[hotpoint42]

we have a side by side hotpoint refreigerator that has stopped dispensing water through the door. the ice maker and dispenser work fine. i'm thinking the valve controlling the water to the dispenser is plugged/broken. suggestions?

thanks.

[woodchuck]

You have a dual water inlet valve. one side may be stopped up etc.
Check water inlet valve
Refrigerator Repair Guide: How to Check the Water Inlet Valve - ACME HOW TO.com

OR


You can swap the wires which plug into the solenoid at the inlet valve.

This way the water dispenser should send water to the ice maker. If it does it means that the dispenser lever switch is working. you already know the valve and line are o.k. because your ice maker is working.

When your ice maker dumps and refills with water,it will come out the water dispenser with the wires swapped. If it doesn't then I would have to blame it on the solenoid.

If the water lines are the same size you can also swap them around to do this check.

[sjcbg]

This is interesting, I have the same make model with the exact same problem which only started this past week. I'm planning on replacing the water valve assy. part# ps304374, however I will try the trobleshooting method described above before I buy the part.

Steve G.

[hotpoint42]

i took the water line that goes to the dispenser out of the double solenoid valve on the back of the fridge and then activated the dispenser to see if the valve was bad/clogged. it worked fine so i tried to force air through the hose and out the dispenser, but couldn't . that suggested to me that the line was clogged/frozen, so i thawed the freezer compartment for a couple hours and the dispenser worked again. the water line for the dispenser runs up inside the freezer door and if it gets too cold it will freeze. might want to check this before you order a new valve.

by the way. those water lines disconnect by moving the retaining rings towards the solenoid valve and then gently pulling the lines out of the valve.

[bluwagoon]

Originally Posted by hotpoint42

i took the water line that goes to the dispenser out of the double solenoid valve on the back of the fridge and then activated the dispenser to see if the valve was bad/clogged. it worked fine so i tried to force air through the hose and out the dispenser, but couldn't . that suggested to me that the line was clogged/frozen, so i thawed the freezer compartment for a couple hours and the dispenser worked again. the water line for the dispenser runs up inside the freezer door and if it gets too cold it will freeze. might want to check this before you order a new valve.

by the way. those water lines disconnect by moving the retaining rings towards the solenoid valve and then gently pulling the lines out of the valve.

I'm having a similar problem with this same model and age fridge, although I'm not certain my ice-maker is getting water either.

I disconnected the water line just as quoted above and the valve is operating correctly, so I also assume the line to the water dispenser is frozen as well. Trying to force air through the line did nothing. I will have to wait until morning to see if it thaws. I also be able to confirm if the ice-maker is getting water or not.

I will post back after finding out more tomorrow.

[bluwagoon]

All is well now. Line must have frozen - about an hour with the freezer turned off was enough to do it. The ice-maker was working the whole time too, although it seemed a bit slow.

Well, at least there's nothing to replace I guess.

So, anyone know of anything to prevent that line from freezing up? Can it be replaced with something more resistant to the temps around the freezer door - or perhaps wrap the line in something? Is it even feasible to remove the line to modify/replace it?

[woodchuck]

If you have a gasket that has screws on it you can remove the inner door and insulate the water line better but if your door doesn't have gasket screws then it's one of those "foamed in place" doors. You may also have a door heater that quit working, it keeps the door dispenser area warm to keep it from freezing the little water tube.

[bluwagoon]

Thanks for the helpful advice, woodchuck - I will be looking into that.