Why is My Refrigerator Water Dispenser Not Working?

Is the water dispenser on your refrigerator not dispensing water? If not, you can try to repair the issue by yourself or call CRT Appliance Repair for professional refrigerator repair.

There are many reasons for the water dispenser in a refrigerator to not work anymore. Again, some suggestions are going to sound a little strange. However, something as simple as an on/off switch has been the culprit before. Be sure to inspect the obvious potential issues before proceeding with refrigerator repair. Let’s begin to tackle this appliance repair issue and see all of the reasons we can reference for a broken water dispenser.

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

New Refrigerator Installation Issues

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

If the new refrigerator is replacing a prior refrigerator that didn’t have a water dispenser or ice maker, there’s a possibility that you don’t have a functioning water line near this area. Most of the time a water line is commonly run from underneath the home either in a crawl space or basement. You can buy this line at nearly any home repair store and they are pretty simple for even the average homeowner to install. Typically they have come with 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 water line, is the valve on? The valve handle needs to be in line with the hose. And, is water going through the pipe you have installed to connect the water line? Simple and questions, but things that need to be accounted for.

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

If the water is connected, usually there’s air in it. So, lifting and lowering the dispenser control on the refrigerator to get the air out of it is needed.
Filter Issues

On some of the popular models, there are different filters. These filters could “expire”, clog or become frozen. All filters are dependent on the style and brand of refrigerator. If the filter is clogged it can cause slow filling or no flowing period. It’s suggested that your filter should be replaced every 6 months. Changing filters in a refrigerator can be hard sometimes. If you have issues, go online or call us and find the right method to replace a filter.

One suggestion is to fill the water filter with water before installing it. A lot of time the water filters can take a long amount of time to fill up, which might lead you to think the water dispenser on the refrigerator is not working. You will want to read the owner’s manual if all else fails. To ensure it’s not air caught in the water lines, we recommend to depress the dispenser arm for around 5 minutes.

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

ADDITIONAL REFRIGERATOR RESOURCES