Your Fridge’s Water Dispenser Is Not Working

Water dispenser no longer working and don't know why? Here, we're going to help you fix this malfunction by explaining the potential causes of the problem to you.

THE POSSIBLE CAUSES FOR THIS FAULT:

• The water valve is turned off

• The water dispenser function has been turned off manually

• The water dispenser paddle is faulty

• The solenoid valve is defective

• The tubing is frozen

WARNING
Before you do anything to your appliance, make sure you disconnect it from the power supply.
There is a risk of electric shock.

The water valve is turned off

If the water valve is turned off or is not allowing water through at a high enough rate, the water dispenser will not function. You can check this by listening to what you hear as you press on the dispenser paddle. If there's a whirring sound from the back of your American style fridge-freezer, this indicates an issue with either the water supply valve or the solenoid valve.

The water dispenser function has been turned off manually

Your fridge-freezer will likely have a button on its control panel that allows you to turn the water dispensing function on and off. If it's turned off, the water dispenser will not be able to operate. Therefore, check that it is actually turned on and test the dispenser again.

The water dispenser paddle is faulty

When the water dispenser mode is activated on your control panel, pushing back on the dispenser paddle with your glass or cup, etc., should cause the water to flow. If no water is produced, the dispenser paddle or switch may be faulty. You can test the switch by simply placing the two probes of a multimeter on its terminals. It should have continuity in one of its two positions.

The solenoid valve is defective

If the solenoid valve on your fridge is defective, it will prevent the water supply to your water dispenser from activating. If there is no sound from the solenoid when you operate the water dispenser, it is probably faulty. You can test this using a multimeter in ohmmeter mode. The solenoid is located on the back of the appliance. You should get a reading when you place the meter's probes on the solenoid's two terminals. If it shows no continuity, you will need to replace the solenoid valve.

Purchase a solenoid valve for your refrigerator

The tubing is frozen

If the refrigerator part of the fridge-freezer gets too cold, the water tank behind the vegetable drawer can freeze, which will prevent the distribution of water to the dispenser. You can find out whether this is the source of the fault or not by verifying that your appliance is at the right temperature. One way to do this is by placing a thermometer in a large glass of water in the fridge and checking to see whether it's at 4°C a few hours later. If it's at a lower temperature than this, increase your thermostat setting slightly. This should resolve the problem.