I
was defrosting my refrigerator following a frost buildup in the freezer
when I noticed water leaking from the refrigerator drain pan. At first I
thought the refrigerator was broken and I panicked a little bit only to
realize that it was very easy to fix the problem. Here is what worked
for me and it might work for you too.
was defrosting my refrigerator following a frost buildup in the freezer
when I noticed water leaking from the refrigerator drain pan. At first I
thought the refrigerator was broken and I panicked a little bit only to
realize that it was very easy to fix the problem. Here is what worked
for me and it might work for you too.
Common Causes
There are at least three reasons as to why water could be leaking from the refrigerator:
1. The drain pan might be full and overflowing or it might be cracked
2. The Ice Maker water valve could be broken
3. A fridge could be sitting on a tilted surface. This may tilt the drain pan making water pour out from it
Drain Pan Issues
The
drain pan is used for collecting water that drains from the fridge.
Most times it is able to do its job well. The water that drains into the
pan eventually evaporates. But we all have a bad day. If there is a
power blackout or you are defrosting for instance, water can drain into
the drain pan faster than it can evaporate. This leads to an overflow
and you will see water leaking from refrigerator. Not to worry though.
The solution is as simple as emptying the pan. Depending on the make of
the fridge, you just need to reach under the fridge and pull the pan
out. In some fridges it can be found in the front while in others like
mine is at the back.
Locate it, pull it out and drain the water
into the kitchen sink. Clean the drain pan while at it. More often than
not, it will be dirty.
If the drain pan was the only problem, congratulations, you just fixed your leaking fridge.
A Broken Valve
A
broken or loose valve could also cause the problem. To fix it, locate
where it is and follow the manual directions to tighten the fittings.
This will normally work. If it is broken, you can order a new one
ensuring that you get the right make for your fridge. A technician will
offer the support you need at a fee.