When I joined forces with Brian to create the Handyguys Podcast I had no idea that so many subjects for future posts existed in my kitchen. The newest is a water and ice dispenser problem with my GE side by side. My dishwasher problems (and fixes!) keep this site busy. My GE side-by-side refrigerator is now in a competition with the Kenmore elite (Whirlpool made) dishwasher as the worst appliance ever owned by Handyguy Paul. Last night I fixed one more water and ice dispenser problem that has driven the kids crazy.
Let’s review previous problems with this unit.
Model: GE side by side stainless steel gss25tsre.SS. Purchased 10/2005:
1. Shelves too small in freezer causing them to crash to bottom of freezer. GE sent replacements.
2. Water tank leak. Fixed 10/2011.
3. Defrost problems causing the freezer coils to freeze up which makes freezer and refrigerator compartments too warm. Temporary solution was to remove back wall panel of freezer and melt ice on coils with hair dryer. That solution lasted for about a month. The permanent required replacement of the control board. Fixed 12/2011.
4. The water and ice dispenser problem began intermittently on 3/2012. The original solution was to wait overnight and hope my water and ice dispenser problems went away. It did begin working again for a few days at a time. A few weeks later it only worked for a few hours at a time. After 4 weeks from when the dispenser stopped working, the dispenser went dead for good. I finally grew tired of the problem and fixed it.
There are several potential causes of the water and ice dispenser problem.
Water and Ice Dispenser Problem - Water not dispensing but Ice is….
First identify what exactly is not working. Does any aspect of the dispenser work such as the water, ice, light, etc.? If only the water flow is broken, you may have a bad water valve on the back of the unit. Or, more likely, the water line is frozen or clogged. If the water is not working, wait a day or two and see if the problem self-corrects. In some cases, the defrost cycle can cause=e the line to freeze because it does not have adequate insulation in the door. If the problem persists, investigate proper water flow on the line . You can open up the kick plate at the bottom of your unit and look for the coupler under the freezer door where the water line is routed from the back of the freezer up to the dispenser. Disconnect this coupler and see if you have water coming out. You should only get a trickle. Then depress your water dispenser switch and see if water begins shooting out. If the water does begin flowing, then your clog is in the section of tube in your freezer door. You can try putting all your food in an ice chest and thawing out the freezer to see if you can get the tube working or you can just replace the tube.
Water and Ice Dispenser Problem - Water and Ice not working
If neither your ice or water are working from your dispenser you could have the following problems:
1. Bad dispenser switch. You will have to investigate this by removing the button panel and getting access to the switch. You can usually hear whether the switch is trying to activate.
2. Bad electrical connection to the dispenser. This was my problem! I removed the kick plate at the base of the unit and looked for the electrical connection under the freezer hing. There is a coupler there which connects the electrical wires that run to the switch. In my case I could see that there was corrosion on the wires. I cut out the coupler and reconnected the wires using appropriate crimpers and electrical tape. Problem solved. See Video for more details.
3. Bad control board. The other cause of this problem is when the main control board located on the back of the refrigerator stops working correctly. This is a common problem. If you have checked 1 and 2 above, you can order a new control board at repairclinic.com (no affiliation to Handyguys Podcast). They have a 365 day return policy in the event that this does not solve your problem.
Water and Ice Dispenser Problem – Only Ice Not Dispensing
Assuming the chute from the ice box to the dispenser is not clogged, there could be an issue with the ice auger mechanism. There are various posts around the internet dealing with this issue so consult google. But still check out our video!
Check out the video I made for more details on the water and ice dispenser problem and see the revenge I take on my refrigerator unit.
Thanks to http://www.youtube.com/user/R0bCB for the visual effects!
Redline Garage Gear
Duluth Trading Co
{ 49 comments… read them below or add one }
I’ve had similar issues with only ice not dispensing and your video helped greatly! I was quoted an insanely high number to have a serviceman come and fix it for me but I was able to do it myself!
Great video!
A giant leap in production quality!
We have a similar model GE. Have had a chronic problem of a frozen water line to the dispenser. Used a hair dryer to thaw the door area a few times, with success, and other times, I just left the door open for an hour, with an insulating blanket covering the opening of the freezer compartment. The fix seemed to be: as soon as there are any open spaces in the freezer compartment, I fill them with gallon milk jugs, filled with water. These seem to help stabilize the temperature, and keep the door area from getting too cold.
