Why is My Refrigerator Water Dispenser Not Working?

refrigerator water dispenser picture

Is the water dispenser on your refrigerator broken? If so, you can attempt to solve the issue by yourself or call Witt Appliance Repair for professional refrigerator repair.

There are many reasons for the water dispenser in a kitchen refrigerator to stop working. Again, some of the reasons might sound a little strange. However, something as simple as an on/off switch on the refrigerator has been the reason in the past. Be sure to review the obvious potential problems prior to moving forward with refrigerator repair. Let’s start to tackle this appliance repair problem and see all of the reasons we can cite for a broken water dispenser.

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

New Refrigerator Installation Problems

You just purchased a brand 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 new refrigerator is replacing a previous refrigerator that did not have a water dispenser or ice maker, there’s a chance that you don’t have a water line near this area. Most of the time a water line is typically run from under a home either in a basement or crawl space. You can acquire this type of water line at nearly any home repair store and they’re very easy for even the average homeowner to install. Typically they have come with a water shut-off valve, which is important so that if you need to relocate the refrigerator, you can shut off the water.

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

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

When the water line is hooked up, most of the time there is air in the line. So, lifting and lowering the water dispenser lever on the refrigerator to get the air out is needed.
Filter Issues

On some of the refrigerators, there are various filters. These filters could “expire”, clog or become frozen. All filters are dependent on the model and type of refrigerator. If your filter is blocked it will cause slow filling or no flowing. It is recommended that your filter is changed every 6 months. Changing filters in a refrigerator can be challenging. If you have hiccups, go online or call us and find the right method to change a filter.

One idea is to fill the filter with water prior to installation. Typically the water filters will take a long time to fill, which could cause you to believe that the water dispenser on the refrigerator isn’t working right. You will want to read the directions if nothing is working. To be certain it’s not air trapped in the lines, we recommend to depress the dispenser lever for around 5 minutes.

A frozen water tank could be the cause of the issue as well on some refrigerators. If the tank freezes it will begin to leak onto the food bins. Low amounts of food inside of the fresh food bins can cause freezing to occur.

ADDITIONAL REFRIGERATOR RESOURCES