Your refrigerator’s water dispenser is really convenient during those midnight trips to the kitchen for a drink. The unfortunate part is that sometimes, it breaks. Here is a list of different things that can go wrong with your water dispenser and some ways to troubleshoot the problem. These issues are listed from the most common issue to the least common.
You can troubleshoot all of these issues but proceed with caution. If a repair is too complex, we recommend scheduling refrigerator repair from us instead of DIY.
WHY IS YOUR WATER DISPENSER BROKEN?
FROZEN WATER TUBE
If your freezer is not maintaining the proper temperature (between 0- and 10-degrees Fahrenheit) and is getting too cold, the water in the water tube may freeze. Before checking anything else, check to make sure that the freezer is set to the proper temperature.
Then, to check if the line is frozen, you will need to unplug it from the bottom part of the door. You should be able to blow air through the tube. If the airflow is impeded by ice, the tube will need to be defrosted.
BROKEN WATER INLET VALVE
There is a valve that opens in order to feed water to the water dispenser. In order to function properly, the water to the valve is required to be feeding the valve at 20 psi. If the pressure is below 20 psi, this will cause an issue with the valve opening up properly.
If you check the pressure and it is good, you are going to need to use a multimeter in order to test the continuity in the water inlet valve. If there is no continuity in the valve, it will need to be replaced.
POOR WATER PRESSURE
The water inlet valve feeds water to the water dispenser and water from your home supply feeds the water inlet valve. You may need to test to make sure your home supply is supplying the water inlet valve with 20 psi of water in order for the water inlet valve to function properly.
BROKEN DISPENSER CONTROL BOARD
If the water dispenser control board is broken or malfunctioning, it will disrupt the supply of power to the water dispenser system. Because the water dispenser control board manages the functions of the entire system, if the entire dispenser system isn’t working, it is likely a control board problem.
If there is only a single problem or element with the dispenser system, you should investigate other possible problems before you deduce that there is a problem with the control board.
BROKEN DISPENSER SWITCH
If one or more of these dispenser switches are not working, the water dispenser system is not going to work. These switches are what controls the flow of electricity to the dispenser. If you believe that there is a problem with these switches, check their continuity with a multimeter and replace the ones that have no continuity or enlist the services of our appliance repair company.
CLOGGED WATER FILTER
The water filter in the system should be replaced every 6 months so that the quality and flow of the water to the system is optimal. If the filter gets clogged, it will obstruct the flow of water and the dispenser system will not function properly.
BROKEN DOOR SWITCH
You will use a multimeter to check the continuity of the door switch and if there is none, it will need to be replaced. The door switch switches the dispenser system off when the door is open and if this switch is broken the dispenser is not going to work.