Why is My Refrigerator Water Dispenser Not Working?

broken refrigerator water dispenser

Is the water dispenser on your refrigerator not working? If not, you can try to repair the problem on your own or call Crown Pomona Appliance Repair for refrigerator repair Pomona, California.

There are several reasons for the water dispenser in a kitchen refrigerator to not work. Again, some of the reasons could sound a little strange. However, something as obvious as an on/off switch on the refrigerator has been the reason in some instances. Be sure to review the obvious potential issues before moving forward with complicated refrigerator repair. Let’s start to cover this appliance repair issue and see what solutions we can reference for a broken water dispenser.

The cause of a broken water dispenser is commonly an installation error, a filter problem or frozen water lines:

Refrigerator Installation Issues

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

If the brand new refrigerator is replacing an older refrigerator that did not include an ice maker or water dispenser, there’s a possibility that you don’t have a water line near this area of the kitchen. A water line is usually run from under the home either in a crawl space or basement. You can purchase this type of water line at just about any hardware store and they’re pretty simple for even the average homeowner to install. Usually they have include a built-in water shut-off valve, which is necessary so that if you should need to move the refrigerator, you can turn off the water.

If you have an attached water line, is the valve turned on? The valve handle should be lined up with the hose. And, is there water running through the pipe that you have used to connect the water line? Simple and questions, but items that need to be confirmed.

If you removed the doors during installation it’s possible the water dispenser isn’t 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 line is connected, usually there’s air in it. So, lifting and lowering the water dispenser lever to get the air out of it is necessary.
Filter Problems

On some household models, there are various filters. These filters could “expire”, become clogged or get frozen. All filters are based on the style and type of refrigerator. If the filter is blocked it will cause slow filling or no flowing. It is suggested that your filter is replaced every 6 months. Replacing filters can be difficult. If you have problems, go online or call us and find the proper process to replace a filter.

One idea is to fill up the water filter with water before installing it. A lot of time the water filters can take a long time to fill up, which might lead you to believe the water dispenser on the refrigerator isn’t working. You will want to read the owner’s manual if nothing is working. To ensure it’s not air trapped in the lines, depress the dispenser arm for around 5 minutes.

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

ADDITIONAL REFRIGERATOR RESOURCES