Why is My Refrigerator Water Dispenser Not Working?

Is the water dispenser on your refrigerator broken? If not, you can attempt to repair the issue by yourself or call Gibbs Appliance Repair for professional refrigerator repair CITY, STATE.

There are a lot of reasons for the water dispenser in a refrigerator to not work. Again, some reasons could sound a little strange. However, something as simple as an off switch on the refrigerator has been the culprit in some instances. Be sure to review the obvious potential problems prior to proceeding with refrigerator repair. Let’s begin to tackle this appliance repair problem and see all of the reasons we can cite for a broken water dispenser on a refrigerator.

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

Refrigerator Installation Issues

You just purchased a new refrigerator with a water dispenser, but it is not dispensing water. The water dispenser has to be hooked up to the water line. That might be the cause of the problem.

If your new refrigerator is replacing an old refrigerator that didn’t include an ice maker or water dispenser, there’s a possibility that you do not have a functioning water line near this area of the kitchen. Most of the time a water line is commonly run from underneath a house either in a basement or crawl space. You can buy this type of water line at just about any hardware store and they are very easy for even the typical homeowner to install. Usually 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 turn off the water.

If there is a water line, is the valve turned on? The valve handle needs to be in line with the hose. And, is water running through the pipe you have installed to connect the water line? Obvious and questions, but items that need to be accounted for.

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

If the water is connected, most of the time there’s air in the line. So, lifting and lowering the water dispenser control to get the air out is needed.
Filter Issues

On some of the popular models, there are various filters. These filters could “expire”, clog or freeze. All filters are based on the style and brand of refrigerator. If your filter is clogged it can cause slow filling or no flowing period. It is suggested that your filter is changed every 6 months. Replacing filters can be difficult. If you run into problems, go online and learn the right method to replace a filter.

One suggestion is to fill up the filter with water before installation. A lot of time the water filters can take a long time to fill up, which could lead you to assume the water dispenser on the refrigerator is not working right. You should read the manual if all else fails. To be sure it’s not air caught in the lines, depress the dispenser lever for about 5 minutes.

A frozen water tank might also be the reason for the problem as well on some models. If the water tank is frozen it will start to leak onto the fresh food bins. Low amounts of food inside of the fresh food bins might cause freezing.

ADDITIONAL REFRIGERATOR RESOURCES

• Refrigerator Not Cooling
• Refrigerator Noisy
• Refrigerator Ice Maker Not Working
• How Does a Refrigerator Work?