Ask Me Help Desk - GE Refrigerator water dispenser intermittently working

Handee,

I taped on a one inch insulation board to the inside of my freezer and it was been working for almost a year now. It cost less than $15 and took 10 minutes to make. I would give that a try if/when your heater fails.

Quote:

Originally Posted by cleveland_30

Handee,

I taped on a one inch insulation board to the inside of my freezer and it was been working for almost a year now. It cost less than $15 and took 10 mins to make. I would give that a try if/when your heater fails.

Cleveland 30:
Thanks for the tip! Insulating the door did cross my mind but I immediately dismissed
The thought thinking it wouldn't work. Let's hope I never have to try it! (HA!HA!)
PS-Isn't it a &%$#*!! Shame that all of us with these GE side by side refrigerators have had this problem this long, (I've read notes from as far back as 2004!! ), and GE hasn't
Found a way to fix it yet? I've also heard that GE won't acknowledge that it is a widespread problem! Hope your water keeps flowing!

Wow, I have been having this same problem. My GE fridge is about 3 years old now and this only started happening about a month ago. Figured out by trial and error that the water line was frozen. I thought it was a freak thing, but it keeps happening after a few hours of working.

Anyone know the number to call GE?

I've been told that I need a dispenser heater kit. Hotpoint doesn't have one but repairclinic.com has part # 1381601 @ $53.20. I need wiring diagram for the kit.

The kit installs at the water spout area on the Hotpoint freezer door

Quote:

Originally Posted by sallysam

I've been told that I need a dispenser heater kit. Hotpoint doesn't have one but repairclinic.com has part # 1381601 @ $53.20. I need wiring diagram for the kit.

Sallysam: Th "GE" part number for this heater is- WR49X10173. The phone number I used was (888) 571-3101, "GE In-Home Repair" There are probably many more numbers but I know this one worked. Heater comes with complete instructions and wiring info... FOLLOW them CLOSELY especially with regard to wire routing or they may interfere with duct door or actuator. Also, one confusion factor will be eliminated if you disregard reference to "bunch wires" in Figure #3. You will NOT have any excess wire to bunch up unless you already had a heater installed! Wire length provided will just about fit as shown in Figure #1 (P.S. Heater has been working for me about a month now.)

Quote:

Originally Posted by FlameOut

Wow, I have been having this same problem. My GE fridge is about 3 years old now and this only started happening about a month ago. Figured out by trial and error that the water line was frozen. I thought it was a freak thing, but it keeps happening after a few hours of working.

Anyone know the number to call GE?

Flameout: Phone number for GE "In Home Repair" is (888) 571-3101.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Handee

Sallysam: Th "GE" part number for this heater is- WR49X10173. The phone number I used was (888) 571-3101, "GE In-Home Repair" There are probably many more numbers but I know this one worked. Heater comes with complete instructions and wiring info....FOLLOW them CLOSELY especially with regard to wire routing or they may interfere with duct door or actuator. Also, one confusion factor will be eliminated if you disregard reference to "bunch wires" in Figure #3. You will NOT have any excess wire to bunch up unless you already had a heater installed! Wire length provided will just about fit as shown in Figure #1 (P.S. Heater has been working for me about a month now.)

Sallysam:
Forgot to mention, GE's price is only about $40.
Good Luck!
Handee

Everybody ; same problem with the line freezing, same place, about 4-5 inches down the tubing, I haven't called GE as they have been unhelpful with other problems. This door design is such cr*p.
Using the lawn mower fuel line with a ketchup bottle worked good, until the hot water ruined the bottle. I have a new bottle, and I put a nylon tie into the dispenser tube, and it froze solid and then could not inject hot water into the blockage or remove the nylon tie I then used a heating pad, the kind used for a sore back, set it on medium, wrapped it around the despenser opening, and within an hour the line unfroze.

My dispenser line froze up once about 2 years into its life, cleared itself up within a week, and now, 4 years later has begun to freeze up just once a week, Is there a 7 day cycle of deep thawing? Kind of funny it has occurred each Saturday morning for the past 3 weeks... Anyone else on a weekly schedule?

Quote:

Originally Posted by geng

Everybody ; same problem with the line freezing, same place, about 4-5 inches down the tubing, I haven't called GE as they have been unhelpful with other problems. This door design is such cr*p.
Using the lawn mower fuel line with a ketchup bottle worked good, until the hot water ruined the bottle. I have a new bottle, and I put a nylon tie into the dispenser tube, and it froze solid and then could not inject hot water into the blockage or remove the nylon tie I then used a heating pad, the kind used for a sore back, set it on medium, wrapped it around the despenser opening, and withing an hour the line unfroze.

My dispenser line froze up once about 2 years into its life, cleared itself up within a week, and now, 4 years later has begun to freeze up just once a week, Is there a 7 day cycle of deep thawing? Kinda funny it has occurred each Saturday morning for the past 3 weeks... Anyone else on a weekly schedule?

Geng: Very funny! It's laughable to hear ereyone else has experienced the same problem. My refrig was less than a year old when it started to fail.(always in the morning-after an all night freeze!) At first, I was on the "monthly schedule", which graduated to the "weekly schedule", then to the "daily schedule"... that's when I put in the heater! I'm told I don't use the water feature often enough, but with the heater kit installed, it's gone from failing daily to working perfectly for 5 weeks. I still don't use it as much as my friends, but it's working. (I almost hate to acknowledge that out loud or my refrig might hear me! Ha!Ha!)
Good Luck!
Handee

I understand that GE has a "fix" for the frozen line problem which allegedly was due to poor design. Contact a GE service person for the repair.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Handee

Geng: Very funny! It's laughable to hear ereyone else has experienced the same problem. My refrig was less than a year old when it started to fail.(always in the morning-after an all night freeze!) At first, I was on the "monthly schedule", which graduated to the "weekly schedule", then to the "daily schedule"....that's when I put in the heater!! I'm told I don't use the water feature often enough, but with the heater kit installed, it's gone from failing daily to working perfectly for 5 weeks. I still don't use it as much as my freinds, but it's working. (I almost hate to acknowledge that out loud or my refrig might hear me! Ha!Ha!)
Good Luck!
Handee

Handee, I got the heater installed as per the instructions, but it didn't really heat up after 1-min (or 5-min) or perhaps, I didn't feel any heat. I ignored it and proceeded with putting the assembly back to finish it off.

