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 try to solve the problem by yourself or call Legacy Lawrence Appliance Repair for refrigerator repair Lawrence, Kansas.

There are several reasons for a 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 on the refrigerator has been the reason before. Be sure to check the more obvious potential issues prior to moving forward with complicated refrigerator repair. Let’s start to cover this appliance repair problem and see what solutions we can reference for a broken water dispenser.

The cause of a water dispenser not dispensing is commonly either an installation error, a filter issue or frozen water lines:

Refrigerator Installation Issues

You just installed a brand new refrigerator with a water dispenser, but it’s broken. The water dispenser has to be connected to the water line. That might be the reason for the issue.

If the new refrigerator is replacing an older refrigerator that did not have an ice maker or water dispenser, there’s a possibility that you do not have a functioning water line running to this area of the kitchen. Most of the time a water line is usually run from under the home either in a crawl space or basement. You can acquire this line at just about any hardware store and they’re very easy for even the typical homeowner to install. Typically they have a a built-in water shut-off valve, which is necessary so that if you ever need to relocate the refrigerator, you can turn off the water.

If there is an attached water line, is the valve turned on? The valve handle must be in line with the hose. And, is there 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 removed the refrigerator doors during installation it’s possible the water dispenser might not be plugged in. Review the owner’s manual to see the wire harness for the particular refrigerator. Be sure that it is plugged into the refrigerator.

If the water is hooked up, usually there’s air in it. So, lifting and lowering the dispenser lever to get the air out of it is necessary.
Filter Problems

On some of the popular models, there are various filters. These filters might “expire”, become clogged or become frozen. All of the filters are dependent on the model and brand of refrigerator. If the filter is blocked it might cause slow filling or no flowing period. It’s suggested that your filter is changed every 6 months. Changing filters in a refrigerator can be challenging. If you run into hiccups, go online and learn the proper method to replace a filter.

One suggestion is to fill up the filter with water before installing it. A lot of time the water filters can take a long amount of time to fill up, which could lead you to assume that the water dispenser on the refrigerator isn’t working. You will want to read the directions if nothing is working. To be sure it’s not air trapped in the lines, depress the dispenser lever for around 5 minutes.

A frozen water tank might be the reason for the issue as well in some refrigerators. If the tank freezes it will leak onto the fresh food bins. Small amounts of food inside of the fresh food bins could cause freezing to happen.

ADDITIONAL REFRIGERATOR RESOURCES