Refrigerator water - black algae/bacteria? (2023 Update)

Hello,

I've recently discovered what appears to look like black algae/bacteria growing in my Whirlpool refrigerator's water dispenser's reservoir. The reservoir is clear coiled tubing located on the back of the inside of the refrigerator.

The black stuff looks like "black algae" floating in the water when I fill up a glass. I changed the frig. water filter last week and the black stuff is still showing up. It seems to be growing/living in the reservoir.

I know I can replace the reservoir with this kit, but will this prevent the stuff from coming back?

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Can I flush out the system with a water/bleach solution to kill the black stuff?

Any help is greatly appreciated, Roy

Reply to
Roy Fek
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Likely just algae that came in from your water source.

You can flush it out with bleach. But the bleach will kill the charcoal in the filter so you will have to replace it again after you flush it.

Until you find where it's coming from just flushing will only solve the problem temporarily.

Changing the resovoir/hose is a waste of money unless yours has other problems.

($52.25 for a bit of hose and some connectors,.... OUCH)

AMUN

Reply to
Amun

Tom, It's definitely not charcoal. Once I installed the new filter, last week, I filled up a 5 gallon bucket twice. Then just today I hooked up a garden hose to the water dispenser and ran the water for 15 minutes. The black stuff I'm seeing is not solid like bits of charcoal. It's stringy like algae.

-Roy

Reply to
Roy Fek

I changed the frig. water filter last week

Are you sure that it's not just loose charcoal from the new filter that's not been purged from the system. Most filters come with instructions to run the water for some time after installing to get rid of these charcoal bits that are loose in the new filter. Tom.

Reply to
Tom

Reply to
C & M

Most filters should remove the chlorine that is added to tap water to kill algae/bacteria. Thus the line from the filter to the dispenser would seem the most vulnerable to bacteria. Changing out the water supply leading to your refrigerator line will not address this. If your water dispenser will work without the filter (i.e. has a built in bypass valve) it would seem to be a good idea to simply leave the filter off for a week or so between filter change outs to allow chlorinated water to run through the whole system. Because the level of chlorine in tap water is so low, a quick flush without the filter probably won't help much.

Reply to
Not an expert

You have a good point. I'd try to give the container a heavy dose of bleach, let it sit a couple of hours, they flush. Maybe you can use a baster to shoot some bleach into the line.

Run a couple of gallons of water to flush it out.

Reply to
Ed Pawlowski

all this is why water and ice dispensers in refrigerators are what I call inconvenient conveniences.

M
Reply to
makolber

replying to Amun, JK wrote: Just Algae?? Seriously?! There should not be algae in drinking water. I had an issue with slow water out of my dispenser and when trying to find the problem, I turned my water valve open and closed a few times to see if there was a clog there. After this, I had black water coming out of the line and it cam thru the refrig and even through the filter. It cleared eventually but is scary. I called a plumber and he said it is from the old washers. That makes sense as I turned the valve which would have rubbed the old washers. I'm not thrilled by this and eventually want to replace the valve and washers, but it isn't algae.

Reply to
JK

Reply to
A Lewis

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