Refrigerator water cloudy

[themagicman]

I wanted to see if you all had any ideas that might be making my fridge water cloudy and milky looking. It is a whirlpool side by side fridge. We turned the water off when we went out of town last week and took the ice out of the freezer (not sure if that had anything to do with it) When we came back and turned the water on the water from the fridge was very milky looking. The filter is relatively new but even when I took it out it is still doing the same thing. I have been running the water through it a lot the flush the system out but it has not helped. The sink right next to it is not having any issues. Anyone know what could be causing this or what I should do to fix it. Would rather not have to buy a new filter if I do not need to as this one is only a couple of months old.

[Joggernot]

Cloudy usually means air is getting into the system.  No, I don't know how to get rid of it, except by doing what you're doing.  Maybe there is a purge valve?

If it is air going to the ice maker, the ice will be cloudy; not clear.

[lthenderson]

How much water have you run through it since you have returned? When I replace the filter on mine, the water will be cloudy until I run about three or four gallons through it to get clear water. Since you haven't changed the filter, perhaps the filter dried out somehow while you were gone and now with it turned on, it is acting like a new filter and you need to purge it for awhile.

[themagicman]

Cloudy usually means air is getting into the system.  No, I don't know how to get rid of it, except by doing what you're doing.  Maybe there is a purge valve?

If it is air going to the ice maker, the ice will be cloudy; not clear.

I tried drinking a little of the water and it did not taste right (Could have been in my head) but if thats the case then I do not think it would be air, do you?

How much water have you run through it since you have returned? When I replace the filter on mine, the water will be cloudy until I run about three or four gallons through it to get clear water. Since you haven't changed the filter, perhaps the filter dried out somehow while you were gone and now with it turned on, it is acting like a new filter and you need to purge it for awhile.

I have ran probably 10 gallons through the system. I have removed the filter and it still was doing the same thing.

[lthenderson]

The easiest way to see if it is air is to fill a glass, set it on the counter and see if it clears up in a few minutes. Sometimes in winter when your water arriving is very cold, it can contain more air in solution than when it is warmer. So it could simply be air bubbles coming out of solution as it warms up. Another issue that can cause water to be cloudy is pressure. If your outside lines are more pressurized than normal, pressure also traps more air in solution and when it gets depressurized when poured into your glass, the air comes back out of the solution.

[BudgetSlasher]

Cloudy usually means air is getting into the system.  No, I don't know how to get rid of it, except by doing what you're doing.  Maybe there is a purge valve?

If it is air going to the ice maker, the ice will be cloudy; not clear.

I tried drinking a little of the water and it did not taste right (Could have been in my head) but if thats the case then I do not think it would be air, do you?

Depends on what "not right" is for example the taste water gets if it sits on your nightstand too long is likely gasses such as oxygen dissolving into it, in many cases the "plastic taste" from old water bottles is not plastic leaching, but gasses from the air slowly penetrating the bottles.

I would run more water through the system, it has been a while since I owner a refrigerator that I used a filter in, but I believe that at the very least the instructions said to discard the first batch of ice; my house filter (active carbon like many ice box filters) says to run a tap of 15 minutes after installing.

I will back lthenderson, cold water has more dissolved gasses in it that warm water and as it warms the gas comes out, all of my hot water is hazy with small air bubbles for this reason.

It might be helpful to know if you are on public or well water. If you are on public water you could see if you neighbors have had similar issues (my in-laws are on public water and when they switch sources you can tell in the taste of their water).