Whirlpool Water Dispenser Problem -- HELP !

[Matt]

Joey -

Check out:

Common problem.

[Kathy]

Have you changed the filter?

[Joey]

Kathy,

It only has one filter that I installed and it's in the supply line. I did change that filter but didn't cure the problem.

Joey

Kathy wrote:

[Joey]

Ed,

This is a strong possibility, but what would cause this to happen after four years of no problems ? Also, what would a servicer do to fix a problem like this ? When it was working the water was never really cold, just cool.

Joey

Ed wrote:

[Joey]

Thanks for taking the time to read my posting.

I have a Whirlpool Refrig with a built in freezer door water dispenser and ice dispenser (crushed or cube).

The ice maker is working fine but the water dispenser stopped. I could hear the hum of the water valve when the dispenser lever was pushed but no water came out. So, I thought that part of the valve was bad and I replaced the water valve with a new one. This is the valve that the water supply attaches to and has two water outlets--one to the ice maker and the other to the water dispenser. Well, that didn't cure the problem. Still get the hum when the dispenser lever is pushed but no water comes out. I checked the water outlet tube in the door as far as I could see and it is not obstructed.

From the water valve located at the bottom left of the refrig that water line enters the bottom of the refrig and comes back out at the same spot in a smaller diameter plastic tube. It then goes to the bottom of the freezer door and upward to the water dispenser. Since the main water valve is good and the dispenser switch is good I feel there must be an obstruction somewhere between the water valve and the outlet tube. Anyone know where this could be or what the problem is ??? There are no leaks anywhere and absolutely no water comes out of the dispenser tube. Any assistance will be appreciated. The refig is about 5 years old and has had no other problems.

Joey

[Joey]

Thanks Matt for the sites but they didn't have anything pertaining to this problem. Any other ideas ?

Joey

Matt wrote:

[Ed]

"Joey" wrote >

Two possibilities.

1. Ice in the water tank. It's behind the drawers in the refrigerator section. Try warming it with a hair dryer and see if it works.
2. A frozen water line in the freezer door. This one can be more difficult to repair but usually leaving the freezer door open for an hour or two will thaw it. If it refreezes you should call a servicer.

[Appliance Repair Aid]

dispenser

dispenser

Hi,

Model#?

model# helps.

Very possible the water reservoir/tank is frozen. Clogged is rare but frozen is common.

The water tank/reservoir is normally behind the lower crispers in the fresh food section. A couple of simple ways that usually works....grab the chilled water coil and sqeeze...hear scrunching/crunching it is usually ice. Can also open the tubing connector entering the freezer door bottom and try running water into a cup or pail there to see if the water tank is frozen, no water flow is often a frozen water tank/reservoir. Usually a little heat with a hair dryer ( carefull of plactic or faom part! ) thaws it out quickly.

jeff. Appliance Repair Aid

[Kathy]

Mine has a big one in the fridge part. Needs to be changed every so often.

[Ed]

"Joey" wrote

If the storage tank in the refrigerator section is frozen it's usually caused by poor air circulation. It can be corrected by adjusting the freezer control to a warmer setting. This will increase airflow into the refrigerator section. Sometimes you may also need to adjust the refrigerator control to a warmer setting.

If the water line in the freezer door is frozen that is usually caused by moisture in the door. The fiberglass that insulates the tube may be wet and frozen. If opening the door for a few hours solves the problem and you see water dripping from the bottom of the door you can be pretty sure that the insulation got wet.

I suggest a service tech for this problem because I'm not sure of your mechanical ability. The freezer door would have to come apart and the wet insulation replaced and it may require replacement of the insulation.

On some models you can test to see if this tube is the problem. The tube comes from the tank and goes under the freezer. You can see it if you remove the kickplate. Very often there is a union there, if you disconnect the union and blow through the section that goes up through the freezer door hinge there should be no resistance other than some water that may be in the tube. If you can't blow through it then you have found where the ice blockage is.

[Joey]

Hi Ed and others:

Your pointers finally paid off. I decided to take the freezer door panel off and it was really a big job. Apparently chipped ice from the ice dispenser melted and dripped over time into the insulation and over the styrofoam that covers the dispenser portion of the door. I took all the insulation out and replaced it--really I doubled the amount of insulation there. But.....still the water dispenser didn't work. I took some rather large diameter weed eater line and fed it through the opening in the door and finally it came up into the tank behind the crisper section in the refrig. There it stopped. So, I managed to heat up the tank with a hair dryer and while putting the freezer door back together again, the water started working. The hardest part of this job was getting the door seal back on properly. I hope the water tank won't freeze again but I figure if it does, I could remove it and put a splice into the line where the water will run direct--shorter route. Thanks for all the assistance !!!!!!

Joey

Ed wrote:

[Ed]

"Joey" wrote

Happy to help. If you by-pass the water tank you won't get chilled water at the door (and you might still get a frozen water line) but you can always put a little ice in the glass.