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In this video episode of The Handyguys Podcast, Handyguy Paul replaces the water tank on his GE side-by-side refrigerator. His tank was leaking so he found the part and replaced it. This repair will be similar for many different makes and models of refrigerators.
Very straight forward, thank you.
nice videos of putting a water tank
Great video!!
Hey how’s it going! I really found this video helpful! I replaced the tank in my GE side by side this saturday after it froze and split. The unit has so many other issues…but at least now its dry!
One thing. I ran about 10 glasses of water through it. No leaks, no air pockets. However the water now tastes AWFUL! Like chemcials. The filter isnt that old, and our straight tap water from any other faucet tastes fine.
Did you notice any odd taste after you were finished? If so…how did you deal with it? Just run more water through it?
Thanks!
I didn’t notice such a bad taste. We ran at least 10 glasses of water through the unit. BTW, if you unit is freezing, you may have a problem with your defrost coils. I ultimately had to change the control board to solve my defrost problems. However, 3 months later, my water/ice dispenser stopped working completely (after intermittently not working for a few weeks). I may need to change out my control board again.
Paul,
Thanks for the feedback. I have freezing in my fresh food drawers. Also my ice would melt together and re-freeze in the bucket. Causing it to be one big chunk. I read online, amongst the abundence of other issues with these units, that the dampener at the top of the fridge side could be the issue. I was having intermittent issues with my water dispenser, NOT related to freezing as well.
So I replaced the leaking water tank, water inlet valve/solenoid, and the dampner assembly. I put water in bot of the fresh food drawers at the bottom, and Im monitoring the temp via another thermometer inside the fridge. So far so good there. Next on my list is the heater and control board, which ill do at the same time probably. I havent had frost on the freezer back panel though…so I figured it wasnt the heater.
Im not sure what to do about the bad tasting water. Im going to run a crazy amount through it tonight. Maybe another couple gallons. I hate taking life off the filter for this. I should have ordered the cheap bypass while I was buying parts haha. Im not sure where to go if running water doesnt fix it.
Great video, good job and explanations. Thank you.
Thank you very helpful.
Thank you. I followed this video and had no problems replacing the water tank. But I have a problem. I can’t get water to come out of the front water dispenser. The ice maker doesn’t seem to fill either. I know you’re supposed to hold the water down for a while before it starts coming out, but should I be able to hear or see the tank filling while holding it down? I’m not hearing anything other than the clicking from the water/glass button. Water and fridge are turned on. Not seeing any leaks. Any ideas?
Could be that your hose is frozen where it runs up the door to the dispenser. Try leaving the door open for a while and see if the problem clears up.
Paul — to your last commen, do you have a video on fixing the hose freezing in the door? A GE technician told me that these refrigerators are defective and end up freezing the door line, and then tried to get me to pay roughly $400 to put in a heating unit to fix it. I have been threatnening GE with a class action and am thinking about brigning one in CA — though they have so far only offered to pay 50% of the repair. Some plaintiff laywer is going to make a lot of money off this. In the meantime, do you know how to fix this — I think you can get the heating unit online (which is another ridiculous nail in the coffin for GE — if their product is not defective, why do all of these people have to put in an extra heating unit?
My roommate had this problem with her GE fridge and someone posted a fix where you place a heater in front of the freezer door (space heater worked fine for ours) and leave it on for like half a day to thaw the frozen line. Once ours started working again, someone said to leave the little dispenser light turned on and that somehow kept theirs from freezing up again (for a year and counting) and so far, that seems to be working for us! seems to be alot cheaper than any other options!
This video just saved us time and money! We had figured out the tank had a crack in it and were able to get a replacement locally. Then my husband, with your helpful video, was able to install it. Thank-you!!
thanks that helped a lot
gonna try and seal it before I buy a new part
where do I buy this part
on line or home depot?
Online, repair clinic on other shops. Locally, check the phone book for appliance parts. The home centers do not sell them.
Great video.
Mine just went out last night. Just in time for me to leave for a couple of days.
I can hear the motor but no water except what is left on the floor . Does the connection front left from the tank go directly to the dispenser? I’m thinking the line is frozen and I can check at that point before continuing.
My 4 yr old GE side by side has a slow drip from the water dispenser, which is leaving a rusty looking stain down the front of the thing you press in to get ice or water. Where the water comes out of the refrigerator looks as if it is full of rusty water. Anyone else ever have this problem, and how to fix it?
Yes, I have exactly the same problem. An appliance tech came out and was totally mystified. He called GE with the model number. The guy there said it was probably a water supply problem–copper tubing and such. I do have a copper line feed to the refrigerator, but that it has been there for six years with no problems with rusty water for the prior refrigerator or the 2-year old GE that is there now. That analysis cost $116.
