I have a whirlpool refrigerator that gets water leaking down below to the crisper drawers, I’m wondering what this is due to and how could I fix it from happening? I’ll put a photo to the model number of the refrigerator I have.
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Spending the minute to type the model number into your question would be helpful instead of making everyone else squint at it to go do some research...– FreeManFeb 23 at 18:42
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I greatly apologize about this . I will definitely know better next time.– Brock NeillFeb 24 at 1:07
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2 Answers
In general, when there's water leaking in or around a refrigerator+freezer combination unit, it is from one of two sources:
- the ice maker/water dispenser
- automatic defrost
Based on my hasty search of your model number, it appears you have a unit with no ice maker or water dispenser, and a freezer compartment on top. I think a plugged drain for the automatic defrost is the most likely cause of the water you're seeing.
The evaporator (cooling) coil in this type of unit is usually hidden behind a panel at the rear of the freezer compartment. Unload the freezer and look for fasteners; figure out how to remove that panel. Behind the panel you should find a scene that looks something like the still image below (captured from YouTube).
From time to time a heater element in that area is switched on to melt the ice that accumulates on the evaporator. The resulting water is supposed to drip down onto that shiny metal foil pan and exit the freezer compartment through a drainage tube at the bottom. From there it travels outside the cold compartments to a pan in the bottom of the unit near the compressor and/or condenser coil. Heat and air movement from these components evaporates the water into the room air.
It's likely that the drainage tube in yours has become blocked. Some have a "duckbill" check valve that looks like the photo below (source). This is a likely place for debris to accumulate; when it does, eventually the water backs up and freezes and leaves the drain fully blocked. Defrost water follows gravity and finds another way out -- into the refrigerator compartment below!
So.. your task is to disassemble, melt out the ice, find the drainage tube, check for and clear obstructions. Doing it for first time I'd plan on it taking 2-4 hours to get all sorted out.
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To add, depending on the diameter of your drain tube, various items to clear it can range from a trombone cleaning brush, to weed-whacker line, to coax cable.– HuesmannFeb 24 at 13:33
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@Huesmann I unplugged the refrigerator for a couple of days then cleaned up the water, there hasn’t been water since , so you think this solved the issue ? Feb 27 at 19:39
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@BrockNeill I'd expect the trouble to recur, between a couple weeks and a couple months from now. How soon depends mostly on the indoor humidity where you are and how frequently you open the freezer door. Feb 27 at 20:11
If you can get at the drain use a turkey baster with hot water and flush it out. Be sure you have something to catch it as it will come out at the bottom of the appliance.
