Do-It-Yourself Story

Replaced water reservoir that had become contaminated with ??? Also had to replace the water filter, because the water contaminated it also. Cost was about $150, for two filters and the reservoir. The first filter was replaced because I did not know the reservoir was contaminated, and no water was coming out of the dispenser. Since the water in the ice maker did not come through the reservoir, there was no smell or contamination there. The new filter enabled water to come through the dispenser, but did not solve the odor problem. After replacing the reservoir, there was still the odor problem, as the filter had become contaminated, and water was not dispensing properly. The filter had been in less than a month, and had not been used much, as the water was not usable. The design of the original water reservoir allowed contaminates in the water to settle, and after a few years they just accumulated. I changed from a water softener system to a whole house water filter a couple of months ago. When I did this I changed the water going to the refrigerator from direct city water, with chlorine added, to the filtered water. I think that it was the stopping of the chlorine that caused the organisms in the reservoir to grow thus causing the odor. I don't want to have to change the water going to the refrigerator back to city water, but I may do so, if the stink returns again. The new filter system removes so many contaminates from the city water, and you do not have to keep adding salt to the softener. It was difficult to get the supply lines from the new reservoir through the bottom of the refrigerator where they could hook up to the dispenser valve and the water filter.