Ug, I think I might be due for a new fridge

[mattkime]

Well, I guess I could just ignore the water dispenser but it is handy for the kids.

Water dispenser has frozen twice in about two weeks. Last fixed it by pointing a hair dryer at the dispenser for a few minutes. I guess I'm not surprised that it reoccurred.

I'm currently checking to see if it maintains a reasonable temperature. I might use a bit of fishing line to help determine where the blockage occurs. Assuming the temp is in an expected range, there's really not a lot to fix on the thing. I guess problems can occur inside the door and then its pretty much game over.

I was hoping it would last until we redid our kitchen. I guess it still can if I'm willing to pull out a hairdryer about once a week.

[davester]

Have you googled that particular problem and your fridge brand/model? Freezing of water lines in fridges is pretty common, more so with some brands and there are DIY fixes available for a number of them. That certainly doesn't sound like a new fridge need to me.

[Black]

I've never encountered water from a fridge dispenser that didn't smell and taste at least a little off.

[Fritz]

check both sides of the fridge to be sure airways are clear in the back of the shelves and anywhere else that diagrams may point to.

[davester]

Black wrote:
I've never encountered water from a fridge dispenser that didn't smell and taste at least a little off.

That's very odd. Fridge dispensers are typically nothing more than food-grade piping that attaches to the water supply line and that runs through the fridge space with a valve on the end. Optionally they may have a filter inline. This is really no different than your sink faucet. Perhaps you've had water from a dispenser with a clogged or contaminated filter or perhaps the plumbing to the fridge was compromised in some way.

[mattkime]

Fritz wrote:
check both sides of the fridge to be sure airways are clear in the back of the shelves and anywhere else that diagrams may point to.

Good tip.

Maybe there's hope.

[mythchief]

Davester wrote:
Have you googled that particular problem and your fridge brand/model? Freezing of water lines in fridges is pretty common, more so with some brands and there are DIY fixes available for a number of them. That certainly doesn't sound like a new fridge need to me.

What Davester said.

A friend had the same problem. There were youtube vids that showed how to easily fix it. His fridge is a Samsung and, apparently, it’s a common problem.

The fix was to empty the contents, take out the shelves and unscrew the plastic cover on the back that hides the piping. The piping was covered in a block of ice. After using a hair dryer to melt the ice, everything worked again. Yes, it could happen again but since his fridge is about 5 years old, it’ll probably be awhile and besides, it’s an easy fix.

Good Luck!

[Ombligo]

To clean the lines is rather simple.

turn off the water to the refrigerator, pull out the refrigerator (leave it plugged in), and unhook the supply line. using a large syringe (some use new ear syringes), squirt warm vinegar water through the line and out the front dispenser. Once you have it completely in the system, let it sit for around 20-30 minutes. Hook the waterline back and run water through the system until the vinegar is gone (it helps to replace the filter).

The vinegar will clear out any mold that may be present.

[Michael]

I had a similar problem. I first just used a hair dryer where the water came out of the back to the ice maker. That worked for a couple of weeks and then it froze up again. The next time I took it apart like mythchief suggested and spent more time thawing stuff out. That was 6 months ago and we're still fine.

[chopper]

Black wrote:
I've never encountered water from a fridge dispenser that didn't smell and taste at least a little off.

The chilled and filtered fridge water in my kitchen smells and tastes great. It has for the last 3-4 fridges.