If you have just bought a new refrigerator with water dispenser then you should have all the information you need on refrigerator water dispenser troubleshooting. Today most people are buying refrigerators with water dispensers because of the ease and convenience it offers – the availability of cold water and ice cubes whenever desired. The only thing is that sometimes there are problems that crop up like leaks, spills and no water or ice being dispensed etc. Therefore it is necessary to know how to deal with these problems.
If your water dispenser has stopped dispensing water then insert a glass into it as usual. If you can still hear the pump working when you press the lever/paddle it means that the mechanical and electrical parts are still in good working order and the problem is a blockage in the system.
It is important to check your water filter. This is generally located at the back of the fridge. Take of the plastic cap and take a look at the filter which you can pull out. A little water may spill out. If the filter is dirty and has not been changed for a long time then you can either replace it or clean it up well. A filter that is dirty will obviously not allow water to pass through it. It is possible that there was a gradual slow drop in the water output before it stopped.
It helps if you take a hairdryer and use it inside the refrigerator. Open the refrigerator door and check out the area that is directly behind the refrigerator water dispenser. Most often the water in the door lines freeze solid especially if you have turned down the heat and have probably been away for a winter holiday. Because of the fact that the dispenser was not used and the temperature being low would naturally cause the water lines to freeze.
This is where you have to use the hair dryer on the area behind the dispenser and the front of it. Keep this up for around 20 minutes. Try out the dispenser to see if it is working. In case the ice plug is deeper in the system and the hairdryer trick did not work, then you would have to empty out your refrigerator and freezer. Unplug it and leave the doors open for around 24 hours. Then you could plug it again and try out the dispenser. It should generally work as the ice block if there was any, should have melted by then. If your refrigerator water dispenser still does not work then it is obviously another problem other than the ice block. A repairman would then have to purge the water lines, etc.
Refrigerator water dispenser troubleshooting is pretty easy when you know the ropes. In case of the drips and water leaks all you need to do is to replace the water inlet valve. Eliminate the possibilities of failure one by one till you narrow down the search and tackle the problem.