Frigidaire Water Dispenser Not Working? Here are 6 parts you should check!

Imagine — the summer heat is overwhelming and you’re feeling parched, but just when you’re reaching for a cool glass of water — nada! Your Frigidaire water dispenser seems to have dried up!

This issue can be so draining, we understand, but you don’t need to be anxious about it. We’ve got our reservoir of quick fixes for you to get your trusted dispenser back up and kicking and ready to beat the heat.

From replacing an overdue part of your fridge to bad habits you didn’t know you were doing, get ready to dive right into these root issues!

Why Your Frigidaire Water Dispenser Isn’t Working

If your Frigidaire refrigerator isn’t dispensing any water or ice, this could indicate an issue with its dispenser assembly, water supply, or water filter.

Check the fridge’s water lines and inlet valves to ensure they’re not clogged, damaged, or frozen. Check also if your water filter is due.

But wait — before you go troubleshooting parts of your refrigerator, we recommend ensuring first that you haven’t accidentally locked your water dispenser.

Frigidaire refrigerators come with special settings that protect your settings from being accidentally tampered with or deleted, making them ideal for households with children or pets.

When some of these special settings are in place, you might find a couple of your fridge’s usual functions now inoperable — yes, this includes the dispenser!

If other functions on the control panel of your Frigidaire refrigerator aren’t working properly as well, look for a lit-up lock icon on the display. If there’s one, that means you’ve left Control Lock activated.

Control Lock works similarly to other appliances’ child lock settings; when activated, select buttons or features of your fridge would be unresponsive until the appliance is unlocked.

Deactivating this setting is fairly simple: just look for the lock icon again. For most models, pressing on the icon until it disappears will do the trick.

Alternatively, look for a button labeled Lock or Control Lock. Pressing and holding that button for at least 3 seconds will unlock your fridge.

But if unlocking the appliance doesn’t solve the issue, don’t worry; we still have plenty of other fixes for you to try. 

From the least complicated to the ones that you’ll need to employ professional help for, we made sure not to leave out any detail. See them all below!

Common Causes of a Frigidaire Water Dispenser Not Working and How to Fix Them

Troubleshooting this issue may scale from 0 to 100 real quick, depending on the root cause of the problem, so we recommend keeping your toolbox near you. 

Don’t worry, though; most of these methods can be done on your own — so long as you know how to use a screwdriver and a pair of pliers, of course. Otherwise, if you think it’s too technical or mechanical for you, don’t hesitate to call for professional help.

Moreover, as a general rule, since we’re dealing with a water issue: always shut off the water supply to avoid leaks!

Cause	Solution
The water filter is clogged, dirty, or damaged.	• Change the water filter every 6 months. • Make sure you’re using a product that is genuine and compatible with your Frigidaire refrigerator model. • Take the old water filter out and inspect it for any clogging or damage. • Replace immediately if there are any.
The water supply lines are frozen or damaged.	Unplug the appliance or cut the power at its circuit breaker, then shut off the water supply.  • Inspect the main water supply line, as well as the ones behind the lower access panel, for any kinks or blockages. • Physically damaged water lines need to be replaced. • Make sure also that the appliance isn’t backed too closely against a wall to avoid bending the water lines behind it. • If the lines are frozen, or if there is any ice clogging them, defrost the refrigerator.
The water inlet valve is damaged.	• Unplug your refrigerator or cut its power off at the circuit breaker, then shut off its water supply. • Disconnect the main water supply line behind the appliance, then unscrew the lower access panel cover and set it aside. • Remove the water inlet valve from its mounting screws, then carefully disconnect the pipes and unplug the wires attached to the valve. • Replace the water inlet valve with a new one.
The dispenser switch is faulty.	• Unplug the appliance or cut its power at its circuit breaker. • Take the dispenser assembly off of the fridge starting with the drip tray, the dispenser frame, and finally, the assembly itself. • Carefully disconnect the wire harness attached to the assembly to remove it from the fridge body. • Flip the dispenser assembly on its side on a flat surface and detach its light bulb panel. • Unscrew the water dispenser switch from behind the dispenser lever. • Unplug its wire harnesses, and replace it with a new one.
The dispenser control board is defective.	• Make sure that none of the other dispensing functions are faulty on their own. • There have to be other defects to the dispenser assembly before you take this part to a service center for replacement.
The refrigerator door switch has failed.	• Unplug the appliance or cut its power at its circuit breaker. Depending on the model you’re using, the door switch might be located on the tabletop cover or behind the freezer door. • If it’s on the tabletop cover, you have to unscrew the hinge and the switch console covers first. • If it’s located behind the freezer door, use a putty knife to pry the door switch out of its cutout opening. • Afterward, for both cases, simply disconnect the wire harnesses attached to the door switch and replace the switch with a new one.

