Why is My Refrigerator Water Dispenser Not Working?

Is the water dispenser on your refrigerator broken? If so, you can try to repair the problem by yourself or call Jacobs Appliance Repair for professional refrigerator repair Massachusetts.

There are several reasons for a water dispenser in a kitchen refrigerator to not work. Again, some of the reasons are going to sound a little strange. However, something as obvious as an on/off switch on the refrigerator has been the culprit in some instances. Be sure to check the more obvious potential issues prior to moving forward with complicated refrigerator repair. Let’s begin to tackle this appliance repair issue and see what causes we can come up with for a broken water dispenser.

The reason for a water dispenser not working is typically either an installation problem, a filter problem or frozen water tubes:

Refrigerator Installation Problems

You just bought a brand new refrigerator with a water dispenser, but it’s not working. The water dispenser must be connected to the water line. That could be the cause of the problem.

If the new refrigerator is replacing an older refrigerator that didn’t have a water dispenser or ice maker, there’s a possibility that you do not have a functioning water line near this area of the kitchen. A water line is typically run from underneath a house either in a crawl space or basement. You can purchase this type of water line at almost any hardware store and they’re very easy for the average homeowner to install. Usually they have a a water shut-off valve, which is necessary so that if you should need to relocate the refrigerator, you can shut off the water.

If there’s a connected water line, is the valve turned on? The valve handle should be in line with the hose. And, is water running through the pipe that you have used to connect the water line? Obvious and common questions, but items that have to be accounted for.

If you had to remove the doors during installation the water dispenser isn’t plugged in. Read the owner’s manual to see the wire harness for that particular model of refrigerator. Check that it is plugged into the refrigerator.

If the water line is hooked up, usually there is air in it. So, lifting and lowering the dispenser control on the refrigerator to get the air out of it is necessary.
Filter Problems

On some popular refrigerators, there are different filters. These filters might “expire”, clog or freeze. All filters are dependent on your model and brand of refrigerator. If the filter is blocked it will cause slow filling or no flowing at all. It is recommended that your filter should be changed every 6 months. Changing filters in a refrigerator can be difficult. If you have issues, go online and learn the proper process to change a filter.

One recommendation is to fill the filter with water prior to installing it. Typically the water filters can need a long time to fill, which might lead you to think the water dispenser on the refrigerator is not working right. You will want to read the owner’s manual if nothing is working. To ensure it’s not air caught in the lines, depress the dispenser arm for around 5 minutes.

A frozen water tank might also be the cause of the issue as well in some models. If the tank freezes it will start to leak onto the food bins. Small amounts of food in the fresh food bins might cause freezing to occur.

ADDITIONAL REFRIGERATOR RESOURCES

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