How to Fix a Broken Water Dispenser in a Side-by-Side Fridge

The water dispenser on your side-by-side refrigerator is located on the outside of the freezer door, and allows you to fill a glass with ice and water without opening the freezer or fresh-food compartment doors. If the dispenser fails, you must disassemble it and replace the faulty component, or replace the dispenser itself. All dispensers are secured using standard screws, although the method of accessing the screws varies, depending on the make and model of your refrigerator.

Screwdriver

Instructions

- 1
  Unplug the refrigerator from the wall outlet, or turn off the refrigerator breaker in your home's service panel.
- 2
  Remove the drip tray from the bottom of the dispenser by pulling it toward you, away from the dispenser.
- 3
  Remove the screws now visible at the bottom of the dispenser, with the drip tray removed, and then slide the front panel of the dispenser up to remove. If there are no screws, look on the underside of the trim surrounding the refrigerator's dispenser panel for a flat pry slot. If there is a slot, insert a flat-head screwdriver into the slot and pry the trim off the front of the refrigerator. If there is no pry slot, grasp the control panel by the bottom, and then pull the bottom of the panel away from the dispenser. This method is most common on General Electric and Hotpoint refrigerators.
- 4
  Disconnect the wire connector or connectors on the rear of the control panel, which is removed with the trim.
- 5
  Remove the screws securing the dispenser module to the refrigerator, and then pull the module away from the dispenser.
- 6
  Disconnect the wire connectors from the dispenser module, and then connect the wire connectors to the new dispenser module, if replacing this particular component.
- 7
  Remove the screws and bracket from the top of the dispenser lever, located on the rear of the dispenser module, and then remove the dispenser lever, if replacing this component. Insert the new lever into the control module, ensuring that the spring is aligned with the spring slot in the lever. Reinstall the screws and bracket to secure the new lever into position.
- 8
  Remove the screw on the bottom of the dispenser solenoid, which is the component that opens and is located beside the ice door, if replacing this component. Loosen the screw at the top of the dispenser solenoid. Pull the solenoid toward you, and then pull it down to remove it from the dispenser housing. Unhook the plunger from the ice-door lever, which may require you to open the ice door slightly. Install the new solenoid by reversing the steps taken to remove the old one.
- 9
  Reassemble the dispenser by reversing the steps taken to disassemble it.
- 10
  Restore the refrigerator's power supply to complete the repair.

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