Why is My Refrigerator Water Dispenser Not Working?

Is the water dispenser on your refrigerator not working? If not, you can attempt to solve the issue by yourself or call Goff Appliance Repair for professional refrigerator repair.

There are several reasons for a water dispenser in a refrigerator to stop working. Again, some reasons are going to 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 refrigerator repair. Let’s start to cover this appliance repair problem and see all of the reasons we can reference for a broken water dispenser on a refrigerator.

The cause of a water dispenser not dispensing is commonly either an installation problem, a filter failure or frozen water tubes:

New Refrigerator Installation Issues

You just bought a new refrigerator for your kitchen with a water dispenser, but it is not dispensing water. The water dispenser has to be hooked up to the home’s water line. That could be the issue.

If your new refrigerator is replacing an older refrigerator that didn’t include an ice maker or water dispenser, there’s a chance that you do not have a functioning water line running to this area of the kitchen. Most of the time a water line is typically run from under the home either in a crawl space or basement. You can purchase this line at nearly any hardware store and they’re very simple for even the average homeowner to install. Typically they have come with 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’s an attached water line, is the valve on? The valve handle needs to be in line with the hose. And, is water going through the pipe that you have used to connect the water line? Obvious and basic questions, but things that need to be checked.

If you had to remove the doors during installation the water dispenser might not be plugged in. Read the manual to find the wire harness for the particular model of refrigerator. Be sure that it’s plugged into the refrigerator.

If the water is connected, most of the time there is air in the line. So, engaging and disengaging the water dispenser lever to get the air out is needed.
Filter Issues

On some models, there are different filters. These filters might “expire”, become clogged or get frozen. All filters are dependent on your style and brand of refrigerator. If the filter is blocked it might cause slow filling or no flowing. It is suggested that your filter is changed every 6 months. Changing filters in a refrigerator can be challenging. If you run into problems, go online or call us and learn the proper process to replace a filter.

One idea is to fill the filter with water prior to installing it. Typically the water filters take a long amount of time to fill, which could lead you to believe that the water dispenser isn’t working right. You will want to read the directions if all else fails. To ensure it’s not air caught in the lines, depress the dispenser arm for about 5 minutes.

A frozen water tank might also be the cause of the issue as well in some refrigerators. If the water tank freezes it will leak onto the food bins. Limited food inside of the fresh food bins could cause freezing.

ADDITIONAL REFRIGERATOR RESOURCES

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