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 attempt to repair the problem by yourself or call Achieve Dearborn Appliance Repair for refrigerator repair Dearborn, Michigan.

There are several reasons for a water dispenser in a refrigerator to not work. Again, some suggestions could sound a bit crazy. However, something as simple as an on/off switch on the refrigerator has been the cause in the past. Be sure to inspect the obvious potential problems prior to moving forward with refrigerator repair. Let’s begin to cover this appliance repair issue and see all of the solutions we can come up with for a broken water dispenser on a refrigerator.

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

Refrigerator Installation Issues

You just installed a new refrigerator for your kitchen with a water dispenser, but it’s broken. The water dispenser has to be connected to the water line. That could be the issue.

If your brand new refrigerator is replacing a prior refrigerator that didn’t feature an ice maker or water dispenser, there is a chance that you do not have a water line running to this area of the kitchen. Most of the time a water line is usually run from underneath the home either in a crawl space or basement. You can buy this line at almost any hardware store and they are very easy for even the typical homeowner to install. Typically they have come with a built-in water shut-off valve, which is necessary so that if you need to move the refrigerator, you can shut off the water.

If there is a connected water line, is the valve turned on? The valve handle should be lined up with the hose. And, is water running through the pipe that you have installed to connect the water line? Obvious and common questions, but things that need to be checked.

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

If the water is connected, usually there’s air in the line. So, lifting and lowering the water dispenser lever to get the air out is needed.
Filter Issues

On some of the refrigerators, there are different filters. These filters could “expire”, become clogged or freeze. All of the filters are dependent on your model and type of refrigerator. If your filter is clogged it can cause slow filling or no flowing at all. It’s recommended that your filter should be replaced every 6 months. Changing filters can be hard sometimes. If you have problems, go online or call us and learn the right method to change a filter.

One suggestion is to fill the filter with water prior to installation. Typically the water filters need a long time to fill, which might lead you to think the water dispenser is not working. You will want to read the directions if all else fails. To be sure it’s not air trapped in the lines, we recommend to depress the dispenser arm for around 5 minutes.

A frozen water tank might be the reason for the problem as well in some models. If the tank is frozen it will leak onto the fresh food bins. Small amounts of food inside of the fresh food bins will cause freezing to happen.

ADDITIONAL REFRIGERATOR RESOURCES