Appliance Repair Wisdom for the Ages

Tuesday, October 28, 2003

Mailbag: Slow Flow from a Refrigerator Water Dispenser

Start by checking the water supply going to the fridge using the technique of the Master:

• Turn off the water at the saddle tap valve.
• Disconnect the water line in the back of the fridge. Place the disconnected end in a bucket and open the saddle tap valve.
• Observe the flow rate--water should shoot out vigorously. If not, then the saddle tap valve is probably gunked up with sediment and you'll need to replace it.

That should restore normal water pressure. You can buy a new water supply kit, which includes the saddle tap valve, here. More tips on the proper installation of a water supply line and saddle tap valve here.

If the water supply flow rate test, described above, appears normal, then the water inlet valve on the fridge may be gunked up with sediment. Here's how we check for that:

• Reconnect the water supply line to the valve and turn the water back on.
• Disconnect the nylon tube from the dispenser side of the valve and replace it with section of tubing so you can out the other end in a bucket.
• Now actuate the water dispenser and observe the flow out of the tube. It should be the same as the flow you observed in the first flow test described above. If not, then you know the valve is restricting the flow--replace the valve.

The foregoing discussion is neatly contained in this haiku (inspired by Fixum in the Appliantology group forum):

Fridge water flows slow.
Saddle tap or solenoid:
it's one of those two.

Samurai Appliance Repair Man cast these pearls at 14:17 ET.  [permalink]

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8 Comments:

I have a similar problem with my Kitchenaid KSRS25QDWH00. I've replaced both the external filter and the solenoid, and water flow from the saddle is vigorous. Is ther possibly an internal filter that I can replace?

By  jswafa, at August 11, 2004 11:28 PM  

I installed the copper water line to my new Kenmore Side By Side and found the water was too slow. I opened the pierce hole from 3/32" to 5/32" and an 8 oz. cup of water fills in 10 seconds instead of 30. Do not use a 3/16 drill or you will wipe out the seat area needed for shut-off.

By  John B, at March 06, 2006 1:30 AM  

I have a new Maytag refrigerator, and the water flow is vigorous when the filter is out and the bypass fitting is installed. With the filter in, the flow is very slow. I have changed filters twice, anything else I can check?

By  Bob H, at July 15, 2006 10:53 AM  

The through-the-door water in my GE Arctica Refrigerator tastes like mildew or mold. Changed filter inside, but still has that taste. What's a good way to clean out the system? The plastic tubes run all under the unit and inside the freezer door. Hard to change them all. Would changing the external feed lines to copper, do it, alone?

By  Meltim, at August 11, 2006 1:52 PM  

YOU HAVE A LEAKING WATER LINE!
The hesitation is the key.
Water is probably leaking onto the floor, where you can't see it. Maybe it is even growing mold behind your fridge. (Mine did!) The water in the line slowly leaks onto the floor, emptying the cheap plastic tube (like the one in my Kenmore-branded GE). When you get water, the hesitation is the time it takes to fill up the tube. The slowness is due to the leak. If the leak isn't huge, and you don't use the water every few minutes, this can go on for months. You need to replace the plastic tube. Mine last about 5 years (I just replaced them for a 2nd time).

By  Anonymous, at December 31, 2006 8:39 PM  

My water dispenser has the opposite problem. It will not stop dispensing water. About 6 months ago it stopped dispensing water and then one day while I happened to be sitting in the kitchen, it started to dispense onto the floor and it would not stop. I turned of the water at the valve and I have since replaced the microswitch for the dispenser but that apparently was not the problem. Coult this also be a bad solenoid?

By  Anonymous, at January 02, 2007 11:01 PM  

I've got a situation with my GE Profile but I get no flow to the dispenser tap, but if I unconnect the tubing at the bottom of the freezer door it flows fine. I think I have a plug (presumably ice) around 1 foot from the tip inside the door. Any suggestions on how to find/thaw/replace the line?

By  bradfordrb, at January 28, 2007 1:26 AM  

Hi there, hope to get help. One year ago, we purchased a home and it came with a 5 year old Whirlpool side by side fridge. When, I went to clean it, I noticed the water reservoir in the back had BLACK mildew or gook sitting in the base of each plastic coil. GROSS! Well, I called Whirpool and they sent someone out to replace it and I was only charged for the service call. I thought that was especially nice and ...suspicious. Well, a year later, the water doesn't seem to be cooling, I tasted mildew in the water from the dispenser and it's got that black mildew again. Is this the same problem? A leak in the line? Is it fixable? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Rebecca

By  Rebecca Shaw, at February 14, 2008 7:37 AM  

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