The water filter is clogged, dirty, or damaged.

Do you remember the last time you changed your Frigidaire water filter? If you don’t, or if you feel like it’s been a long while, you might want to check on its due date.

Frigidaire water filters have an average lifespan of 6 months, depending on your regular water consumption and the hardness of the water in your area.

Once the filter is due, you’ll likely notice a decline in water quality. In some cases, it might even lead to leaking issues (frigidaire refrigerator leaking water on floor)!

The older your water filter gets, the more particles it screens, which means the thicker the debris buildup would be in the filter itself. 

Leaving this unchanged past its due date will result in all those accumulated particles clogging up the filter and restricting the water supply to your fridge, especially to the dispenser and ice maker.

Moreover, it’s not just the due date that you’ll want to keep an eye on to ensure the quality of your water filter and supply. Frigidaire refrigerators can be particularly sensitive to the type of filter you use.

Installing the wrong kind of filter might lead to leaks or limited water supply, or — in the worst-case scenario — leave your fridge damaged.

When you’re looking to replace the water fridge, you’ll want to make sure that you’re using a product that’s genuine and compatible with your refrigerator model to avoid harming your appliance.

Solution: Replace your Frigidaire water filter (how to change water filter in frigidaire) every six months to prevent blockage or damage. To change this part of your appliance, follow these steps:

• Step 1: Before installing a new water filter, ensure that you’re getting a product that’s compatible with your Frigidaire model. 

Water filters come in different sizes for varying models, so you best consult your user manual first for the exact type of filter that your fridge needs.

Verify also the authenticity of the product. Even if you’re using a compatible filter, if it turns out to be a counterfeit or a generic filter, it wouldn’t be as effective.

For this, here are a couple of quick tips on how to determine if the filter you’re considering is an authentic one. Before purchasing, make sure to look out for the following:

1. Weight: Counterfeit products typically weigh less than authentic ones because they don’t carry the same quality materials that make genuine filters effective.
2. Certification Symbols: Genuine filters always carry printed NSF Certified logos on both their packaging and the filter container.

If one logo is missing — or if it doesn’t have logos at all — chances are, you might be looking at a counterfeit unit.

3. Packaging: Counterfeit filters tend to come in glossier and flashier packaging to trick buyers into trusting what’s inside.

On the other hand, they would also still use grainy, low-quality photos and discolored, faded texts.

4. Cost: Counterfeit filters lure buyers with cheaper prices, but remember that you’re paying for specialized technologies and materials used in the filters!

In this case, a cheaper alternative might mean a less effective unit, so be careful and always keep an eye out for average prices on Frigidaire’s official website.

5. Online Content: When purchasing water filters online, always look for a complete and accurate data set about the product.

Counterfeits will have outdated and limited information about the product, so it’s advisable to always compare and contrast data between stores.

• Step 2: Locate the water filter.

Depending on the Frigidaire model that you’re using, this part can be found in either of these two placements: in the top-right corner inside the refrigerator or the grille on the base of the fridge.

• Step 3: Turn off the ice maker.

If your Frigidaire refrigerator has an ice maker, we recommend turning it off first to avoid any leaks while you’re replacing the filter.

Some models use a wire arm signal for their ice makers, which makes this step pretty simple: just lift the signal arm until it locks in position!