Thanks
Thank you Paul for such an informative article on Water Dispenser. I have been facing some issues with my Dispenser but couldn’t figure out what was wrong with t, but after reading your article I guess that the electrical connection had malfunctioned. Keep up the great work.
GE side by side fridge. Very low water flow in both dispenser and in ice maker. Traced problem to the filter assembly. Disconnected water line to filter and found that I had full water flow. Unable to get water flow above a dribble from the assembly to the double water valves. Replaced filter with bypass and the problem was still there. Discharge line from filter assembly was clear, but couldn’t get air through the supply side (in either direction). Seemed to be a blockage in the line. Am wondering whether there is some type of flow restrictor or check valve in this supply line.
I know you said you have full flow to the filter. Don’t be so sure. If you use one of those clamp on saddle valves they are notorious for restricting flow. Solder in a Tee, a normal shutoff valve and a connector for the supply line. Its a cheap thing to do (and easy if you can solder) and will likely increase flow. Let us know if that works for you.
hi there
thnx for this video on the ge side by side fridge…..worst ever. anyway…was away 3 days came home to ice working great and full and the water not working at all. line in fridge doesn’t seem to be frozen. took off the kick plate at the bottom and when i disconnected the water flow and pushed on water on door it came shooting out of the tube in my hand…so not sure where my problem is. i had it set at 5 while away…tried it at 3 all day to see if that helped…it didn’t. any other suggestions? thank you so much!
The water tube can still be frozen where it goes from the coupler that you disconnected to the water dispenser. These refrigerators are known for having that line freeze up. The probablem normally corrects itself after awhile (i think) when the unit goes through its defrost cycle. Otherwise, you can leave the freezer door for a spell to warm it up and see what happens. What you described makes sense: when you depress the water dispenser, it tells the valve at the back of the fridge to open and release water which then runs the water under the unit to the point where you disconnected it. When you reconnect, the water stops there is a section frozen in the rest of the hos e(assuming I am correct).
thank you. no luck yet. still trying. when does it go thru defrost cycle?
Hello – my problem sounds similar to maxsmama. I have had a recurring problem wih my water line freezing up. First time this happened we turned our freezer down to 2 and then after a few days it worked again. Eventually, this method stopped working. I ordered an insulated water line (fits inside freezer door) and had a repair man install it. This worked for a while, but then same thing happened again. I turned it down to 2 again and this worked for a while, then eventually it stopped working for good. Had a repair man look at it and he said that everything was working and that replacing the insulated line would do no good. He said that I needed to order a new door ($300.00) to fix the problem. I tried using a hair dryer to it and it will not thaw it out. Is there a better insulated line available out there.
Holy crap!! Watching this video was as if someone was describing MY fridge! EXACT same problem. Door ice and water works…then not working …then miraculously starts working again…then done for good. Did exactly what you showed and it works perfectly. There was even some water built up in the rubber housing of the wires…so it obviously corroded it. I was about to order a circuit board when I came across this. Genius!!
y refridgerater still leaks water from bottom. even with the waTER SHUT OFF. THINKING IT IS A DEFROSTING ISSUE. DONT UNDERSTAND. THANKS
Hmmm, melting ice from somewhere or perhaps the water cooler storage.
One thing to check. When defrosting, the water runs off via a small hole in the back of the freezer. It then passes through a hose to a pan in the back of the unit where it evaporates. If the hole or hose is clogged, the water will run to the bottom of your freezer and possibly out to the floor. Check the back of your freezer to be sure that the hole is not blocked or frozen. You should be able to drain a cup of water down the hole.
Using crimp connectors will only be a temporary solution because they will corrode again. The drip pan is directly behind these wires and warm moist air is being blown directly over these wires every time the defrost fan comes on. That warm moist air will condense inside the crimp connectors and start the corrosion process again. It’s just a matter of time. You might want to put a glob of dielectric paste where the wire enters each crimp connector to keep the water vapor out.
A better fix is to solder the wires and then cover the connections with heat shrink tubing. The heat shrink tubing will seal the connections from the water vapor (unlike the crimp connectors).
Thanks for the tips Bob – We agree that soldering the connections is more robust but not everyone possesses the tools or experience to solder the connections.
Indeed soldering might be beyond the technical skills of some people. That is why I suggested the use of dielectric paste on the crimp connector opening to seal the wires from the water vapor.
The reason why the original connector fails is because of its location in front of the drip pan. The wiring harness is in direct contact with the cold water line. The wires get cold and when that warm moist air blows (from the evaporator pan), the water vapor condenses on the wires. As long as the wires are sealed no harm is done. The stock connector is not a sealed unit and air (with water vapor) can travel through the connector. It was a poor design from the factory.
