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 try to repair the issue on your own or call Fort Smith Appliance Repair for refrigerator repair Fort Smith, Arkansas.

There are several reasons for a water dispenser in a kitchen refrigerator to not work. Again, some reasons might sound a bit crazy. However, something as obvious as an on/off switch on the refrigerator has been the cause in the past. Be sure to review the obvious potential problems before proceeding with complicated refrigerator repair. Let’s begin to tackle this appliance repair issue and see what causes we can come up with for a broken water dispenser on a refrigerator.

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

New Refrigerator Installation Issues

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

If the new refrigerator is replacing a previous refrigerator that didn’t feature an ice maker or water dispenser, there’s a chance that you do not have a functioning water line near this area. Most of the time a water line is commonly run from underneath a home either in a basement or crawl space. You can get this line at almost any hardware store and they’re very simple for even the average homeowner to install. Typically they have include a built-in water shut-off valve, which is important so that if you ever need to move the refrigerator, you can turn off the water.

If there is a connected water line, is the valve on? The valve handle must be in line with the hose. And, is water running through the pipe you have used to connect the water line? Obvious and common questions, but things that have to be confirmed.

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

If the water is hooked up, usually there’s air in it. So, engaging and disengaging the dispenser control to get the air out of it is needed.
Filter Issues

On some of the household models, there are different filters. These filters might “expire”, become clogged or freeze. All filters are based on your model and brand of refrigerator. If the filter is clogged it might cause slow filling or no flowing at all. It is recommended that your filter is changed every 6 months. Changing filters in a refrigerator can be hard sometimes. If you run into issues, 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 can take a long time to fill, which might lead you to think that the water dispenser on the refrigerator is not working. You will want to read the directions if all else fails. To be sure it is not air trapped in the lines, we recommend to depress the dispenser lever for around 5 minutes.

A frozen water tank might also be the cause of the problem as well in some models. If the water tank is frozen it will leak onto the food bins. Limited food in the fresh food bins will cause freezing.

ADDITIONAL REFRIGERATOR RESOURCES