Why is My Refrigerator Water Dispenser Not Working?

refrigerator water dispenser picture

Is the water dispenser on your refrigerator not dispensing water? If so, you can try to repair the problem on your own or call Fast Fall River Appliance Repair for refrigerator repair Fall River, Massachusetts.

There are several reasons for a water dispenser in a kitchen refrigerator to stop working. Again, some reasons might sound a bit crazy. However, something as obvious as an off switch has been the cause in some instances. Be sure to review the obvious potential issues before proceeding 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 reason for a water dispenser not dispensing is usually either an installation issue, a filter failure or frozen water lines:

New Refrigerator Installation Issues

You just bought a new refrigerator with a water dispenser, but it’s broken. The water dispenser must be hooked up to the home’s water line. That could be the issue.

If your new refrigerator is replacing a prior refrigerator that did not have a water dispenser or ice maker, there’s a possibility that you don’t have a water line near this area. Most of the time a water line is typically run from under the house either in a basement or crawl space. You can purchase this line at just about any hardware store and they are pretty easy for the average homeowner to install. Usually they have a a water shut-off valve, which is necessary so that if you 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 needs to be lined up with the hose. And, is water going through the pipe you have used to connect the water line? Simple and questions, but things that have to be checked.

If you had to remove the refrigerator doors during installation the water dispenser might not be plugged in. Check the owner’s manual to find the wire harness for that particular refrigerator. Ensure that it’s plugged into the refrigerator.

Once the water is hooked up, most of the time there’s air in it. So, lifting and lowering the dispenser lever on the refrigerator to get the air out is needed.
Filter Problems

On some of the refrigerators, there are various filters. These filters can “expire”, clog or freeze. All of the filters are dependent 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. Changing filters can be hard sometimes. If you run into hiccups, go online and learn the right method to replace a filter.

One suggestion is to fill up the water filter with water before installing it. A lot of time the water filters take a long time to fill up, which could cause you to believe that the water dispenser on the refrigerator is not working right. You will want to read the directions if all else fails. To be certain it’s not air caught in the lines, we recommend to depress the dispenser arm for around 5 minutes.

A frozen water tank might also be the cause of the problem as well on some refrigerators. If the water tank freezes it will start to leak onto the food bins. Small amounts of food inside of the fresh food bins could cause freezing.

ADDITIONAL REFRIGERATOR RESOURCES