No matter what method you use to make the repair, it is important to make sure that the connection is air and water tight.
Yup, we agree that a dielectric paste or grease would be a good idea. You should be able to get it at the home center, hardware store and auto parts store or online here http://astore.amazon.com/handyguys-20/detail/B000LJBPFY
My 2003 GE side by side refrigerator has been (knock on wood) relatively trouble free except for having the defrost heater replaced a few months ago.
The water/ice dispenser has stopped working a couple of times due to someone going from ice to water too quickly. The fix was to shut off power for 30 seconds. This has always worked………until now.
I shut off the electric and removed everything from the freezer and put everything outside in containers (temperature below freezing).
I left the door open and used a hair dryer directly behind the dispenser being careful not to overheat the plastic. After about 20 minutes I tested the water…..no good. In the meantime i stumbled upon a video that suggests using a 8-9 inch piece of weed wacker line to break through the frozen area which is usually about 2.5 inches back from the outlet. The guy in the video was able to push the line right in. I gave the line a try ……no good but it stopped about 2.5 inches in.
I decided to wait another hour. Sure enough it worked!
It was suggested to leave the line in the water line so I pushed it backed and forth to make sure the line was clear, filled a few glasses with water, and put the line back in leaving about 1/2 inch sticking out.
I thought I was done with, however after about 3 hours it froze up again.
I had to use pliers to pull the weed wacker line out but it cleared the line out.
I put the line back in but need to pull it out every so often to clear the water line.
I heard of people gluing styrofoam on the inside of the door directly behind the dispenser. Anyone had luck with that? Any other ideas short of replacing the door are appreciated.
Thanks.
You need to install the GE heater element. It costs about $25.00 at Amazon. Here’s a video that explains the entire process and gives you the model number:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BdNX3LteJTw
I leave my light bulb in the dispenser lit all the time and water stays working. Once summer has come, no need for the extra heat.
I am a 53 yr old women, and when something doesn’t work it drives me crazy, I have to fix it. I Thank this web site for helping in fixing my GE side by side refrigerator when my water would not dispense. I followed all of the suggestions and went step by step to figure this problem out, and of course it was the last step. My water was frozen going up the line in the freezer door. Thank-you so very much for having this easy to follow video to solve my problem. My water is now running full speed ahead. Again Thank-You… Save me a lot of money, time, and frustration!!!!!!
@Susan – Glad you found the info useful!
Handyguy Paul,
I was having the same problem as you, my water dispenser and ice dispenser were not working – but the icemaker was fine. I thought it was the control board and replaced that. It worked for a day the started turning on and off continuously. Thanks to your video I was able to figure out that it was due to the corroded connection at the bottom of the fridge (freezer side). I repaired it as you demonstrated and it is now working. Thank you very much!
I have a GE side by side and 3 times now in the past week the water connection has some how shut itself off. What could be the cause of this happening?
I too had this issue with the ice/water dispenser not working. This is after I replaced the main control board (rear of frig) for an shorted component on said board(major burn marks). After a few days the display inside the frig portion would go out or flicker. Found the dispenser to be causing the issue by unplugging the connector at bottom of freezer. Thought this might be the isssue(corrosion like posted above) but it was not. Checked everything again and again, no fix. Was on another forum and someone said they removed the light on the dispenser and the problem was fixed. As skeptical as I was about the fix, I tried it and it worked. I put the light back in and sure enough the problem came back. The light did work when I would press the lever, so I thought that couldn’t be the problem, oops. So now I don’t have a light but have my dispenser back!!! I will look for a replacement bulb next.
I have a 2006 GE Side by Side fridge. I also have an RO filter at the kitchen sink. The ice maker on fridge seems to be working fine but I am not getting any water. I don’t necessarily need the water out of the fridge b/c of RO at sink but I would like to fix if I decide to sell the fridge. What steps should I take to find the problem and fix? Thanks for any help you can offer.
The video may provide a solution. Or check out the related posts where we list some possibilities for your issue.
I ignored the water in door not working. Several years later when the ice maker stopped working, I learned that the plastic tube bringing water into the fridge had split. Our wood floor was ruined before we realized what the problem was.
Ug, that stinks.
That was my problem right on. Thank you
Hi, I hope you know his one:
Icemaker is getting water, but when it’s time te push the ice out, it seems lacking strenght. Why is that?
