Thankfully, this is easy enough to fix. Run your dispenser for approximately 2 minutes. This will remove any old water and drastically improve the taste and smell. New fridges can also be the cause of bad taste.
You could get a water filter pitcher. Fill it up with tap water and stick it in the fridge. Once it's cold, see if that tastes better to you. It should be more like bottled water. Otherwise, I often add lemon juice and/or cranberry juice to my water for flavor.
Last resort, you can clean your water supply system to the refrig. by detaching the water supply line and filling the piping and container with white vinegar, which is forced thru the water system as if it was water; just flush the system good with water, afterwards.
How to get rid of the plastic taste in my new water dispenser? Use baking soda and lemon juice. Leave it overnight and rinse thoroughly. Use specific cleaning tablets for cleaning reservoirs. Use a teaspoon of bleach diluted in a full reservoir and leave it overnight.
A reverse osmosis system is the ultimate filtration option and it will definitely remove whatever off flavors are bothering you.
Are refrigerator water filters effective? As long as quality refrigerator water filters are maintained and replaced, they are effective at reducing contaminants in your tap water. What a filter is able to remove depends on the make and model, along with other factors such as the initial water quality.
Reverse Osmosis (RO) Purifiers
Such water filtration systems remove toxins like chlorine, iron, heavy metals, dissolved salts, and more to render the water safe and tasty (you get the drift).
If your water bottle develops a funky taste or odor, try the following procedure: Put a teaspoon of bleach and a teaspoon of baking soda in the bottle and fill it with water. Let the bottle sit overnight. Rinse out the bottle completely the next day (or run it through the dishwasher).
Refrigerator water filters should usually be replaced every six months for easy and reliable access to fresh drinking water for the entire family. Learn more about fridge water filters and how they work.
Plastic Taste Transfer:
The materials used in the construction of water dispensers, particularly plastic components, can sometimes impart a slight plastic taste to the water. This taste may be more pronounced when the fridge is new or if the water has been in contact with the dispenser for an extended period.
One of the most common causes of bad tasting water from your fridge is an old filter. Though they are designed to provide filtration to the water supply of your fridge freezer, they do not last forever. Fridge filters are designed to be replaced once every six months.
When bottled water grows stale, it's often because the bottle has begun to deteriorate, shedding microscopic chemicals into it. These compounds may make your water taste like medicine, chlorine, or ozone, says Bryan Quoc Le, food chemist and author of "150 Food Science Questions Answered."
Water that is refrigerated in a sealed container does taste better as it has been given time to settle. It is recommended to keep a jug of water at all times in the refrigerator. This also gives you the benefit of always having a cool drink of water.
Boiling tap water to improve its taste is a common and understandable practice; however, it isn't necessarily the most efficient way to go about improving the flavour of your water.
Flushing the filter also helps eliminate air bubbles in the water lines. Air bubbles trapped in the water line can impact water flow, cause water to sputter or dribble out of the dispenser, and affect ice cube quality. Choosing not to flush your filter can cause some issues or frustrations.
The short answer is that fridge water filters do work for some simple needs — mainly those related to chlorine, like unpleasant tastes and odors. However, the list of things a refrigerator filter can't do is far longer. For example, fridge systems won't reduce contaminants like arsenic, pharmaceuticals and fluoride.
Do You Have to Turn the Water Off to Change a Refrigerator Filter? You do not have to shut off the water supply from your refrigerator to change out an old water filter.
The most likely cause for tap water that tastes like plastic is the leaching of contaminants from plumbing made of PEX, PVC, or another plastic polymer material. Cheap and easy-to-install polymers have taken over the tap water plumbing market in recent years.
If the water being dispensed from your water cooler has a bad taste, smell, or color, either the filter must be replaced, or the system must be cleaned. Filter cartridges should be replaced at least once every six months or when the filter reaches its maximum capacity, whichever situation comes first.
I have one, and use a vinegar solution. I pour a few cups of vinegar in an empty water jug, add a gallon or so of tap water, then put the jug in the dispenser. Run all the solution through, then rinse the jug and run a couple gallons of fresh through. Repeat with the fresh until vinegar taste is gone.
Reverse osmosis (RO) systems
RO systems are the most complete form of filtration for removing harmful minerals, but they also remove beneficial minerals such as calcium or magnesium. RO systems equipped with a remineralization postfilter offer the most pleasing taste.
Infuse your water
Another way to improve the taste of your water is to infuse it with fruits, vegetables, and spices. These elements add more than flavor; they also add nutrients and appetizing colors. Start with a clean, glass pitcher, and try these homemade water infusions: Raspberries and lemon.
Cold water can numb your taste buds causing you to not notice the taste of chlorine and fluoride. While warm water can make you notice the taste of sodium and calcium more in your tea, coffee, and soup. The truth is, better-tasting water isn't about temperature. It's about the minerals found in the water.