Why is My Refrigerator Water Dispenser Not Working?

refrigerator water dispenser image

Is the water dispenser on your refrigerator not dispensing water? If so, you can attempt to repair the issue on your own or call Triumph Appliance Repair of Troy for refrigerator repair Troy, Michigan.

There are many reasons for the water dispenser in a refrigerator to not work anymore. Again, some of the reasons are going to sound a little strange. However, something as obvious as a power switch on the refrigerator has been the cause in the past. Be sure to review the more obvious potential issues before proceeding with complicated refrigerator repair. Let’s begin to tackle this appliance repair problem and see all of the causes we can cite for a broken water dispenser on a refrigerator.

The reason for a water dispenser not working is usually an installation error, a filter failure or frozen water lines:

Refrigerator Installation Issues

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

If your new refrigerator is replacing a prior refrigerator that did not include an ice maker or water dispenser, there’s a chance that you don’t have a water line near this area of the kitchen. Most of the time a water line is usually run from underneath a home either in a basement or crawl space. You can buy this line at almost any hardware store and they’re pretty easy for the typical 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 is a water line, is the valve on? The valve handle needs to be lined up with the hose. And, is water going through the pipe that you have installed to connect the water line? Obvious and basic questions, but items that need to be confirmed.

If you had to remove the doors during installation it is possible the water dispenser isn’t plugged in. Check the manual to find the wire harness for that particular refrigerator. Be sure that it is plugged into the refrigerator.

If the water line is hooked up, usually there is air in it. So, engaging and disengaging the dispenser lever on the refrigerator to get the air out of it is necessary.
Filter Issues

On some of the models, there are different filters. These filters can “expire”, clog or become frozen. All of the filters are based on the model and type of refrigerator. If your filter is blocked it can cause slow filling or no flowing period. It is recommended that your filter be changed every 6 months. Changing filters can be difficult. If you run into problems, go online and learn the right process to replace a filter.

One idea is to fill the filter with water before installation. Typically the water filters will need a long time to fill up, which might cause you to believe that the water dispenser isn’t working right. You should read the directions if nothing is working. To ensure it is not air trapped in the water lines, we recommend to depress the dispenser lever for around 5 minutes.

A frozen water tank might be the source of the issue as well in some refrigerators. If the tank is frozen it will leak onto the fresh food bins. Small amounts of food inside of the fresh food bins will cause freezing to occur.

ADDITIONAL REFRIGERATOR RESOURCES