[Rick Shaw]

I was searching your site for answers to my GE side by side refrigerator water dispenser. The line freezes in the door just like many of the ones I have read here. I have heard GE has replaced some doors for people and I have heard they now have a heater for the dispenser. I don't know what the cost is but I feel it should be free as GE knows about this defect and it should be a recall item. If GE won't correct this defect at no cost can we sue them?

[FLYnVFR]

I was searching your site for answers to my GE side by side refrigerator water dispenser. The line freezes in the door just like many of the ones I have read here. I have heard GE has replaced some doors for people and I have heard they now have a heater for the dispenser. I don't know what the cost is but I feel it should be free as GE knows about this defect and it should be a recall item. If GE won't correct this defect at no cost can we sue them?

See my response to sboku, thread entitled "GE Refrigerator water dispenser intermittently working" and see if it helps. With my GE Profile side-by-side, the problem was with the chill line that runs behind the unit, not the line that runs up the door.

[Rick Shaw]

My water dispenser line freezing is solved. I finally talked with a supervisor at the service department and we worked out an agreement. GE sent a Tech to my house at no charge. The fix was to install a heater for the dispenser water line. The cost to me was $125. I still think it should have been no cost as GE knows of the problem. The water dispenser works as it should now.

[FLYnVFR]

My water dispenser line freezing is solved. I finally talked with a supervisor at the service department and we worked out an agreement. GE sent a Tech to my house at no charge. The fix was to install a heater for the dispenser water line. The cost to me was $125. I still think it should of been no cost as GE knows of the problem. The water dispenser works as it should now.

Hi Rick. Glad the dispenser is working :) but sorry you had to spend some $$$ :( . I agree that the repair should have been at no cost to you, as it's my understanding that this problem is well documented. If you have the time to respond, I'm curious where the heater was installed. In the door somewhere near the dispenser, or somewhere in the rear of the refrigerator? I'm asking because this will help me understand if your problem was in the "chill line" that runs along the inside rear panel of the refrigerator or closer to the dispenser itself. I'd like to share with others. Thanks.

[Rick Shaw]

Well guys I was to quick to tell you my water dispenser line freezing issue was solved. I spent $125 to have a heater installed in the door to heat the water dispenser line in the door. The heater was installed Dec. 12 2007 and everything was working so well, then yesterday Jan 09 2008 the line froze again. GE is sending out a Tech tomorrow at no cost but I am back to defrosting the refrigator again.

[scottsko]

Is there any way to open the door and add insulation to the water line itself? I'm having the same problem and GE wanted to charge me $250-300 to come out and install a heater. Based on this, I'm not sure it's such a good idea.

[Linmat]

Well guys I was to quick to tell you my water dispenser line freezing issue was solved. I spent $125 to have a heater installed in the door to heat the water dispenser line in the door. The heater was installed Dec. 12 2007 and everything was working so well, then yesterday Jan 09 2008 the line froze again. GE is sending out a Tech tomorrow at no cost but I am back to defrosting the refrigator again.

I have had same problem with my amama side by side. I shut the water off and now the freezer and refrig. Are working perfectly. So, there is definitely something wrong with the water line. Can anyone help?:(:(

I'm buying ice and keeping it in a plastic container in freezer.

[Rick Shaw]

The answer to my water dispenser water line freezing was having GE replace the door. I had a heater installed by GE at the dispensing unit in the door for 125 dollars and that did not work. I complained to GE again and finally they replaced the frezer door at no cost. The sad part about all this was GE new the problem all the time. When they continued to charge me for repairs until finally they admitted the door was not properly insultated from the beinging. I told them I was going to sue them in small claims first and then a class action. Finally they replaced the door. I fought this for about 3 years. Never will buy GE again.

[Linmat]

Thanks for such a quick response.

Guess a new refrigerator is in my future. I'll use it without the water for a while and if it starts acting up, it's gone. It's an Amana and it is 9 years old.

Thanks

[haregopal]

I also have the water freezing problem. They charged me $250. $40 for parts ( a new heater) and $210 for the labor. $210 included $80 for service call and rest for 15 min job.

GE should recall. He didn't replace any broken part to make it work. He had to put a new heater. To me that clearly is a recall. If they need to device a new method to fix problem - it is a recall.
I have placed a call with GE. If they don't refund my $250 - there is court. I will file a suit.

[TVLENNY]

I'm also having some issues with my water dispenser..

Never had any issues until this morning.. couple of hours after my wife used it.

Any simple fix?

[jasmelthomas]

I also have the water freezing problem. They charged me $250. $40 for parts ( a new heater) and $210 for the labor. $210 included $80 for service call and rest for 15 min job.

GE should recall. He didn't replace any broken part to make it work. He had to put a new heater. To me that clearly is a recall. If they need to device a new method to fix problem - it is a recall.
I have placed a call with GE. If they don't refund my $250 - there is court. I will file a suit.

I'm trying to figure out if I can do this repair myself with this part: Part 1381601 from RepairClinic.com and with these pictures of how to disassemble the door dispenser: ge doors, through the door ice and water dispensor, GE fridge, breakdowns for GE ice dispensors.

