Why is My Refrigerator Water Dispenser Not Working?

Is the water dispenser on your refrigerator not working? If not, you can try to repair the problem by yourself or call S.O.S. Santa Barbara Appliance Repair for refrigerator repair Santa Barbara, California.

There are many reasons for the water dispenser in a kitchen refrigerator to not work. Again, some of the reasons might sound a bit crazy. However, something as simple as a power switch has been the reason before. Be sure to check the obvious potential problems before moving forward with complicated refrigerator repair. Let’s start to tackle this appliance repair issue and see all of the reasons we can cite for a broken water dispenser on a refrigerator.

The reason for a water dispenser not working is commonly either an installation problem, a filter issue or frozen water tubes:

Refrigerator Installation Issues

You just installed a brand new refrigerator with a water dispenser, but it’s broken. The water dispenser must be hooked up to the water line. That might be the reason for the problem.

If your brand new refrigerator is replacing a prior refrigerator that didn’t include an ice maker or water dispenser, there is a chance that you do not have a water line near this area. Most of the time a water line is typically run from under a house either in a basement or crawl space. You can acquire this type of water line at just about any hardware store and they’re very simple for the average homeowner to install. Usually they have a a built-in 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 a connected water line, is the valve turned 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 basic questions, but items that have to be accounted for.

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

If the water is connected, most of the time there is air in it. So, lifting and lowering the water dispenser control on the refrigerator to get the air out of it is necessary.
Filter Issues

On some of the models, there are different filters. These filters might “expire”, clog or become frozen. All filters are based on your model and brand of refrigerator. If the filter is clogged it can cause slow filling or no flowing period. It’s suggested that your filter is replaced every 6 months. Replacing filters in a refrigerator can be challenging. If you have issues, go online or call us and learn the right process to change a filter.

One recommendation is to fill the filter with water before installing it. Typically the water filters need a long time to fill, which might cause you to assume that the water dispenser on the refrigerator isn’t working. You will want to read the directions if all else fails. To be certain it’s not air trapped in the water lines, we recommend to depress the dispenser lever for about 5 minutes.

A frozen water tank might be the source of the issue as well in some models. If the water tank is frozen it will leak onto the fresh food bins. Low amounts of food in the fresh food bins could cause freezing.

ADDITIONAL REFRIGERATOR RESOURCES