8 Tips To Fix A Refrigerator Dispenser Not Working

French door refrigerator dispenser not working. Water and ice does not dispense or drop from the fridge dispenser. How to fix a refrigerator that will not dispense properly. There are certain areas and parts in the refrigerator that need to be inspected to troubleshoot the problem. Below is a list with all the parts and components that can cause a refrigerator dispenser to not work. Follow the list to find out what part is causing the refrigerator to not dispense either ice or water.

Refrigerator Dispenser Is Not WorkingRefrigerator Dispenser Not Working – How To Repair?

SAFETY NOTE: Remember to always unplug the refrigerator and use caution when troubleshooting or fixing components on a refrigerator.

If the refrigerator water dispenser stopped working after replacing the water filter, read here… Refrigerator Water Dispenser Not Working After Water Filter Change

Here are the parts and components that need to be inspected to fix a refrigerator water or ice dispenser that is not working.

1 – Micro Switch On Dispenser Lever Faulty

The micro switch that controls dispensing can crack, fall off the frame, or become faulty (no continuity). – Test with meter for continuity (be sure to press the switch when checking for continuity). – Check to see if it fell off the frame and it is not in the correct position. – Inspect to see if switch is cracked or burnt. Replace the Micro Switch On Dispenser Lever if faulty.

Refrigerator Dispenser and Control Board PartsRefrigerator Dispenser/Control Board Parts

2 – Refrigerator Door Switch Faulty

The door switch “closes” when the refrigerator door is shut, it can crack or become faulty (no continuity). – Check to see if switch is cracked or burnt. – Test with meter for continuity (be sure to press the switch when checking for continuity). – Inspect to see if it fell off the frame and not in the proper position. Replace the Refrigerator Door Switch if found to be not working as designed.

3 – Dispenser Control Board Faulty

The dispenser control board controls the water and ice and the display, it can become faulty over time. – Check for any burns on the circuit board. – Inspect the board for signs of a short such as a popped capacitor or other issue. Replace the Dispenser Control Board if found to be the issue.

4 – Water Inlet Valve Faulty

The water inlet valve supplies water to the refrigerator and can be faulty either mechanically or electrically. – Test solenoid valve coils with meter for continuity. – Check if the valve is clogged, if so remove clog and inspect valve for other issues. Replace the Water Inlet Valve if found to be not in working order.

5 – Internal Wiring Issues

The wiring and wiring harnesses within the refrigerator may have an issue. – Check in the refrigerator for disconnected wire harnesses. – Inspect for loose wiring within the fridge and reconnect if found. – Look for any sign of faulty wiring by looking for burned or cut wire harnesses. Replace any wiring that you find to be faulty or damaged.

6 – Low Water Pressure

Water pressure going to a refrigerator must be 20 PSi minimum. – Check the water line to see if the water coming from the wall has proper pressure. – Inspect the water supply valve to be sure it is not clogged or has low pressure. Fix any water supply issues to solve any problems with the refrigerator.

7 – Waterline or Water Tube Frozen

Water tubes within the refrigerator may be frozen and cause a water supply issue. – Check water to ice maker to see if the water line is frozen. – Inspect for a bad valve or low water pressure to the fridge. Find the Frozen Water Tube or line and heat it with a hair dryer to defrost the water lines or tubes.

8 – Main Control Board Faulty

The main control board controls the complete refrigerator, it can become faulty over time. – Check for any burns on the circuit board. – Inspect the board for signs of a short such as a popped capacitor or other issue. Replace the Main Control Board if found to be the issue. MORE HELPFUL TIPS: The videos below show how to troubleshoot a refrigerator with a faulty dispenser. These videos show exactly how to troubleshoot and replace any parts that may be faulty in any refrigerator. When you troubleshoot your fridge and find the part that has become faulty, here are many different refrigerator dispenser parts to repair a refrigerator that has a broken dispenser.


Fridge Dispenser Not Working — Refrigerator Troubleshooting


Refrigerator not dispensing water or ice – Kenmore, Whirlpool & KitchenAid


Troubleshooting Refrigerator Water Dispenser Issues


Refrigerator – Ice maker water dispenser not working


Refrigerator Repair – Not Dispensing Water through door – GE/Hotpoint

The Refrigerator Dispenser Is Not Working repair method will work on all models and brands of refrigerators including Frigidaire, GE, HAIER, Kenmore, LG, Maytag, Samsung, and Whirlpool refrigerators.

If the ice maker on an LG refrigerator has stopped making ice/no ice… The Ice Maker On My LG Refrigerator Does Not Make Ice – How To Fix?

If after checking all the parts above you still have an issue, please leave a comment below with your refrigerator model number and we will be happy to assist and troubleshoot the issue for you.

