Jeff wrote:

The dispenser on my Frigidaire refrigerator, model number FRS6LF7JS3, is acting weird:

1 – Yesterday morning the water dispenser on my fridge began to spray water instead of pour it. Ok I will deal with it later.

2 – By 5 pm I return home and my wife indicates the ice maker is possessed. The ice maker would not stop dispensing crushed ice even without pressing the actuator on the exterior. if the door is closed it attempts to dispense crushed ice and the auger does not stop! Its actually not even really dispensing its building up crushed ice in the door hopper. So when you open the freezer door the crushed ice falls to the floor. I proceeded to unplug the ice container from the back of the freezer.

Any insight to the issue and the exact parts I should be replacing? Thank you in advance

The unpredictable auto-dispensing you describe is usually caused by a bad microswitch in the dispenser assembly. They can get wet from drippage or condensation and go wonky the way you’re describing. Let’s do a walk-through.

Here’s the breakdown of the dispenser where I’ve circled the key parts to check:

(click for larger view)

Unplug the refrigerator and remove item 23 to access the screws in the bottom of item 4. Remove item 4 and get some major eyeball action on items 38 and 38C looking for burn spots– usually (but not always) if one of these boards goes bad, there will be a visible burn spot.

Next, check the micro switches, items 38A, with a meter; simple continuity check while actuating each switch. Disconnect the wires from the switch before testing. Help making basic electrical measurements is in this post. If one is found bad, replace both.

You may also find the water tubing, item 1, disconnected from the fill spout which would explain the spraying action and would also contribute to the early demise of the microswitches from getting doused with water. If this is the case, you may need to replace the tubing, which is done from the front. But first, try pushing up a little slack from underneath the freezer door– you may be able to eke out just enough to re-make the connection. Installing the end of the tube into the spout requires some Samurai Finger Fortitude™ but persevere and ye shall overcome.

Here’s the shopping list of links for the parts you may need to complete this mission, depending on what you find:

– Microswitch, Item 38A

– Dispenser Power Board, Item 38

– Dispenser Control Board, Item 38C

– Water Tubing, Item 1