On the other hand, if your appliance uses the control panel instead, you can turn off the ice maker by doing the following:

• Step 1: On the appliance’s display, navigate to Options.
• Step 2: Using the arrow buttons, scroll down to the Ice Maker setting.
• Step 3: Press the plus (+) or minus (-) sign to turn the ice maker off. Wait until the panel chimes and blinks to signal that the setting has been saved.
• Step 4: Press Options again to exit.

• Step 4: Remove the old filter by pushing its container in until you hear a click. This should also loosen it in place.

Afterward, carefully pull it out of its housing.

• Step 5: Install the new filter with its nozzle facing the fridge. Line up its ridges with the groove of the filter housing and carefully push it in until you hear a click.

Ensure that the new filter is secure and doesn’t wobble in place or slide out of the housing freely. An incorrectly installed water filter will damage your fridge just as severely as a clogged one.

• Step 6: Once the new filter is in place, prime the water supply by running at least two gallons of water through the new filter.

This gets rid of natural sediments in the water that bypasses the filter as it’s activating its filtering element.

Your new water filter will take some time to settle into the appliance and priming your water like this helps ensure that its filtering element activates sooner and more effectively.

• Step 7: Reset the water filter light.

Some Frigidaire refrigerator models come with an indicator light that signals its users when it’s time to replace the water filter.

This feature doesn’t reset automatically, so after you replace the old filter, you’ll have to reset the light yourself. 

If your fridge allows you to tap on the water filter light, just press and hold it for about 3 seconds or until it disappears. But if you don’t have that option, you can follow these steps instead:

• Step 1: On the control panel, press Options.
• Step 2: Use the arrow buttons to scroll down to the Water Filter option.
• Step 3: Press and hold the Set button until the text beside it flashes and disappears.
• Step 4: Exit the menu by pressing Options again.

The water supply lines are frozen or damaged.

Before we go troubleshooting the more technical parts of your Frigidaire refrigerator, it’s always a safe option to check the often-overlooked parts first. In some cases, the root of the issue could be as simple as a frozen or bent water supply line!

You might be thinking that these water lines should be the least of your worries because you rarely ever touch them, but it’s still possible for them to get damaged or bent over time.

And when that happens, it’s likely because of something you didn’t know you were doing!

One of the things that can pressure the water supply lines to your fridge is its position. If you’ve pushed the appliance back against a wall, you might want to reposition it forward to give it some space behind.

Having it backed too closely against a surface with little to no breathing space will eventually bend or kink the water lines that are connected directly to the water supply valve.

This will keep the water from flowing freely into the appliance. If the bend or kink is particularly bad, this might stop water from getting into your fridge altogether.

Furthermore, the back of your fridge houses its condenser coils, which are primarily responsible for storing and releasing the absorbed heat from the refrigerants and making sure that it stays out of the appliance.

In simpler terms, they help regulate the temperature in your fridge and keep all the heat out from the compartments. Ventilation between the appliance and the wall helps these coils to dissipate heat.

Otherwise, the warm air will only rebound, which may lead to temperature problems, such as overheating or overfreezing.

Speaking of overfreezing — did you know that too much ice or an excessively low temperature in your fridge can also damage the water supply lines? In this case, they freeze all over!

Similar to bent or kinked tubes, frozen water lines stop water from flowing through them as they get clogged with chunks of ice.

Solution: Make sure to leave at least two inches of space between the back of your refrigerator unit and the wall. Inspect the water supply line for any damages or kinks.

Physically damaged water lines, especially ones that have leaks, need to be replaced immediately. On the other hand, if the lines are frozen, you can solve the issue by defrosting the appliance.

Doing this may vary from model to model, but in general, here’s what you’ll want to do:

• For French Door Models: On the control panel, press the plus and minus signs simultaneously for 10 seconds or until “dF” appears on the display.
• For Other Models: On the control panel inside the appliance, press the fresh food light button 5 times within 6 seconds. This will activate forced defrost mode.

