Why is My Refrigerator Water Dispenser Not Working?

refrigerator water dispenser pic

Is the water dispenser on your refrigerator not working? If not, you can attempt to repair the issue by yourself or call Nashua Appliance Repair for refrigerator repair Nashua, New Hampshire.

There are a lot of reasons for a water dispenser in a refrigerator to stop working. Again, some of the reasons might sound a little strange. However, something as obvious as a power switch on the refrigerator has been the culprit in the past. Be sure to inspect the more obvious potential problems before moving forward with refrigerator repair. Let’s start to cover this appliance repair issue and see what solutions we can cite for a broken water dispenser on a refrigerator.

The reason for a water dispenser not dispensing is commonly either an installation problem, a filter failure or frozen water lines:

Refrigerator Installation Issues

You just installed a new refrigerator with a water dispenser, but it is broken. The water dispenser must be connected to the water line. That might be the cause of the problem.

If your new refrigerator is replacing an old refrigerator that didn’t feature an ice maker or water dispenser, there’s a possibility that you do not have a water line running to this area. Most of the time a water line is usually run from underneath a home either in a crawl space or basement. You can purchase this line at just about any hardware store and they’re pretty easy for even the typical homeowner to install. Usually they have come with a built-in water shut-off valve, which is important so that if you need to relocate the refrigerator, you can turn off the water.

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

If you had to remove the refrigerator doors during installation it is possible the water dispenser might not be plugged in. Read the manual to find the wire harness for the particular refrigerator. Ensure that it’s plugged into the refrigerator.

If the water line is connected, most of the time there is air in the water line. So, engaging and disengaging the water dispenser lever to get the air out is needed.
Filter Issues

On some popular refrigerators, there are different filters. These filters could “expire”, clog or freeze. All of the filters are dependent on the model and brand of refrigerator. If the filter is clogged it might cause slow filling or no flowing at all. It is suggested that your filter is replaced every 6 months. Replacing filters can be hard sometimes. If you have problems, go online and learn the right method to change a filter.

One recommendation is to fill the water filter with water before installing it. Typically the water filters take a long amount of time to fill, which could lead you to think the water dispenser on the refrigerator isn’t working right. You should read the directions if all else fails. To be sure it is not air caught in the lines, depress the dispenser lever for about 5 minutes.

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

ADDITIONAL REFRIGERATOR RESOURCES