[FIXED] GE Profile French Door - water dispenser troubleshooting?

[DryIce]

Model Number: PFSF6PKXBBB
Brand: GE
Age: 1-5 years

Hi Doc Ryan,

Do you have any troubleshooting guides for a non-working water dispenser? I'm getting no water at all from the dispenser or into the ice tray. I verified that the main water valve (into the refrigerator) is still supplying water. I saw a few threads with similar problems but they all seemed to have narrowed in on the problem before posting. Any suggestions on what to check next (most likely cause, easiest to rule out, etc.)?

Thanks!

[Doc Ryan]

When you press the button to dispenser water, do you hear the water valve behind the refrigerator making a buzzing noise?

[DryIce]

When you press the button to dispenser water, do you hear the water valve behind the refrigerator making a buzzing noise?

No, no buzzing. I thought I heard a very faint click or hum, like it was trying to do something, but now I'm not sure if that wasn't just the sound from pushing the lever.

Updated to add: Now that the house is quiet, I do definitely hear a hum. You might describe it as a buzz, but very low volume. Does that tell you something?

[Doc Ryan]

The buzzing is a good sign, that means the water valve is getting power from the refrigerator. Next, unplug the refrigerator and disconnect the water outlet line for the water dispenser from the water valve and put a bowl underneath the water valve. Plug the refrigerator back in and have someone press the water dispenser button while you watch the water valve. See if water freely comes out of the valve at this point. If it does, then you might have a frozen water line in the refrigerator somewhere. When you are done doing this test make sure to unplug the refrigerator and reconnect the water line.

[DryIce]

Thanks so much but I'm afraid I don't have the experience you're assuming Where is this water valve that I need to disconnect the outlet line from? (Is there a diagram somewhere?) I don't see anything obvious and if I need to start removing parts I don't know where to start. I have verified that water comes from the external water supply, and DOESN'T get to the ice tray or water dispenser, but beyond that I'm lost.

I was able to replace the ice maker with your excellent step-by-step instructions but I haven't been able to find something equivalent for water supply issues.

[Doc Ryan]

See the attached image below. The water valve is locate on the back side of the refrigerator where the water supply line connects to the refrigerator. You will need to remove the rear compartment cover to fully access the water valve. To remove the outlet line from the water valve, you will need to push the collar towards the blue part of the valve to release the line.

(click to enlarge)

[DryIce]

Okay - got it. Found the valve (behind the panel on the outside bottom back of the refrigerator, for any other true amateurs who might be having the same problem). Disconnected the incoming water line by loosening the gold nut and pulling the tube out, plugged back in, pushed the dispenser lever, and no water flowing at the valve.

Now, after I reconnected everything and plugged back in, I'm getting a diagnostic code for the first couple minutes - I wasn't getting that before. It's 88 on the left side, and 8 plus a backwards-9 on the right side, with the right lower vertical segment flashing. Does that tell you anything?

Continuing thanks!

[Doc Ryan]

The line that you removed is the supply line to the refrigerator. That line should always have good flow and pressure, you can turn off the supply line to the refrigerator and then turn it back on and spray this line into a bucket to test it. The line that I was wanting to have you remove is the outlet line on the bottom of the water that outputs the water to the dispenser in the door of the refrigerator.

[DryIce]

Oh you meant just disconnect the water dispenser line? Doesn't the other line go to the icemaker? Because I'm not getting any water to either one.

Before I take things apart again, let me add a few things:

- One of the first things I did was to turn off the water cutoff (at the wall), disconnect the line where it connects at the cutoff, then turn on the water. The water was flowing from the wall. (Then I made sure I turned the water back on after I reconnected )

- You said the line I disconnected in the most recent test should always have good flow and pressure, so when I disconnected it, shouldn't I have had water spraying all over the place? Wouldn't that mean the problem is between the wall and the water valve?

- The main thing between those 2 places seems to be the filter. I actually don't use a filter; there's a plug that screws in where the filter would go.

- So, I removed that plug and put a cup under it, closed the doors, and pushed the water dispenser lever. Nothing flowed into the cup. Shouldn't it have?

That's all making me think the problem is between the wall and the filter, but there's not much there. Does all that change your recommendation, or should I go back to the original step of disconnecting just the water dispenser line?

[Doc Ryan]

So you have an inline water filter that goes between the wall and the refrigerator? If you don't have water at the connection point on the refrigerator then that would be the cause of your problem. It might be a good idea to remove this inline filter if it is no longer being used.

[DryIce]

No, the water filter system is part of the refrigerator - in the top right back corner as you're looking into it. Our water is good so we don't use a filter, after the original was used up. It came with a white plastic plug that you can screw in where the filter would go, if you don't use a filter. We've been using it that way for several years.

But... as I was testing the various connections so I could describe it accurately, it seems to have fixed itself! The ice maker hasn't cycled yet so I'll have to keep an eye on that, but water comes out of the dispenser now.

>> updated to add: just heard water filling the ice tray.

Thanks for all your help and feel free to stop reading at this point, but I'll go ahead and try to describe it in case you or anyone else is interested.

There's a water cutoff at the wall - water flows from that.

From the cutoff, there's a flexible plastic pipe that connects to the water tube on the refrigerator. Water flows there as well.

The tube goes up the back, into the fridge, through the filter (or the bypass plug), back out, and down to the valve that I tested the other day. Water was NOT getting to the valve.

So I suspected there was a problem with something around the filter area. I still had an old filter so I took out the plug and put in the filter, and (after some air in the lines), water!

Then I took out the filter and replaced the plug, and - still water! All I can figure is that the plug wasn't screwed in completely, but that doesn't really make sense because I've taken it out and back in at least a couple times during all this troubleshooting. Also, if it wasn't screwed in correctly, wouldn't it be leaking?

Anyway, I'm going to quit while I'm ahead and hope all this will help someone else.

Thanks again!

[Doc Ryan]

Sometimes the filter housing that the water filter or bypass plug goes into can go bad and stop the water from flowing. If it continues to act up you may need to replace this part. Thanks for the update, I have updated the status of this thread to FIXED.

[DryIce]

Sometimes the filter housing that the water filter or bypass plug goes into can go bad and stop the water from flowing. If it continues to act up you may need to replace this part.

Sadly, I think your prediction is correct. It works for a while then sputters out, and works again when I swap out the filter/bypass plug.

Do you sell that part on your site, and is it something a low-skilled do-it-yourselfer could handle?

[Doc Ryan]

I'm sorry, we do not currently sell GE appliance parts. This thread has alot of good information on this type of problem.