Alternatively, you can also unplug your fridge and let it sit with its doors open for at least 30 minutes.

The water inlet valve is damaged.

Following the water supply line on the back of your Frigidaire refrigerator, you’ll notice it disappears into an access panel. 

What’s behind this access panel and at the end of the water line is your water inlet valve — the component that regulates the incoming water supply to your fridge.

The water inlet valve opens and closes on a signal from the dispenser control board of the appliance. When this component fails, it can ignore these power signals and remain open or closed on its own.

The former scenario will lead to leaving issues, while the latter would prevent water supply from traveling to any compartments of the fridge, including the dispenser.

Furthermore, like your water supply lines, the water inlet valve can also freeze in place and become defunct.

Solution: Inspect the water inlet valve for any damage or defects and replace it immediately if necessary. For this, we recommend running a continuity test on the component, so grab a multimeter with you, and let’s get to fixing it!

To access this part of your refrigerator, do the following:

• Step 1: Unplug the appliance or cut off its power at the circuit breaker, then shut off the water supply at the source.
• Step 2: Disconnect the water supply line behind the fridge by using a wrench to loosen the nut around it.

You’re also likely to encounter water spills as the line is disconnected, so we recommend laying out a small towel or basin as you’re working on the line.

• Step 3: Unscrew the lower access panel and set it aside. You’ll find the water inlet valve in the right corner of the panel.
• Step 4: Remove the valve’s mounting screws, then carefully pull the valve out of its bracket.

Then, you’ll have to remove the water lines by pressing down on their connectors using an open-ended wrench and then releasing them.

But before you do that, take note of which lines are connected to which terminals. 

These lines direct water to the ice maker and water dispenser respectively, and mixing their connections up later might give you a hassle. For this, we recommend taking a photo for reference before you do the next step.

Check the screen also for any debris or blockage that may need to be removed.

• Step 5: Grab your multimeter and set the device to its lowest ohms setting.

For analog models, calibrate the meter afterward by pinching the probes together and adjusting the needle until it reads zero. 

Then, unplug the wires connected to the water inlet valve’s terminals and remove the valve from the fridge body.

If you use a Frigidaire refrigerator model with an ice maker, you might notice that it has more coils (two to four) than others. 

This won’t complicate the process, don’t you worry! You’ll just have to take those extra two steps of testing the additional coils to determine if the valve has any power damage.

After disconnecting the valve from the appliance, touch the multimeter’s probes to each coil and observe their reading.

A functional valve should have a result between 200 to 500 ohms. If the display doesn’t move or show any significant changes, this means that the valve is faulty and needs to be replaced.

• Step 6: Connect the wire harness to the new valve.

Then, using a measuring tape or a ruler, measure the pipes 11/16 of an inch (0.6875 in or 1.75 cm) from their end. This is how far you should insert the lines into the new valve.

Be sure to mark it clearly with a marker pen. Once you connect the lines to their ports, the mark should be even with the opening.

If the water pipes are connected to the valve with threaded nuts, cut them at the nut to remove them.

• Step 7: Insert the new valve onto the bracket and secure it via its mounting screws. After this, you can just retrace your steps to reattach the access panel.

The dispenser switch is faulty.

If the water supply doesn’t seem to be the issue, then the trouble might be in the dispenser assembly itself and the first part worth checking is the dispenser switch.

As its name suggests, the dispenser switch is a signal for when the fridge needs a supply of water to dispense. 

Your Frigidaire refrigerator typically uses two switches — one for the ice and one for the water — that are located behind each dispenser lever.

When you depress one of the levers each time you get a glass of water or ice, a dispenser switch is activated and voltage is sent to the water inlet valve to let water flow into the compartment.

A faulty switch, much like a faulty water inlet valve, will not react to electric signals sent its way.

Solution: You can test the dispenser switch for continuity using a multimeter to determine which one you need to replace. To access the switches, you’ll need a screwdriver (both a Philipps and a flathead one), a pair of needle-nose pliers, and a 3/16-inch nut driver.