I realized that I couldn't get the board back on, due to the wire harness being shortened (as the heater wires' splicers took the extra space). Has anybody dealt with such a situation?

Also, I still don't feel the heater assembly being warm when I touch it.

Cheers,
Raj

I will try the weed eater line solution. This will be a much more efficient fix than unplugging my refrigerator every week or so. It is too bad that GE doesn't stand behind their products when there is such an obvious flaw requiring a recall. If anyone has any luck dealing with GE please let us all know as I am sure that we will all be happy to be free of the weed eater line, even if it is a smart fix to an annoying and expensive problem. Thanks for the help!

Well guys, this is a GE problem, not ours. So, we need to file a lwsuit, rather than wasting our time. Can anybody has any idea how to do it?

I have always has trouble with GE products. Here is a list of GE items that I have had that had major issues with and or broke. GE extension cord (yes even it was bad, I purchased it new and thought it might be OK because it probably wasn’t made by GE, they just branded it. I was wrong ) GE walkman - broke, GE washer - several issues,
I did not buy these GE appliances, they were in the house I purchased. These appliance are only a few years old:
GE frige - ice dispenser molds, Ice chute door flap warped had to replace, water dispenser freezes, (new door did not help) door trim does not stay on, lower interior frig light bulb has no shield and melts food containers.
GE Dishwasher – water does not fill at times, cleans poorly, knob and trim broke.
GE gas stove- moisture gets in the flame control dial and causes the igniter to spark constantly. I have to turn of the power to the stove and disassemble and dry all the parts, then reassemble. This has happened several times.
I have always consistently had major issues and noticed poor quality and design with all GE appliances big or small. In comparison, Kenmore, WorldPool, and even Roper appliances have performed well and had amazing long service lifes. Have a Kenmore wash and dryer that are 10 years old and have not had a single issue. My parents bought a new roper washer and dryer, had it three years and so far no issues. Had several Worldpool refrigerators and dishwashers, no issues and last forever.

Quote:

Originally Posted by rgould67

To all,

I have GE model number GSL25JFPA BS. About 4 yrs old. Water dispenser started to intermitently work about 2 years ago. The GE owners manual said this could happen due to AIR in the line. What BS. The owners manual said to hold the dispenser open for about 1 hr and it should work. Sometimes it did , sometimes it did not.

Ice maker has always worked fine so i agree GE poorly insulated the water dispenser line. They wanted to have cool water come out but did not design it right, who cares anyways as just add some ice cubes to it, better that then have water not work.

I have another solution. Use a hair dryer. When it stops working just use a kitchen item like a large plastic serving spoon to hold open the dispenser. Then use a hair dryer and direct the hot air towards the water nozzled for about 5 min. If no water do it again, it will work.

Note: I tried this a couple of times and it worked. However, the line would just freeze the next day so it got frusterating to keep doing it. Also, the last time I did it, it seemed the mechanism to keep the ice dispensing door shut got weakened. Now sometimes after I get ice the door remains open which means about a 3" diamter hole leading to the freezer so cold air leaks out. I now have to push the ice door shut manually after I get ice. Not sure if the heat from the hair dryer weakened it. Try just setting the hair dryer on warm not HOT.

I am going to complain to GE as well. They should fix or offer a solution.

I do not think you weakened the ice exit door. The doors are designed to stay open for 3 or 4 seconds to make sure all the ice exits. Wait 3 or 4 seconds and you will see the door close on it's own.

I have always has trouble with GE products. Here is a list of GE items that I have had that had major issues with and or broke. GE extension cord (yes even it was bad, I purchased it new and thought it might be OK because it probably wasn’t made by GE, they just branded it. I was wrong ) GE walkman - broke, GE washer - several issues,
I did not buy these GE appliances, they were in the house I purchased. These appliance are only a few years old:
GE frige - ice dispenser molds, Ice chute door flap warped had to replace, water dispenser freezes, (new door did not help) door trim does not stay on, lower interior frig light bulb has no shield and melts food containers.
GE Dishwasher – water does not fill at times, cleans poorly, knob and trim broke.
GE gas stove- moisture gets in the flame control dial and causes the igniter to spark constantly. I have to turn of the power to the stove and disassemble and dry all the parts, then reassemble. This has happened several times.
I have always consistently had major issues and noticed poor quality and design with all GE appliances big or small. In comparison, Kenmore, WorldPool, and even Roper appliances have performed well and had amazing long service lifes. Have a Kenmore wash and dryer that are 10 years old and have not had a single issue. My parents bought a new roper washer and dryer, had it three years and so far no issues. Had several Worldpool refrigerators and dishwashers, no issues and last forever.

Our GE refrigerator model no. is GSH25JSTA SS. I called GE to find out if the "Dispenser Water Tube Heater Kit", GE part number WR49X10173 will work on our model. They were unable to answer my question.

Has anybody tried this part on model GSH25JSTA SS? Does this part work only on specific models?

Thank you

Enough non-sense. Don't you guys have anything else to do?

Just file a complaint against GE refrigerator at BBB. Still, I am waiting for some response about joining a class-c lawsuit against GE.