Whirlpool hot and cold water dispenser troubleshooting

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Refrigerators that come with water dispensers offer us additional convenience. But what happens if the water that comes out isn’t cold?

Well, that’s a common problem that happens with any kind of fridge, including those under the Whirlpool brand with water dispensers.

When a Whirlpool refrigerator dispenses water that’s not cold, it could be because the fridge hasn’t had enough time to cool down the water. Perhaps the fridge is connected to a hot water supply by mistake instead of the cold water supply. The main control board might also be faulty, affecting the fridge’s ability to stay cool. Besides that, dirty condenser coils can also be to blame.

In the following sections, we’ll walk you through some helpful troubleshooting questions to help you get to the bottom of this. Then, we’ll explore the possible reasons why your Whirlpool refrigerator is not dispensing cold water.

Suppose you try to get some drinking water from the water dispenser on your Whirlpool refrigerator, only to find that it’s not cold. Even if that’s the case, there may be nothing wrong with the appliance.

That’s why it’s crucial to begin by exploring a few crucial troubleshooting questions first:

#1 Is The Whirlpool Refrigerator New?

Firstly, is your Whirlpool refrigerator new? To be more precise, was the fridge just delivered and plugged in today?

If that’s the case, then it’s possible that the water dispenser simply hasn’t had enough time to cool down yet. That’s why you’re only getting warm water when using the dispenser.

It’s essential to keep in mind that your new Whirlpool fridge can take up to 24 hours to cool down sufficiently for the first time. So, test the water dispenser on the following day to see if you get cold water.

If you don’t, then you’ll need to continue troubleshooting.

#2 Have You Just Used The Water Dispenser?

As you might’ve already imagined, the water dispenser in your Whirlpool refrigerator is supplied by a small water tank inside the fridge. Unfortunately, that tank doesn’t hold as much cold water as most people would assume.

So, if you’ve recently dispensed a lot of cold water from the fridge, the water will be warm for a while as it refills that tank and cools down.

#3 Has It Been A Long Time Since You Used The Water Dispenser?

Believe it or not, your water dispenser might also give you warm water if you haven’t used it in a long time.

You see, all the cold water is stored and cooled inside the water tank. But there’s still a bit of water in the waterline between the tank and the dispenser.

So, when you use the water dispenser for the first time in a while, you’re bound to get warm water in your cup for a few seconds before the cold water makes its way out.

If that’s the case, don’t worry! Just let the water run for a few seconds and see if the temperature changes.

Why Is My Whirlpool Refrigerator Dispenser Giving Me Warm Water?

After ruling out all of the possibilities above, the next step would be to troubleshoot some of the fridge’s components. There may be an issue with the water inlet, the main control board, or even the condenser coils.

Related: Maytag/Whirlpool Fridge Ice Maker Not Working? How To Test?

1. Wrong Water Supply

These days, many Whirlpool fridge models can be connected directly to your home’s water supply. That’s how your fridge keeps the water dispenser supplied at all times, without you having to manually fill up any tanks.

The household water supply is connected to the fridge’s water inlet. From there, the water flows through the filter to remove any dirt, debris, and any other impurities in the water. Lastly, it flows to the water dispenser’s tank cooled down and ready for you to enjoy!

How it fails:

This is more of a user or installer error. It’s entirely possible that the fridge might be connected to the household’s hot water supply by accident. If that’s the case, then the fridge is only ever receiving hot water, which can’t cool down fast enough.

When that happens, you’ll receive warm water whenever you try to use the water dispenser.

How to fix:

The fix for this is pretty straightforward. Firstly, you’ll want to shut off the water supply that’s currently connected to the fridge’s water inlet.

• There should be a valve along the water line that you can use to do that.
• Once the water is shut off, it would be a good idea to drain the fridge’s water dispenser. Press the lever with a cup and empty it out.
• Lastly, disconnect the hot water line from the inlet at the rear of the fridge. To be sure, refer to the user manual or technical sheet to identify and locate the inlet. Once it’s disconnected, simply connect it to the cold water supply instead.
• Once that’s done, turn on the water supply to ensure that there are no leaks. Give the fridge a bit of time to cool down the water, and then test the dispenser again.

2. Faulty Main Control Board

The main control board is like the brain of any refrigerator, including the Whirlpool model that you have at home. It consists of a small printed circuit board with plenty of electronic components.

Together, they coordinate and control every function of the fridge, including its ability to produce cold water from the water dispenser.

You’ll often find the main control board located towards the rear of a Whirlpool dispenser, typically behind a protective panel of some kind.

To be sure, always refer to the user manual or technical sheet, giving you information on how to identify and locate the main control board.

How it fails:

Over time, the main control board can stop functioning correctly. This might come from one or more of its components failing, which in turn affects the fridge’s functions.

There are several reasons why this might happen. For starters, it could be that the control board has simply worn out. That’s a strong possibility if the fridge has been in use for a very long time.

Besides that, it’s also possible that some of the components on the main control board have shorted out. Perhaps there was a power surge, or water may have found its way into the control board’s compartment.

How to fix:

Fixing this will require replacing the control board entirely. You could hire a professional to do it at an added cost or do it yourself.

Of course, that’s only a good idea if you have the know-how to do so:

• Before anything, always disconnect the fridge from its power supply to prevent injury and electrocution.
• Typically, you’ll want to remove the panel that’s covering the main control board. That will allow you to unscrew the board from its mount and remove any connectors.
• Once that’s done, put the replacement board in and mount it in place firmly. Replace the electrical connectors the same way as before, and close the access panel.

3. Dirty Condenser Coils

Your Whirlpool refrigerator relies on its cooling system to keep temperatures inside low. That includes the temperature for the water dispenser as well. 

Part of that cooling system is the condenser coils, which helps push heat away from the fridge as it recirculates the coolant. To make that process much more effective, the condenser coils typically have a fan right next to them.

That fan ensures that there’s always plenty of airflow going through the coils to carry heat away.

How it fails:

Remember this golden rule: wherever there’s airflow, there’s dust. Even though your fridge’s condenser coils are somewhat hidden away at the rear of the appliance, those coils can and will get very dusty over time.

When that happens, the coils will not be able to release as much heat as they should. As a result, the fridge will not efficiently cool itself down, which affects the temperature in the water dispenser.

The end result? Room temperature or warm water coming out of the dispenser whenever you push on the lever.

How to fix:

To maximize your fridge’s ability to cool everything inside of it (including the water dispenser), you must remove any buildup of dust and debris at your Whirlpool fridge’s condenser coil:

• First, shut off the power supply to the fridge.
• Then gain access to the condenser coils, usually at the fridge’s rear and bottom.
• With a brush, remove any buildups that have formed around those coils. A vacuum would also be helpful to help remove the dust that you’ve loosened up.

Cleaning your condenser coils should not be a one-off task. Instead, you should repeat this process once in a while, perhaps as part of your household’s spring cleaning plan.

That way, your Whirlpool fridge will be able to cool down its water supply efficiently for you to enjoy a cold drink anytime you want!

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