATOR RESOURCES