11 thoughts on “8 Tips To Fix A Refrigerator Dispenser Not Working”

  1. Frigidare side by side FRS6LF7JS3 ice maker started dispensing ice out of the blue I cleaned out the bin turned off ice maker over night. Works fine now but intermittently when I press the ice dispenser the water dispenses instead of ice.

  2. Ken C. Schram

    Hotpoint model hss25gfpjww, water and ice dispenser inoperative and the lite dims when pushing select buttons. What is the most likely cure?

  3. We have a GE Profile refrigerator. Changed the water filter and now the panel will not display volume of water dispensed. It just shows zero or sometimes will show 1oz dispensed. We’ve replaced the filter twice, sourced from different vendors, to prove its not the filter at issue. The water dispenses just fine, its just not displaying flow volume.

    Any ideas on where the issue lies so I don’t have to replace parts by trial and error. GE suggested replacing the display panel but that seems an expense part to replace without isolating the issue.

  4. Frigidaire FRS6LF7FB6
    I am at a total loss on what is up with my water inlet valve, I have replaced it with a brand new one and still water will not get passed the first valve.
    I have disconnected all lines except the inlet line and turned everything on just to see if water comes out of any of the valves and nothing.
    Checked coils and they are fine and brand new as well.
    I checked the diode, it is ok.
    I have power to the ice maker.
    I am stumped, my water pressure is over and beyond what it needs to be, would that cause the valve not to open.
    Any advice would be helpful It is a Frigidaire FRS6LF7FB6.

  5. GC-l197stf side by side LG refrigerator:
    Water dispenser not working.
    Ice maker still functions as normal.
    Micro switch shows continuity when pressed, open when off.
    Dispenser board looks okay, no obvious scorches.
    Mains inlet side of water valve gets 240 volts when dispenser pressed and water flows through valve.
    No power at inlet into fridge side of valve when dispenser switch pressed. No water flows into fridge tubing.
    Replaced inlet valve with no affect.

  6. My GE Profile Ice Dispenser on a GE PSH26RGXCDSS stopped working. The Ice Maker Makes Ice, the Water Dispenser works most of the time. The Ice Dispenser Solenoid is good; the Dispenser Switch is good, as is the Door Switch. The DC voltage from the Main Board to the Dispenser Board should be 13vdc (per the Schematic), but only reads Approx. 9vdc, is this the problem? Note when the Ice Dispenser is pressed the light comes on and goes out, sometimes the auger feeds cubes, most of the time it does not.

  7. I have not used my water dispenser and ice maker on my Samsung fridge freezer for a couple of years.
    How do I go about reinstating the use.
    Cleaning sterilising etc.

  8. My ice dispenser will not dispense ice. Water works perfectly. Ice maker works perfectly just won’t come out dispenser Kenmore 27 refrigerator app 15 years old thx Jim

  9. Hotpoint HSM25GFRFSA: fridge has stopped dispensing water and ice, is is being made. Have replaced most of the dispensing components including micro switch and solenoid. I notice when trying to dispense either ice or water the evaporator fan stops and the lights on the display dim or go out.

    Would this be a display board issue?

  10. Refrigerator model number wrx735sdhz01. We have had the refrigerator less than a month and suddenly the water/ice dispenser seems to have lost all power. There are no lights, the buttons won’t work, and it will not dispense anything. The refrigerator is still running a f cooling fine. It just seems to be the water/ice dispenser that is affected.

  11. My fridge model is Kitchenaid KRFC704FSSOO, build date Feb. 2017…
    A certified Whirlpool tech was out today to witness my malfunctioning water dispenser, but he said there’s nothing he can check for the cause. He literally inspected NOTHING. I’ve had a problem from day one with the “favorite fill” & “measured fill” features, where they’d dispense accurately for 2-3 wks, and then fail by a couple of oz. I’d reset, and same story all over. Over time, the problem progressively worsened to where favorite fill would halt mid stream and need 2-3 more dispenses to reach the full volume. Re-calibration sometimes corrects the problem, but it was done 4+ times today in front of the tech and failed each time to dispense properly. I’ve also experienced this halting while using the paddle to dispense water, and in that case the whole panel goes dark and won’t dispense water at all, unless I wait a few seconds for it to “reset.” I’ve also had water flow issues with fresh OEM filters, so I begged him to check the inlet valves as the potential culprit for everything. He refused, insisting it wasn’t the inlet valves and neither was it the dispenser control panel, since it was fully lit. It’s proven the water dispenser isn’t working properly, so I even asked what the panel communicates with, because that’s the part that might be defective. He didn’t know! I can’t source any of these particular issues online to troubleshoot and would like to know if you’ve heard of these problems.

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