Why is My Refrigerator Water Dispenser Not Working?

broken refrigerator water dispenser

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

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

The reason for a broken water dispenser is usually either an installation error, a filter failure or frozen water lines:

Refrigerator Installation Problems

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

If your new refrigerator is replacing an older refrigerator that didn’t include an ice maker or water dispenser, there’s a chance that you don’t have a functioning water line running to this area. Most of the time a water line is usually run from under a house either in a basement or crawl space. You can get this line at just about any home repair store and they are pretty easy for the typical homeowner to install. Typically they have a a water shut-off valve, which is important so that if you should need to relocate the refrigerator, you can turn off the water.

If there’s an attached water line, is the valve turned on? The valve handle should be lined up with the hose. And, is water going through the pipe you have used to connect the water line? Obvious and basic questions, but items that have to be accounted for.

If you removed the refrigerator doors during installation it’s possible the water dispenser is not plugged in. Review the manual to see the wire harness for the particular model of refrigerator. Be sure that it’s plugged into the refrigerator.

If the water is hooked up, usually there is air in the line. So, engaging and disengaging the water dispenser lever on the refrigerator to get the air out is needed.
Filter Problems

On some popular refrigerators, there are different filters. These filters can “expire”, become clogged or freeze. All of the filters are based on the style and type of refrigerator. If the filter is clogged it will cause slow filling or no flowing period. It’s suggested that your filter should be replaced every 6 months. Replacing filters can be hard sometimes. If you run into problems, go online and find the right process to change a filter.

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

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

ADDITIONAL REFRIGERATOR RESOURCES

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