My water dispenser does not work. I unscrewed the hose at the bottom of the door and there is water pressure there. Where should I be looking for the problem?

Hello Hans;


My name is Peter. I am a retired field service refrigeration technician.

There could be several areas that would effect your water dispenser not working:

1.) When you depress the water dispenser do you hear a 'Click'? If not you have a bad water dispenser contact switch.
I would send you a diagram but I do not have your model number.

2.) In the lower back of your fresh food section is your water dispenser water tank. At times this can freeze near the freezer section. Look in the lower corner of the freezer & your fresh food section for ice build-up.

3.) You could have a bad water filter. This does happen often. Remove the water filter and test you water dispenser.

4.) Do you have water leaking out of the bottom of your dispenser door? If so you have a split in the tubing in your water dispenser door.

5.) Is your ice maker working? Often the water valve to your refrigerator becomes plugged up and you do not get sufficient water pressure 60 PSI to operate your water dispenser solenoid valve.

If the refrigerator water dispenser is not working the water supply tube in the door may be frozen. This will be difficult to track down. Look for a connection point at the bottom or top of the door, try removing the hose and blowing air through it and out the dispenser. Next it could be the water valve that sometimes has twin valves for ice and water combined, third is low pressure into the line (bad main valve) or clogged filter... you need about 20psi for function. Last is the door switch, when the freezer door is opened the freezer door switch does two things, it turns on the light in the freezer and turns off the ice and water dispenser. If the door switch fails the dispenser will not turn on. The switch can be checked for continuity with an Ohm meter. If it doesn't have continuity it should be replaced.

If the refrigerator water dispenser is not working correctly the water supply tube in the door may be blocked. This will be difficult to track down. Look for a connection point at the bottom or top of the door, try removing the hose and blowing air through it and out the dispenser. Next it could be the water valve that sometimes has twin valves for ice and water combined, third is low pressure into the line (bad main valve) or clogged filter... you need about 20psi for function. Last is the door switch, when the freezer door is opened the freezer door switch does two things, it turns on the light in the freezer and turns off the ice and water dispenser. If the door switch fails the dispenser will not turn on or may just dispense one item. The switch can be checked for continuity with an Ohm meter. If it doesn't have continuity it should be replaced.

If the refrigerator water dispenser is not working correctly the water supply tube(s) may be blocked. This will be difficult to track down. Look for a connection point at the bottom or top of the door, try removing the hose and blowing air through it and out the dispenser. Next it could be the water valve that sometimes has twin valves for ice and water combined (this is most likely the culprit) , third is low pressure into the line (bad main valve) or clogged filter... you need about 20psi for function. Last is the door switch (try this first), when the freezer door is opened the freezer door switch does two things, it turns on the light in the freezer and turns off the ice and water dispenser. If the door switch fails the dispenser will not turn on or may just dispense one item. The switch can be checked for continuity with an Ohm meter. If it doesn't have continuity it should be replaced.

If the refrigerator water dispenser (or ice) is not working correctly the water supply tube(s) may be blocked. This will be difficult to track down. Look for a connection point at the bottom or top of the door, try removing the hose and blowing air through it and out the dispenser. Next it could be the water valve that sometimes has twin valves for ice and water combined (this is most likely the culprit) , third is low pressure into the line (bad main valve) or clogged filter... you need about 20psi for function. Last is the door switch (try this first), when the freezer door is opened the freezer door switch does two things, it turns on the light in the freezer and turns off the ice and water dispenser. If the door switch fails the dispenser will not turn on or may just dispense one item. The switch can be checked for continuity with an Ohm meter. If it doesn't have continuity it should be replaced.

It sounds like someone has repaired this hose , due to the connectors . There should be no connectors except for 1 , below the freezer door . This hose can get hot from the compressor heat , and break .

My suggestion , would be to replace the water resivoir in the refrig section , behind the bottom crispers . This resevoir has a hose that goes completely to the water valve , without any connectors , and a hose that goes to the coupling under the freezer door , for the water dispensor . If you remove the bottom kick plate , the hose from the door , goes about 8 " to the coupling which connects to the line from the resevoir .

I had a simular problem! I tried multiple things to make it work!

- bought new filter
- open back of the fridge... (dual outlet water valve)

Finally, I went to a different forum and found a unique idea.

First at the very bottom of the fridge theres a cover remove the cover and you should see the water hose running to the door from the back. In the middle of the hose there a coupler where the hose was spliced by the manufactuer. Now this valve once you separate it will not work correctly, unless you buy a new coupler (4$)... I'm el cheapo, I bought teflon tape for 50 cents (from previous project)... Wrapped around about half dozen times and made sure it wasnt leaking...

Secondly, when you disconnect the coupler no water should shoot out, until you press the water dispenser arm. If water shoots out of the hose on the bottom then you problem is really, really, really easy. You have simplely ice/ or another item blocking water hose to the actual dispenser.

I turned off the frezzer left the door open for an hour or so. I also used my wife's blow dryer on hot, and put it where the ice comes out of the ice maker. I would press the arm peridocially to see if the ice blockage melted yet. REMEMBER: door must be closed for pressure to push on the ice blockage. Thinking back, I might have been finished sooner... I was thinking the water dispenser would work with the door open.

If this doesnt work, then you have other problems... Bad water dispenser selonoid (you can hear this little motor turning even without water), dual water outlet valve maybe broken... Going outside my knowldege level at this point.... But i guess you computer board maybe going bad. Not sure if this computer has anything to do with water dispensing....

Hope this helps! My wife left me alone for about a day or two while she enjoyed the water dispenser...And she broke the vaccum.

Are the water inlet / outlet correctly fitted onto the filter ??
Sounds silly - but very easy mistake seen several times.
Is the water supply for the filter turned on . . remove hoses from filter to verify. - YOU WILL GET WET.

2 possible problems.  
#1 water valve for the water side is stuck in the closed position.  Only way to tell is to pull the bottom kick panel out and look for the water line disconnect.  Separate the line, close the door and try to draw water through the dispenser.  If the water comes out of the disconnected line, then the water valve is good.
#2  if water is coming out of disconnected line, then the problem is in the freezer door.  There is a heater that keeps the water line from freezing inside the freezer door.  It is not repairable!!  The freezer door has to be replaced.

check no ice build up in bottle but the most likely cause is poor water pressure on the inlet. no cure except to improve water pressure. if there is a valve in the input water line, check it is fully open