Did you watch the install? Is it a matter of taking off the dispenser and installing the heater or did he dismantle the door somehow?

[rzrbk-n-IN]

I had a GE tech come out and "Officially" diagnose my water freezing problem... on a side by side model Yep I was right! Water is freezing at the dispenser. To solve the problem the tech had me defrost the freezer and check the temp empty and then check full and adjust the thermostat. I did all this and found out my freezer works great on the lowest setting but the water dispenser is still frozen. The tech then said he would install a heater at the dispenser for $361.95 - $57 for the part, $200 for the labor and credit me the $104.95 already spent on his first service call that should have only been $74.95.

I decided to file a BBB complaint against GE and within 12 hours (yep 12 hours later) I got a phone call from GE Customer service wanting to discuss. After going through the details and history GE agreed to send me a heater kit Part # WR49X10173 for free and I agreed to install myself. I got the part yesterday and installed it in 15 min. If you have never taken the dispenser section out it might take 30 to 45 min tops. 4 hours later I had running water. Directions were included in the kit and hooking up the wires was a snap. Here's to hoping the water continues to flow.

Here is the filed complaint. Complaint ID # 8087726

Problem:
I have a side by side Refrigerator Model #GSL25JFPEBS Serial #ZF200949 I purchased it back in 2003 and have moved it to my resident here in Indiana in 2005. I have had a problem with it for the last 3 years and am now just absolutely fed up with the product and customer service attitudes over the phone. Here is my issue with the Refrigerator: the water freezes in the door where the dispensor is. I have gone through the process suggested by customer service of lowering the temps, thawing the freezer, and nothing works long term. It just refreezes in a couple of days. Every time I call the GECustomer Service they say they have no record of any customer compaints for water lines freezing at the dispensor. I researched the interet and found hundreds if not thousands of complaints of the same item. https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/advice/t-14182.html The root cause of the issue is faulty insulation in the freezer door and GE (not knowing of the issue) has a part to sell that is a heater to keep the line from freezing. In fact now the new freezers apparently have this item as part of the door. If there was no problem then why do they have this part available? 2nd item is when I do have a service rep come out to look at issue I am charged GEprice of $74.95 but then I am charged $105.95 by the service rep. No one can explain the extra charge at GE and rep says it is his trip charge. But what is the $74.95 for? Well those are my two issues. The snotty attitudes is par for the course I guess.


I suggest everyone files a complaint and maybe GE will realize they have a serious problem and do an official recall. I am sure this little fix destroys my Energy Star so that is another story.

Good luck everyone!
Rzrbk -n- IN

[blaze64]

I just bought the water heater kit for about 40 bucks, I was trying ti find a site to show me how to install it, the directions are kind of difficult to follow.


Jeff

[Angrycustomer]

The answer to my water dispenser water line freezing was having GE replace the door. I had a heater installed by GE at the dispensing unit in the door for 125 dollars and that did not work. I complained to GE again and finally they replaced the frezer door at no cost. The sad part about all this was GE new the problem all the time. When they continued to charge me for repairs until finally they admitted the door was not properly insultated from the beinging. I told them I was going to sue them in small claims first and then a class action. Finally they replaced the door. I fought this for about 3 years. Never will buy GE again.

=
the answer is for them to give you a free service contract for a buck twenty five instead of one call... this way they will marry your unit! LOL. I just went to home depot and got a dishwasher connector to go on the faucet with a fifteen foot line and a john guess fitting. I went from the faucet to a 3/8" to a 1/4". I can slam the ice with hot water, with the dispenser handle is depressed, ice melts. An easier way is a turkey baster approach and boiling water... Homeowners Alliance.

[bustedrefrig]

This is a common problem for GE refrigerators as the water lines freeze constantly. I had the issue myself and solved it permanently with a simply, $30 part. Check out the full instructions bustedrefrigerator.com

[bustedrefrig]

Don't call a serviceman for this. It is a simple, $30 part that can be fixed in 15 minutes. I had this same problem and spent hours researching before I found the part. Apparently there are a ton of other people with the same issue so I created the blog post to help everyone fix it. Read it here.

[bustedfrige]

This is a common problem with GE refrigerators. My waterline froze as well. Ya it stinks that GE won't fix the problem but it is literally a $30 part and 15 minutes so I purchased did it. I'd spend more time than that working with GE to get them to pay for it. I noticed a lot of people having the same issue so I detailed the symptoms, part and fix on by blog. Read about it here

[kmtrs1]

I had this problem with my GE fridge for the first time a year ago. I have a service contract as when the fridge was just 9 months old the ice maker needed replacing. It was under original warranty then so I didn't have to pay for it. When I was offered an extended warranty for about ten dollars a month I decided to go for it. A year ago the line froze up, the tech came and put the heater in which worked very well until a week ago. Today, the tech came back as the problem recurred. He explained that it was essentially a design flaw and that if I had to pay out of pocket without the warranty a new door would cost between 600 and 700 dollars! They are sending the new door out and the tech will be back to replace it without charge since I have the extended warranty. That being said, I agree that GE shouldn't charge anybody for this work.

[drtom4444]

There was a class action suit on the problem, but you can correct it easily. DrTom4444