Refrigerator Dispenses Ice But Not Water

Is the water dispenser in the refrigerator not dispensing water? It dispenses ice but not water. This could be a symptom of an underlying problem with the water line for the water dispenser freezing. Another common problem might be a clogged water filter. To fix this issue, you’ll need to identify what went wrong and how to fix it.

Refrigerator Dispenses Ice But Not WaterRefrigerator Makes Ice But No Water

Problem: My refrigerator dispenses ice cubes but not water. The ice maker appears to be working properly because it continues to make ice. One issue I am having is that the water dispenser won’t dispense water. When I try to fill cups/glasses from the dispenser, it sounds like water is trying dispense but I hear a humming noise and no water comes out. What could cause the water to not dispense?

Frozen Water Dispenser Line?

The water line inside the door may have frozen. A known issue on some older refrigerator models. The insufficient insulation surrounding the water line on the door of the refrigerator gets wet and then freezes. One simple way to find out is to use some weedeater line (or another flexible but thin material) and slowly slide it up the water dispenser nozzle. If the line is frozen you will find out after moving in from 3 to 7 inches from the dispenser spout. To solve this, use a hair dryer on ultra low settings and warm the water dispenser from the inside to thaw the ice. Try this for a few minutes while avoiding damaging any components from the heat. This should solve the issue and let water flow freely from the water dispenser on your refrigerator.


Fixing Refrigerator Water Dispenser Freezing

Refrigerator Water Filter Issue?

Replace the water filter in the refrigerator. The ice may still be working, but in certain instances, the water may not dispense properly if the water filter has an issue. Remove and replace the water filter and test to see if the water dispenser is now working.

Fridge/Freezer Needs Defrost?

Try a defrost. Remove all of the food out of the freezer/fridge. Turn it off and let the dispenser door stay open for a day. The water line should thaw and the water will properly dispense.

How To Remove Ice In Water Line?

Slide a 12″ piece of weed-eater line up into the water dispenser spout. Leave 1″ of the weedeater line sticking out of the spout. This will help the water dispense. If the water line still freezes because of the poor insulation around the water line, you can pull slightly on the 1″ weed-eater line to pull the ice that is plugging the line out.

Fault In Dispenser Micro Switch?

The water dispenser has a faulty micro switch and needs to be re positioned or replaced. When you press a cup on the water dispenser arm, it should click and activate a small switch. If this switch is bad, no water will dispense. Troubleshoot the switch on your particular refrigerator water dispenser.

In this article we showed you the potential causes of your refrigerator not dispensing water. If none of the solutions worked for you, check all the water lines in the fridge. Inspecting all the water lines in the refrigerator will tell you if there is any kind of water flow issues along the lines themselves.

These solutions to ice maker working but water dispenser is not, will work with all brands of refrigerators including Bosch, Frigidaire, GE, Haier, Kenmore, KitchenAid, LG, Maytag, Samsung, and Whirlpool.

If you still need assistance, please leave a comment below and we will be happy to assist.

5 thoughts on “Refrigerator Dispenses Ice But Not Water”

  1. Appliance Repair Assistant

    Julie,
    If your GE profile refrigerator is having trouble dispensing either water or ice, and you are trying to fix the micro switch, usually the micro switch goes bad and you just need to replace it.
    Have you taken out the micro switch and checked it to see if it’s working properly?
    You can use a meter to check to see if it is operational or faulty.
    If you find that it is bad you can just order another one on Amazon or an appliance parts website.
    They’re fairly cheap and you should be able to replace it pretty easy.
    If you need more help let us know.
    -RR

  2. Hi, how do I troubleshoot dispenser micro switch on GE Profile model # PSC23NGSB WW?
    Thank you

  3. Appliance Repair Assistant

    Gary U.,
    Did you just replace the water filter in your refrigerator?
    Usually when you replace the water filter there is a lot of air in the lines and water needs to get into the water filter and this pushes out the air.
    So if you just replaced your water filter this is normal.
    Run the water dispenser for a few minutes and it should stop surging for good.
    OR
    This sounds as if there is air in the water lines it may have something to do with the water filter or possibly some of the water lines itself. The easiest thing to do would be to change the water filter with a premium brand and see if that helps. Also be sure there are no O rings missing off of the water filter on your refrigerator. As a missing o-ring can cause a lot of issues such as water leaks and surging of water with air.
    -RR

  4. My water dispenser works fine then all of a sudden it starts to surge. If you wait a few minutes it works fine again. It will work fine for a little while then start surging again.

  5. My GE refrigerator will not switch off of cube. You press the water button but the indicator light remains on cube.

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