Diagnosing Water Issues Inside Of Your Refrigerator

If you are talking about useful modern appliances, the refrigerator will definitely be one that comes up. These appliances have came a long way from the ice boxes of the past, many having features like self-defrosting and ice elimination. Even though these features can be useful, they can lead to a pretty big issue with water drainage when something does go wrong. Here are two of the most common issues with finding water leaking inside of your fridge and what you need to know about the causes and solutions. 

Problem: Water is pooling at the bottom of the refrigerator, but you are unsure of where it is coming from. 

Cause and Solution: If you are continually finding water in the bottom of the fridge, or even catch it running from the front onto the floor, you may be a little puzzled as to where the moisture is coming from. If the refrigerator you have is self-defrosting, the water you find may be coming from excess condensation that is building up on the walls of the refrigerator, even when the door is closed. In most cases, this is a sign that the cooling unit fan is not working properly, as the condensation should be almost eliminated by the time cold air reaches the fridge from the freezer. 

Problem: You see water dripping from the top of the refrigerator, seemingly from the light panel. 

Cause and Solution: There is a small cavity in this usually plastic housing that collects dripped water from the freezer when it kicks into defrost mode throughout the day. This cavity opens up to a drain line hole that is located in the back of the refrigerator just under the panel. If this drainage hole becomes clogged, or frozen over, the water will not drain and will be left to drip from the panel itself. This will often lead to pooling on the top shelf of the fridge, but is an easy fix. Simply remove the light panel and use a skinny screwdriver to unclog the drainage line or allow it to melt if it is frozen. 

One thing is for certain, unwanted water in your fridge can be a major issue. You may be left with ruined foods, mold and mildew buildup, and even water that leaks out onto the floor. If you have water issues inside of your fridge, contact an appliance repair professional (such as Appliance Technology) for information about what you need to do or to schedule a repair visit with a technician.