Then, follow these steps:

• Step 1: Unplug your Frigidaire refrigerator or cut its power at its circuit breaker.
• Step 2: Take the dispenser frame off starting with the drip tray. Simply pull the drip tray out and set it aside.

Then, use a screwdriver to remove the screw on the bottom of the panel.

• Step 3: Once removed, lift the dispenser frame from the bottom and carefully unhook it from the locking tabs behind its top part.

Be careful not to pull it out carelessly; this part is still attached by wire harnesses you’ll have to remove. Disconnect the wire harness from the control board behind the frame.

• Step 4: Once you’ve disconnected the wire harnesses, set the frame aside. It’s time to take the dispenser assembly apart.

Using a 3/16-inch nut driver, push the water line as far back through its opening as you can. 

• Step 5: When the water line is no longer jutting out of the opening, take a Philipps screwdriver to remove the three screws securing the dispenser assembly in place.

Afterward, pull the assembly out carefully. Remove the last wiring harness connecting the assembly to the fridge body by depressing its locking tab and releasing it from the control board.

• Step 6: With the assembly removed, you can now move onto a flat surface to work on removing the dispenser switch. Begin by removing the light bulb beside the dispenser lever.

You can disconnect the light bulb by rotating it counterclockwise.

• Step 7: With a flathead screwdriver, disconnect the wire harnesses on the light socket.

Then, using the same screwdriver, release the locking tabs around the light bulb panel. 

There are four tabs in total: two on the bottom, which you’ll have to bend up. And another two on top securing the light bulb socket in place.

Afterward, pull the light socket and panel out and set it aside.

• Step 8: With the light bulb panel removed, you now have access to the dispenser switches behind the levers. The switches are secured in place via two tiny screwdrivers that you’ll have to unscrew.
• Step 9: After removing the screws, disconnect the wires to the water dispenser switch. Remember — it’s the one behind the water dispenser lever, which is typically the one on top.

There are two colored wires connected to the switch: take note that the orange wire connects to the side terminal and that the brown wire connects to the top/bottom one. 

Then, using a flathead screwdriver again, pop them off their terminals.

• Step 10: Once disconnected, you can now completely remove the dispenser switch from the assembly. After which, grab your multimeter to test it for continuity.

Set the device to its lowest ohms setting. If you’re using an analog model, calibrate the meter by pinching the probes together and adjusting the needle until it reads zero.

Touch the probes to both terminals, then actuate the switch. The ohm reading should then read 0 if the switch has continuity.

If the display doesn’t move or change, this means that the dispenser switch has failed. 

Likewise, the reading should not change before you actuate the switch. If it does, this means that the switch has shorted and will also need replacement.

• Step 11: Take your replacement dispenser switch and, using a pair of needle-nose pliers, carefully bend the terminals on it to match the old, failed switch.
• Step 12: Once you’ve matched the terminals of the new switch to the old one, put the new switch in position and reconnect the wires.

Remember: orange goes on the side, and brown on the top/bottom!

Afterward, place the new water dispenser switch on top of the old ice dispenser switch and line them up together. The holes on each switch should align together before you put the screws back in.

Make sure the screw goes through both switches!

Then, you can just retrace your steps back into reinserting the light bulb panel, the dispenser assembly, and the dispenser frame into the fridge body.

The dispenser control board is defective.

Now if switching or testing the dispenser switch doesn’t do the trick, hold on putting the dispenser assembly back for a second — let’s check one more part first: the dispenser control board.

Similar to the main control board of your Frigidaire refrigerator, this dispenser control board — located behind the dispenser assembly — functions as the central command unit of the dispenser.

You can think of it as the brain of the assembly. It processes commands from different parts of the dispenser to ensure this feature’s efficiency. 

As such, it’s the last part that caves under any kind of pressure even as other parts of the dispenser assembly fails. However, it’s not completely foolproof.

Frequent power or electrical failures, for example, can wear this part down sooner. 

If you tend to spam the buttons on the dispenser panel without giving it enough time to process each command — or if your fridge is prone to glitching — chances are, you’re damaging the control board.