What is going on here? Does anyone have an idea?
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thank you sooo much for your video. I was ready to trash my fridge because of the drinking water. Replacing the tank was my last resort and the part cost me 80.00. the package said easy to install but no instructions and I was going to call the repair man today but then I thought I would give it one more shot and I found your video. The water tastes like water again and not dirt. thank you
You are a stud!!! Thank you. My wife is going to think im a genius! Im going to take full credit for figuring it out. These days dont come very often. I hope you understand my situation. Lol D.Alger–San Mateo,Calif.
🙂
my GE profile has had the computer board located in the rear area 3 times at a cost of $200.00 each time, because it could not keep the temperature in both sides at recommended temp, (too warm).It appears to be okay now. New problem, water line keeps freezing and water tank is leaking, so I have replaced it 3 times, $21.00 each, ( part splits at welded surfaces at tank) so now I will replace the water tank by running a new line directly from the water valve bypassing the water tank The water tanks only job is to provide cool water for drinking, don’t need it, I have the ice maker to cool dispensed water. I will let you know how I make out.
if you wanna save money you dont actually have to buy the factory reservoir you could just coil up several feet of 1/4 plastic water line and have that behind the crisper drawers on the refrigerator side. it will save you money and you can get it from any hardware store.
Good tip! Some are actually designed this way.
thanks for the advice on the tank replacement.this fridge is only 1 to 2 yrs old do you think there is another possibility.changed water filter recently with less expensive 2 pack from home depot so wonder if possible that had anything to do with it.seems to be less flow from door dispenser so wonder if ice tray fill is also less resulting in some type of trickling down back of freezer compartment.having trouble locating where water is coming from.
Water is the freezer compartment could be from the defrost cycle. I doubt it has much to do with the filter. If the water stays inside the freezer then its either defrost water or maybe an ice make issue. If the water is outside, on the floor, it could be a drain or evaporator pan issue. Under the fridge is a pan that should collect water when the defrost cycle runs, it then evaporates from there.
Very helpful and informative video. Thanks!!
I replaced the ice maker in the GE fridge I bought from my neighbour. But when I turned it on, although water comes out to fill a glass, no water is filling the ice tray. At the back of my fridge there are FOUR water tubes. Two that go to the top of the fridge compartment, one that goes up to the ice maker and a 4th that goes down, perhaps to a collection tray. I’m not sure why there needs to be 2 hoses feeding the water reservoir. And any suggestions as to how to get water flowing to the ice machine?
Let’s see. If I recall, one goes up into the refrigerator through the water tank or coiled hose (to make water cold) back out and across bottom to the front where it goes up to fill valve (you may be counting this as two hoses but it is really just one) The ice tube goes up back and into freezer somewhere for the ice.It is possible it is frozen perhaps? How long has it been since you replaced the ice maker. If tube freezes, sometimes you just have to wait until a defrost cycle to unclog the tube to ice maker.
So, I ended up phoning my neighbour to find out what exactly was wrong with the ice maker. He told me that when the service guy came out and looked at it, he was told it needed a new solenoid. So I bought one, installed it and now I have ICE!! WooHoo!! But I also have a BRAND NEW ice maker that I don’t need. I guess I should have gotten the details from my neighbour FIRST.
Thanks, Have the new tank in hand and how to in my head thanks to you.
Blessings – Bob
Good presentation!
Thx. Incredibly clear and accurate instructions. I ordered new tank and loaded up your webcast. It was EXACTLY as you described. Once I was done–no water. The line was frozen. I found additional instructions to thaw line and the water is now dispensing. My husband and kids are really impressed with me. You are great. Thanks!!
I just put water unit in it went in like a glove tkank’s to your video.again thanks very much it was great you made it very easy on me. Joe L
Replaced the water tank in my GE Profile side-by-side following your video — great assistance. But new water tank freezes, so I suspect something else is going on. Refrigerator was new in 2002, is in a place we use on the weekends, but never had a problem until this past year (2014). Looking for some ideas – getting tired of using the hair dryer every weekend.
Steve, not sure if you still have this fridge or this problem, but I found a genius idea on youtube, where you run about 3 feet of weedeater string/line up inside your (thawed) dispenser, leaving a couple of inches (enough to grasp and pull) hanging out, then when the line freezes, you pull the line just enough to release the ice in the frozen section, then feed it back in! Voila! Before I found this trick I replaced my frozen busted water tank 4 times!! UGH!! This was a life (and money!) saving trick for me 🙂 Hope it helps!
