Why is My Refrigerator Water Dispenser Not Working?

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

There are many reasons for the water dispenser in a kitchen refrigerator to not work anymore. Again, some suggestions are going to sound a little strange. However, something as obvious as an on/off switch has been the reason before. Be sure to inspect the obvious potential issues prior to proceeding with refrigerator repair. Let’s start to tackle this appliance repair problem and see all of the solutions we can cite for a broken water dispenser.

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

Refrigerator Installation Issues

You just installed a brand new refrigerator with a water dispenser, but it is not working. The water dispenser has to be hooked up to the water line. That could be the cause of the problem.

If your brand new refrigerator is replacing an old refrigerator that did not have a water dispenser or ice maker, there’s a chance that you do not have a water line running to this area. Most of the time a water line is commonly run from underneath a house either in a crawl space or basement. You can get this type of water line at nearly any hardware store and they are pretty easy for even the typical homeowner to install. Usually they have come with a water shut-off valve, which is important so that if you should need to move the refrigerator, you can shut off the water.

If there’s a connected 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 used to connect the water line? Obvious and basic questions, but things that have to be checked.

If you had to remove the refrigerator doors during installation it is possible the water dispenser is not plugged in. Check the manual to see the wire harness for that particular refrigerator. Check that it is plugged into the refrigerator.

When the water is connected, usually there’s air in the line. So, engaging and disengaging the dispenser lever to get the air out of it is needed.
Filter Problems

On some of the popular refrigerators, there are various filters. These filters can “expire”, clog or become frozen. All filters are based on the style and brand of refrigerator. If the filter is clogged it will cause slow filling or no flowing period. It is suggested that your filter is replaced every 6 months. Changing filters can be difficult. If you have issues, go online and learn the right method to replace a filter.

One suggestion is to fill up the filter with water before installation. Typically the water filters need a long time to fill up, which could lead you to believe that the water dispenser isn’t working. You will want to read the manual if nothing is working. To ensure it’s not air caught in the water lines, depress the dispenser lever for about 5 minutes.

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

ADDITIONAL REFRIGERATOR RESOURCES

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