Water can leak from these areas:
The bottom front of the refrigerator or freezer door
The back of the refrigerator
The inside ceiling of the refrigerator
The inside back wall of the refrigerator
Underneath the front of the refrigerator
The bottom front of the refrigerator or freezer door
Self-defrosting refrigerators usually dispose of the water generated during the defrost cycle via a tube or channel that directs the water to a pan at the bottom of the refrigerator. From the pan, the water normally evaporates. (See a more detailed explanation of this in the How Things Work section of our website).
If the tube or channel is clogged or obstructed, the water backs up and leaks into the inside of the refrigerator compartment. Then the water builds up at the bottom, inside of the refrigerator. When the water has built up for a time it may spill out of the front of the door opening. To fix this problem, clear the drain tube or channel and allow the defrost water to flow down to the drain pan.
In some refrigerators, the defrost water is intentionally directed down the back wall of the refrigerator, where it then flows to the bottom of the refrigerator compartment and out to a small drain--usually located beneath one of the drawers at the bottom of the refrigerator. If the drain becomes clogged or blocked, the water may back up. To fix this problem, clear the obstruction.
Another cause may be the following. The refrigerator may have doorframe heaters to evaporate any condensation on the cabinet frame. If your refrigerator is equipped with a switch inside that says “energy saver” or something similar, while running in that mode the door heaters are disabled. Turn the switch to the opposite setting and wait 24 hours. If the condensation disappears the problem is solved.
The back of the refrigerator
Water coming from the back of the refrigerator usually comes from either the ice maker water valve or line (if there is an ice maker), or from the defrost drain pan.
Here's what to do:
The inside ceiling of the refrigerator
Water accumulating on the ceiling of the refrigerator is usually caused by a clogged drain in the freezer section beneath the evaporator. The clogged drain will cause water from the self defrost cycle to leak into the divider between the freezer and refrigerator. This water may then freeze and cause condensation build-up on the refrigerator ceiling. The solution to this problem begins with unclogging the drain. It may also be necessary to remove the entire freezer/refrigerator divider to thoroughly dry the insulation in the divider. Occasionally the insulation needs to be replaced to prevent a recurrence of the problem. This can be a big job – you may want to hire a qualified appliance repair technician.
The inside back wall of the refrigerator
In some refrigerators, the water from the defrost cycle is intentionally directed down the back wall of the refrigerator, where it then flows to the bottom of the refrigerator compartment and out to a small drain - usually located beneath one of the drawers at the bottom of the refrigerator. If the drain becomes clogged or blocked, the water may back up. To fix this problem, clear the obstruction.
Underneath the front of the refrigerator
If the refrigerator is equipped with a water dispenser on the freezer door, check if the water line to the dispenser is leaking. Also, check the drip pan to be sure it isn’t out of place, broken or cracked.
3,669 views
Usually answered in minutes!
×