Wow, I’ll have to look for that vid. Thanks for the tip
I did the same thing – then I found that the unit which “shunts” the cold air from freezer into refrigerator compartment was broke (the door that is supposed to open and close to regulate refrigerator temperature). GE wanted $183 for a new unit – found it elsewhere (Sears?) for $98. Replacement was straight forward and solved the problem. GE redesigned the original unit, so they must have known there was a problem. The new unit is a bit noisier, but it works great.
Hi Paul. We’re having an issue with a foul taste in the water coming from the dispenser in our GE side by side. We tried changing the water supply line to the fridge, changing the filter, and even taste testing the water coming from the house supply. Nothing worked. That leads me think the problem is in the tank itself. Would you agree? Have you ever heard of anyone else having this problem? We had this fridge for 8 years.
In any event. If it is the tank, I feel more comfortable changing it out after watching this video. Thanks!
It could be the tank, or more specifically, something in the tank. You may want to remove it and flush it out with a garden hose (or just replace it)
Hello Handyguys. Thanks for a great video tutorial.
I have a question. Do you know what is located between the tank lines and the solenoids?
After the water lines leave the tank and goes through the inside of the fridge to the outside, there’s something located underneath. It seems that there’s some insulation material to separate the inside/outside. But do you know what else is located in that area? I guess, really, I’m asking about what’s behind the inside back wall and the back compartment. There is no access from behind the lower panel to this area, you can just see where the water lines into the inside compartment. That’s where the insulation material can be seen. I’ve got brown liquid running down that material, along the water line that goes to the freezer door, dripping on the floor.
Many thanks!
Great video. I followed it but I am having trouble getting the tubes in. They are not going in far enough and keep leaking. My husband has even tried using pliers to push them in but the are not getting past the black line. Any thoughts?
My daughter left the freezer door open last week and this week the fridge it at 45, the freezer at 0, there is brown liquid under the lower drawer and the unit for the quick cool has ice on it. I vacuumed the back inside which had some dust on it and I saw there was brown inside the water tank too?
I called a service engineer today, he told me to turn off the machine for a couple of days to allow the ice to melt and it should get everything working again, any advice on that and also the brown water issue?
Thanks!
Not sure which/what tank you are talking about. If its the tray at the bottom of the fridge this can just be cleaned. the brown is maybe mold. If its the tank for the dispenser, I would just run the water in the dispenser and flush out any brown water. Keep going until it runs clear.
Hello,
I cant find the water reservoir! when i look at the back of the drawers all i see is the tubes wraped around and nothing like the picture. I do have a GE so i am so lost!
You have a completely different style. Some wont have a water tank , they will just have a coil of tube in the fridge to cool the water.
how long should it take for water to come through the dispenser? I rechecked all my lines and everything is as it should be, but no water is coming out. Help! : /
Weird! it shouldn’t take tooo long. A few minutes maybe. Make sure you have water at the back of the fridge first.
Hi!
I want to thank you for your video. Very competent.
I have a question that I have not seen answered anywhere.
The question is mundane. Why not do away with the water tank altogether?
Is it possible to bypass tank with a single piece of hose.
Second question from where is the water filter fed before or after tank?
The tank is used so that water from the dispenser is chilled. You could remove it if you don’t want/need chilled water from the dispenser. Some models of refrigerators actually use long coils of tubing for making chilled water. I’m not sure if the filter is before or after the tank. I would guess it is before.
Have you ever tried threading a line through the freezer door? I have a leak at the water line where it comes out of the freezer door (bottom left hinge), and then connects to the water line that runs to the back of the refrigerator to the tank/coils… I have a GE model, which I guess uses foam insulation in the door, but NO conduit for the water line to run through. My hope is that I can attach new tubing at the bottom… then carefully pull the old tubing out from the top/dispenser… which should thread the new tubing in its place. (GE’s fix is to purchase a whole new freezer door. Good grief.
I have a GE Arctica side by side. Water seems to be leaking from the water spout in the icemaker (even when it’s turned off) and jamming the whole works. There is only one water hose to the freezer compartment but it also feeds the dispenser. I’m giving up on ice, but still want to use the in-door water dispenser. I can’t figure out how to turn the water off to just the icemaker. Any ideas?
Very well done video, but I was hoping it would also cover the rest of that line that runs up through the freezer door hinge to the water dispenser nozzle. That is where my leak is located and I would love to see how to get the nozzle end loose. I’ve seen videos for other non-GE models and the nozzle end is usually secured with a small fastener and once loose you can use the old tube to pull the new tube into place, but the GE side-by-side model (Mine is a TPS24BPDABS) has a nozzle that almost seems molded into place. Do you happen to have another video that shows a repair on that freezer line?