Leaky Fridge: I have a leaky refrigerator. Every few days, there is a puddle of water on the floor. It clear (not yellow), so I know it's not the dog. :sm02: Ice accumulates inside the...

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

I have a leaky refrigerator. Every few days, there is a puddle of water on the floor. It clear (not yellow), so I know it's not the dog.

Ice accumulates inside the bottom of the fridge. I suspect when it does its auto-defrost thing, the water drain is plugged up, so it settles onto the inside bottom. Eventually, it gets too deep, and it flows out. I moved it away from the wall, but there's nothing obvious to see back there, and there's nothing in the manual about it. It doesn't have an ice maker of a cold water feature, so it must be the automatic defrosting causing the leak. The next step will be removing panels from the rear of the fridge.

Got it! This video shows how to solve the problem. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_T2KkteawU

williejoha

I suspect you have a bottom freezer. If so, two possibilities that could cause it. Either the drainage system behind the freezer compartment back wall is all iced up. Solution is : remove everything out of the fridge and freezer ( that’s all one system ) and let it defrost for a few days. The other cause could be that the duckbill valve underneath the freezer is bad. For around $30-$35 you can purchase the replacement system for the valve. The internet has all that stuff on various sites. Replacement is rather easy. Good luck.
WJH

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

Older automatic defrost refrigerators will occasionally heat up the cooling coils to melt the ice. The melt will go down a tube to a pan that is located above the compressor heat exchanger, so that heats the pan and the water evaporates. If you get too much water coming down all at once it will overflow. If the pan fills up with crud it won't hold as much water and it will overflow. The heat exchanger and evaporation pan are two things that you should clean annually on your refrigerator.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

williejoha wrote:

I suspect you have a bottom freezer. If so, two po... (show quote)

Yes, that's what the video shows. I expect to get to it today.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

DirtFarmer wrote:

Older automatic defrost refrigerators will occasionally heat up the cooling coils to melt the ice. The melt will go down a tube to a pan that is located above the compressor heat exchanger, so that heats the pan and the water evaporates. If you get too much water coming down all at once it will overflow. If the pan fills up with crud it won't hold as much water and it will overflow. The heat exchanger and evaporation pan are two things that you should clean annually on your refrigerator.

The video seems to show a Whirlpool, just like mine, and it uses a fan to evaporate the water in the pan.

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

jerryc41 wrote:

The video seems to show a Whirlpool, just like mine, and it uses a fan to evaporate the water in the pan.

The fan is probably part of the heat exchanger from the compressor.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

DirtFarmer wrote:

The fan is probably part of the heat exchanger from the compressor.

Yes, it is - dual-purpose fan.

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

jerryc41 wrote:

Yes, it is - dual-purpose fan.

I guess we can call the heat exchanger dual-purpose also since it heats the water to aid evaporation.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

DirtFarmer wrote:

I guess we can call the heat exchanger dual-purpose also since it heats the water to aid evaporation.

Flabbio

jerryc41 wrote:

I have a leaky refrigerator. Every few days, ther... (show quote)

Jerry: Find the the tube that directs the water to the pan and either blow into it (yuck), or give it a shot of compressed air. Chances are that the tube is plugged. You will need to wipe up the small mess this creates. It will be at the back and top of the fridge.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Flabbio wrote:

Jerry: Find the the tube that directs the water to the pan and either blow into it (yuck), or give it a shot of compressed air. Chances are that the tube is plugged. You will need to wipe up the small mess this creates. It will be at the back and top of the fridge.

Yes, that seems to be the problem. There is probably another potential clog spot behind the fridge. I don't feel like dealing with it today. "Tomorrow" is one of my favorite words.

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

The tube is rarely positioned where you can get your mouth onto it to blow into it (fortunately or maybe good design). You can get a few feet of tubing from the hardware store and stick it into the inlet to the tube if you can find it. That also allows you to reach into tight spots to get at the tube. A new tube from the hardware store should not be too yucky to blow into. No need to buy a can of air or drag your compressor into the kitchen.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

DirtFarmer wrote:

The tube is rarely positioned where you can get your mouth onto it to blow into it (fortunately or maybe good design). You can get a few feet of tubing from the hardware store and stick it into the inlet to the tube if you can find it. That also allows you to reach into tight spots to get at the tube. A new tube from the hardware store should not be too yucky to blow into. No need to buy a can of air or drag your compressor into the kitchen.

When I decide to drag myself away from the computer and the TV, I'll find out what's in there.