What is Water Dispenser in Refrigerator – A Useful Feature or Money Wasted?

When it comes to buying a refrigerator, more the features, higher the price. Now, there can be a multitude of features that a refrigerator can come with, and one of the most highly requested feature from refrigerators is a water dispenser. People who live in hotter climates of the country, generally look for an in-built water dispenser in their refrigerator to let go of the habit of filling water bottles to refrigerate them, which can be time taking. This is why we are here to answer definitely the question – what is a water dispenser in refrigerator and is it useful?

Let us take a look at what a water dispenser is and what it provides.

What is Water Dispenser in Refrigerator? – Explained

When it comes to refrigerators, water dispensers can be quite the asset if you have the need for them. The best way to know if you really do need a water dispenser is to see how much water your family consumes and how much of it was refrigerated.

If you have a large family with a high water need, getting a refrigerator with a water dispenser is a much better idea. Not just to save effort, a water dispenser also saves time. You wouldn’t have to either fill bottles and store them in the fridge, nor would you have to open the fridge every time you got thirsty.

A water dispenser can be easily used by anyone that basically dispenses water when you need it. More times than not, the best refrigerators above 500 liters do come with a water dispenser.

Now, the thing is, the water dispenser requires plumbing to bring in the water, if your refrigerator does not have that, you probably would have to fill the water manually.

Let us look in detail about what water dispensers are in refrigerators.

What does a Refrigerator with a Water Dispenser provide?

A refrigerator, generally a double door refrigerator, can come with an automatic ice maker and an external water dispenser. The water dispenser and ice maker work more or less in cohesion with each other. The refrigerator would be connected to a water supply externally using copper or plastic supply tubes. This water is stored within the refrigerator, cooled down, and then brought out whenever you wish to dispense some water. This same water when stored in a different compartment turns into ice and then can be dispensed using the ice dispenser/maker.

A water dispenser is really great if you have a large family and getting refrigerated water is something all of you do. A refrigerator can come with a water dispenser and not an ice maker, or it could come with both depending on the model size and price.

Simply having a water dispenser in your refrigerator can truly sky rocket its price since there are a whole lot of things that go into making a refrigerator capable of dispensing water and ice on command.

Your refrigerator can even provide you two different types of ice, including cubed and crushed. That said, this depends on the refrigerator you purchase. Each model comes with its own set of abilities which can change depending on how much you splurge on it.

How to use a Refrigerator Water Dispenser?

To use the water dispenser in your refrigerator, follow these few simple steps.

1. Make sure all the plumbing is set and your refrigerator has a supply of clean, drinkable water, preferably from a water purifier.
2. Your refrigerator could itself come with a filter, so keep an eye on the same. These filters aren’t state of the art, so you would have to get a connection from your water purifier nonetheless, especially if you live in a city.
3. If you are doing it for the first time, give your refrigerator to fill the reservoir and cool the water down.
4. Once it has cooled, simply walk up to the refrigerator with a glass and press on the dispense water lever. If it is a button, push it while you use the glass to collect it.
5. You can select if you want any ice with it.
6. Press on the ice lever for it to dispense ice easily.
7. If you do not want your refrigerator to produce ice, you can even press a button to turn ice maker off.

Advantages and Disadvantages of a Refrigerator Water Dispenser

There are a few pros and cons of using a refrigerator capable of dispensing water. When it comes to advantages, there are only a few to be honest. There are also no real disadvantages either, since it is just an added feature and you can always opt out of not buying a refrigerator that lets you dispense water.

Advantages of a Refrigerator Water Dispenser

The primary advantages of having a water dispenser include, firstly, being able to drink cold water whenever you want and at a push of just a button. The quick access saves you time and effort of filling water bottles and refrigerating them. Secondly, since the water dispenser is generally paired with an ice maker, you also get crushed or cubed ice on demand, whenever you want.

Finally, a lot of models even come with a water filter hooked directly onto the water dispenser, so you will be able to enjoy cold and absolutely clean water whenever you wish to.

Disadvantages of a Refrigerator Water Dispenser

When it comes to the disadvantages, refrigerators with water dispensers cost a lot of money, firstly. If you want it have a ice maker too, chances are you would have to splurge even more. Now, the thing is, this higher cost even continues after you have made the purchase. Maintenance costs of water dispenser refrigerators is much higher than those of normal refrigerators. Along with that, the plumbing and the filters inside might also require changing often.

As a user, you would have to take care of your refrigerator quite a bit. Then there is the situation with bad water. If you live in a metropolitan city, chances are you get horrible water. To use your new refrigerator, you might have to get yourself a water purifier as well.

Finally, you should also look into the fact that refrigerators with water dispensers are also a lot bigger than normal ones. You would need ample floor space to keep them.

A water and ice dispenser is a very convenient feature, but make sure you understand the limitations and advantages before you spend a fortune buying your new refrigerator.

Common Issues with Refrigerator with Water Dispensers

There are also a few problems your refrigerator can run into. These issues can be handled by the user, but might also require you to call on a professional for help.

1. Plumbing problems: Since you need an external water source connected to your refrigerator at all times, if you loose pressure there, your refrigerator will simply not get any water to cool down and supply to you. So, you have to make sure you connect it to a valve that always gets water. The plumbing itself can break down, or detach due to whatever reason. You would have to fix those too, either yourself, or by calling a professional.
2. Defrosting the pipes: Similarly, the pipes that bring in the water can also freeze, which requires defrosting. This can be achieved in multiple formats, the easiest being simply switching off the appliance until all the frost melts away.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Conclusion

When it comes to luxury refrigerators, the first thing that comes to mind, well my mind at least, are water and ice dispensers. That said, a lot of the mid-range refrigerators are also coming in with water dispensers nowadays. These are still an expensive facility however, and you should be absolutely sure of what you want before purchasing. While water dispensers are great and potentially an indispensable, pun intended, feature in newer models of refrigerators, they still prove insanely expensive to purchase and to maintain.