GE Fridge ice maker works, water dispenser does not

Refrigerator & Freezer Repair
1

GE Fridge ice maker works, water dispenser does not. The ice maker not only dispenses ice, it is still making it too. Side by side unit. The dispenser is located on the outside of the freezer door. What went wrong?

2

Assuming the ice dispenser works fine, the first thing I would check is the water filter, then the water inlet valve on the back of the fridge.

If the water filter is more than a year old it will cause restriction to the water flow.

Locate the water inlet valve on the back of the fridge. Remove the wires from the blue solenoid and check for 120V coming to the solenoid while the water dispenser lever is depressed.

If there is 120V then the water inlet valve has to be replaced.

If there is no 120V then the main control board (on the back panel of the fridge) has to be replaced.

Gene.

3

Gene,
I believe I have the save problem as Stevenn1, different model. It has nothing to do with water. The ice maker is producing ice to capacity. The in door water dispenser delivers water. But when you switch the in door dispenser to cubed or crushed ice, absolutely nothing happens. Not a sound. The green light on the door indicating I switched the dispenser from water to cubed lights but nothing happens when I push the glass against the lever unless I want water. The first guess was the motor that drives the auger but that was actually fine. But even if it was that motor, wouldn’t the ice crusher motor grind if it was in that mode? I’m guessing no signal is leaving the door to tell the auger and ice crusher to work.
RonG

4

Ron,

In order to provide most accurate advise we need the complete model number of the refrigerator.

Gene.

5

Hello your water line is prob. frozen. Does your water line go thru the middle of the door ? Change the temp 1 or 2 notches and it should clear line.

6

so far i have tried changing the water filter, setting the temp of the freezer 2 notches higher (it is down to 2 now out of 9), and heating the water line that is coiled behind the veggie bins with a hair dryer. nothing is working. i have a side-by-side GE unit as well. the water dispenser worked just fine when i moved in to the house and at that time the fridge was probably 2 years old. it is about 5 years old now, and i am guessing this recent water filter change was the first it had ever seen. is there any other fix i am missing that i can try? it just doesn’t seem likely the line would actually be clogged. any help would be much appreciated.

7

What is the complete model number of the refrigerator?

Gene.

8

the model # is gss25wgpe bb and the serial is tf244881. thanks.

9

Disconnect the water line at the union connector under the freezer door. Put the tube in a bucket and push the water dispenser release. If the water coming out with a good pressure, the water line inside the freezer door is frozen up.

Here are the breakdown diagrams and Replacement parts for General Electric GSS25WGPEBB Refrigerator | AppliancePartsPros.com

Gene.

10

gene–

thanks so much for that suggestion. after i disconnected the blue union connector, water really came out fast when the dispenser was depressed. i guess it is time to thaw the freezer now and let the line in the door melt.

the new problem is that the union connector appears to have been a one-time connector because i cannot reconnect the hose without it leaking from the pressure of having the water dispenser depressed. i am going to have to buy a new union connector and reclamp the water lines in securely. i have never installed a union connector of this sort before, only similar connectors for electronics that rely on a plyer-crimp to achieve continuity. any suggestions in the install for how to join the hoses with this connector and get the proper seal on each end of the connector? thanks a million again!

11

The best solution is to order the new union connector.

Gene.

12

[QUOTE=Gene;18469]Assuming the ice dispenser works fine, the first thing I would check is the water filter, then the water inlet valve on the back of the fridge.

If the water filter is more than a year old it will cause restriction to the water flow.

Locate the water inlet valve on the back of the fridge. Remove the wires from the blue solenoid and check for 120V coming to the solenoid while the water dispenser lever is depressed.

If there is 120V then the water inlet valve has to be replaced.

If there is no 120V then the main control board (on the back panel of the fridge) has to be replaced.

Gene.[/QUOTE]
HI Gene. My water didn’t work, so I checked- I had 120 to the valve and I ordered one thru the referred supplier (real quick delivery), installed it, now it “hums/buzzes” yet I get no water after bleeding air from the system, etc… I have good supply, yet the water is not working it’s way thru the solenoid- could it be a bad (new) valve? Thanx much for you help.

13

[QUOTE=hufffridge;337990]HI Gene. My water didn’t work, so I checked- I had 120 to the valve and I ordered one thru the referred supplier (real quick delivery), installed it, now it “hums/buzzes” yet I get no water after bleeding air from the system, etc… I have good supply, yet the water is not working it’s way thru the solenoid- could it be a bad (new) valve? Thanx much for you help.[/QUOTE]

What is the complete model number of the refrigerator and the part number of the water valve you installed?

Gene.

14

Hi Gene. Thanks again. Model GSL25JFPA BS, Ser # RF253283

I have already done (which worked well after I thawed the line in the door) re-routing/nixing of the “chilled” water line with much success and thought I was having improbable Deja vu, so I parked a small heater fan in front of the closed freezer (worked like a charm last time) to no avail.

Once I changed out the solenoid I thought (since it gets the proper voltage when the laver is pressed, so no mother board needed) I was in the clear, in that the original solenoid didn’t make any noise of late and the new one, well, you can hear it (albeit slightly) when said lever is pushed in, from the front of the fridge. Can’t tell if the icemaker is getting water supply, yet, with the new valve. Hope this helps in the diagnosis. If you ever need help diagnosing an old Jag XKE, I can probably help you!

Mark H

15

Hi Mark,

Disconnect the water line under the freezer door at the quick connector by pushing the white collar inwards while pulling the tube outwards. Place a container under the tube to catch any water. Check the water pressure from the tube while the water dispenser calls for water.

If it’s good then you have a frozen water line inside the freezer door.

Gene.

16

Hi Gene. Parked a heater infront of the door, for a day, and voila! You’re an Ace! I wouldn’t have dreamed that would be frozen (again) after neutering/re-routing the chilled water line (I just use ice to chill water now- it’s just next door). Seems to be working fine and hasn’t frozen up, in 3 days. Thanx again! Mark H

17

Hi Mark,

I’m glad you were able to fix it but I’m afraid it’s just temporary. Sooner or later it will do it again. The only reliable fix for this problem (stupid design!) is to replace the whole freezer door because it can not be taken apart. It’s much better just to have a water filter pitcher in the refrigerator.

Gene.

18

If it happens again, which it probably will you don’t have to replace the door. The same thing kept happening to me and we could have bought a ge dispenser water tube heater for about $30. We were going to do that but someone told us if we leave the outside light for the dispenser on all the time it heats the water line enough so it doesn’t freeze. We did that and it’s been about a year now with no problems. If you don’t want the light on though just buy the water tube heater. I think it’s very easy to install yourself. Good luck!

19

GE Profile side by side refrigerator
Model: PSCS5TGXAFSS

My icemaker makes ice and dispense okay but water dispenser gives few drops of water every time I press the dispenser release. Following are the troubleshooting I did:

  • Increased freezer temp. by 2 degrees.
  • Increased the refrig. temp by 2 degrees.
  • Checked the Union connector under the door: The water comes only few drops every time dispenser lever is pressed.

I’d appreciate any help, thanks in advance.

20

It’s definitely a frozen line. It freezes every 6-7 months and I can’t warm the freezer up enough to keep the line from freezing without having the food thaw. I’ve noted some aftermarket heaters to solve this problem for other models. Does anyone know if there’s a mini heater for this model?