Keep in mind, though, that the dispenser control board is responsible for the entire dispenser assembly, so any issue with it will affect all dispensing functions and features, including display controls.

If only one part of the dispenser — in this case, only the water dispenser — is faulty, you can rest assured that the dispenser control board is the least likely to be the defect.

Solution: As we’ve mentioned, before attempting to troubleshoot the dispenser control board, you have to check on other dispenser functions first to ensure that none of them are faulty on their own.

The dispenser control board is worth checking up on if two or more properties of your Frigidaire dispenser aren’t working properly, and that’s because once this part fails, you have no other option but to take it down to a service center for a replacement!

Control boards aren’t easily repaired, so once it’s confirmed to be defective, the best course of action is to replace the entire board.

The refrigerator door switch has failed.

On rare occasions, the fault in your Frigidaire dispenser might not lie in the dispenser itself or the water supply. 

We know this is quite perplexing, but sometimes the issue is — in your refrigerator’s door!

Frigidaire refrigerators are designed to have special autonomous functions to ensure both the safety of their users and the appliance itself.

One of these special functions is automatically locking the dispenser when the refrigerator door is open to prevent the dispenser from leaking. It is automatically unlocked when the door is closed.

The door switch, like your dispenser switch, is activated when the door is opened or closed. This is the component responsible for sending that signal so the control board can lock and unlock the dispenser as necessary.

A malfunctioning door switch might misread when the door is closed, hence will continuously signal the control board to lock the dispenser.

Another telltale sign of a malfunctioning door switch is if the freezer or fridge light doesn’t turn on or off automatically as you open or close the refrigerator door.

Solution: To test the door switch for any faults, you’ll have to run a continuity test on it similar to the previous parts. 

The location of the door varies depending on the Frigidaire refrigerator model you’re using. You may refer to your user manual for the precise location.

In general, you can either find the door switch on the tabletop cover or behind the freezer door.

If yours is on the tabletop cover, here’s how you can replace it:

• Step 1: Unplug the appliance or cut its power off at its circuit breaker.
• Step 2: Using a quarter-inch socket or a nut driver, unscrew the appliance’s hinge cover to remove it.

Once you’re done, do the same for the adjacent switch console. 

Note that this switch console is attached by wire harnesses, so you’ll have to flip it to its side first and make a reference of them before depressing the ones on the switch to release it.

• Step 3: Once you’ve released the switch, you can now remove it completely and install a new one. Easy-peasy!

Position the new switch in place, reconnect the wire harnesses, and reinsert the screws on the console cover and the hinge cover — and you’re done.

Meanwhile, if you’ve got a model with its switch behind the freezer door, here’s what you need to do:

• Step 1: Unplug the appliance or cut its power off at its circuit breaker.
• Step 2: Slide a narrow putty knife under the frame of the freezer light and dispenser door switch, then carefully pry it out. 

There’s a locking tab on the top frame that you’re going to want to press on as you’re supporting the bottom frame to make removal easy.

As usual, this component is still attached to the fridge body via wires, so proceed carefully as you pull it out.

• Step 3: With the same putty knife, unplug the wires on the switch. Make sure that the wire harness remains outside of the cutout opening even as you remove the switch.
• Step 4: Simply install the new switch by connecting its terminals to the previous wire harness. Remember: a freezer light and dispenser door switch should have three terminals!
• Step 5: Once the wires are reconnected, install the new switch into the cutout opening and press it in to secure it — and voila! Enjoy your new door switch!

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A malfunctioning Frigidaire water dispenser can easily slide from a simple issue to a more complicated one. Still, the bottom line of it is how conscientious you are in maintaining your appliance.

You can readily prevent this issue from reoccurring by watching out for the parts that need regular replacement and being mindful of the features that can be sensitive to changes.

Frigidaire refrigerators may have autonomous functions that can “look after themselves” — so to speak — but it still doesn’t hurt to keep an eye on your appliance to make sure everything’s a-okay every couple of months.

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