JD – Something is probably frozen. Sometimes you can take a hair dryer to warm stuff up and it will then begin to work. Another technique is to empty everything from the unit, perhaps into an ice chest, and unplug it for a day. After it has sat warm for a while it will start to work again.
side by side stored for two years was working when stored. took it out now the fan and copm. run but it is not cooling. what can i do?
I recently encountered a situation on my GE refrigerator side-by-side not dispensing water, but still making ice cubes. My model number is GSH22JFTCC purchased July 2007. I read several Boards online, and here’s is what I did, and how it was fixed, my case. First, I read the appliance manual, which said to change out the in-fridge water filter. My filter was one year old, so I replaced it. Result: still no water dispensing. Then I popped around on the Internet, and used the following solutions recommended by various people (THANK YOU!!!!). First: I “warmed up” the freezer section by changing the setting from 5 to 4. I also turned on the small light by the water dispensing unit. Forty two hours later (thus, nearly 2 days) – - and voila’ – I now have water dispensing again. My advice: before you call the GE appliance repair people, try out some of the suggestions. In my case, it worked just great.
I have a GE side by side with the water/ice dispenser … my concern is that the “trigger” to dispense is getting progressively more difficulty to activate … I am concerned that at some point it will break. Any ideas?
Replacing the water tank was a snap after watching your video. Thank you so much!
Hello-
Have a Kenmore side-by-side. Ice-maker works. Water and ice-dispenser work. But the ice-dispenser unit in the door fills with water.
Any thoughts?
Thanks..
Nothing beyond you have a leak somewhere. See if you can track down where the leak is and replace that part.
I am having the same troubles with my side by side. (water not dispensing). I have checked all the lines, and connections. I have taken out the shelves to look at the tank but there is no tank, just a circle of tubes, Any ideas on what to do next? ……please! I do love your videos, I am a 62 year old woman and get very pleased with myself when I can fix a problem by following the videos made by people such as yourself! Thank you!
Hmmm, That is a tough one. The first thing I would check is the connection between the tubing and the water pipe. That connection is often made with what is called a saddle valve. Those valves can clog up over time. Try just turning the water on and off a few times at the saddle valve. That could get things going again.
Here is a picture of a saddle valve
Thanks for your help regarding my GE side by side fridge; same problems as in videos.. My water dispenser was not working due to frozen line in the door. I tried several methods and a lot of time to thaw it. My best and quickest solution was to pull the copper wire out of a plastic wire thus creating a flexible hose/tube about 25cm long which would fit up the opening of the water spout. I used tape to connect the tube to a water squeeze bottle. I filled the bottle with hot water, inserted the flexible tube up the spout and squeezed the bottle. As the ice melted inside the water tube I fed the flexible tube up the spout to keep the hot water as close to the ice as possible. In less than a minute the dispenser was working. I have used this method several times and just keep the water bottle handy for future use. I am disgusted with GE for this poor design and I would never buy another GE fridge.
My water/ice dispenser had very different problems than those described above. When we left the condo for several months, either the water dispenser let loose and water was sent all over the floor or the freezer defrosted and sent water over the floor, resulting in mold. My thinking is the seal between the freezer and dispenser failed or the seal allowing water flow failed, leading to the leak. Does anyone have any experience similar
Are you sure it isn’t simply a crack or break in the plastic tube behind the refrigerator that sends water to the icemaker?
Absolutely positive1
It sounds to me as if you had an extended power failure and the freezer compartment defrosted. With a complete defrost of the freezer and no fan running to evaporate the water, the evaporator pan could have overflowed onto the floor.
Had there been a leak in the water dispenser (or any other park of the water line) the water leak would have not shut off. You would have had hundreds or thousands of gallons of water flooding the place until it was discovered.
I have a 2009 GE Profile side by side fridge. The icemaker is working fine and the water dispenser, though slow is working. The problem we are having is that the unit starts knocking periodically. I suspect that it is in conjunction with the icemaker cycle somehow. A knocking noise in the middle of the is driving us nuts. Has there been any similar complaints on this fridge and what can I do to correct it? Thanks
I would turn off the icemaker (there is a switch on it) first to confirm that is what is making the noise. But it does sound like that is it.
I had a frozen water line and heard about defrosting with a hair dryer. I did just that and ended up melting the water line and the paddle dispenser. I even melted some of the plastic on the ice chute. Now nothing works. I called an appliance repair place and they quoted me $700 for a new door. Is there any chance I can fix this myself?
Yikes – You might try and see if you can buy a new door online or just replace the fridge.