Why is My Refrigerator Water Dispenser Not Working?

broken refrigerator water dispenser

Is the water dispenser on your refrigerator not dispensing water? If not, you can attempt to repair the issue on your own or call United Lynn Appliance Repair for refrigerator repair Lynn, Massachusetts.

There are many reasons for the water dispenser in a kitchen refrigerator to stop working. Again, some of the reasons could sound a little strange. However, something as simple as a power switch on the refrigerator has been the cause in some instances. Be sure to inspect the more obvious potential issues prior to proceeding with refrigerator repair. Let’s begin to tackle this appliance repair issue and see all of the causes we can come up with for a broken water dispenser on a refrigerator.

The cause of a water dispenser not working is usually either an installation issue, a filter issue 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 cause of the issue.

If your new refrigerator is replacing a prior refrigerator that did not include a water dispenser or ice maker, there’s a possibility that you do not have a functioning water line near this area. Most of the time a water line is typically run from under the home either in a basement or crawl space. You can acquire this line at nearly any home repair store and they’re pretty easy for the typical homeowner to install. Typically they have include a built-in water shut-off valve, which is necessary so that if you should need to relocate the refrigerator, you can shut 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 water running through the pipe that you have used to connect the water line? Obvious and basic questions, but things that have to be accounted for.

If you removed the doors during installation the water dispenser may not be plugged in. Check the owner’s manual to find the wire harness for that particular refrigerator. Check that it’s plugged into the refrigerator.

Once the water line is hooked up, most of the time there is air in the line. So, engaging and disengaging the dispenser control to get the air out is necessary.
Filter Problems

On some popular refrigerators, there are different filters. These filters can “expire”, clog or become frozen. All of the filters are dependent on your style and brand of refrigerator. If the filter is blocked it might cause slow filling or no flowing period. It’s suggested that your filter is changed every 6 months. Changing filters can be difficult. If you run into hiccups, go online and find the right method to change a filter.

One idea is to fill the filter with water prior to installing it. A lot of time the water filters need a long amount of time to fill up, which could lead you to believe that the water dispenser on the refrigerator isn’t working. You should read the directions if nothing is working. To ensure it’s not air caught in the water lines, depress the dispenser arm for around 5 minutes.

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

ADDITIONAL REFRIGERATOR RESOURCES