3 Ways to Fix Refrigerator Leaking Water
When it comes to home appliances, fridges are probably the
most important one when it comes to families. Despite what people think, buying
a new refrigerator can also be quite expensive. Many things can lead to a
fridge breaking down including the lack of the regular cleanings, improper use,
working too hard where the outside conditions the fridge must operate in and
common minor functioning failure. When these problems arise, they lead to
significant breakdowns and, consequently, repairing or replacing costs that are
more expensive then we can afford.
Many things may flood your kitchen, but not limited to a
broken dishwasher or clogged kitchen sink prevent refrigerator water leaks by cleaning your appliances
regularly and defrosting even the frost free or frost control fridges to avoid
faulty water lines and sudden leaks.
But, if anything like this happens, you need to take
immediate actions by calling a reputable Austin appliance repair service to
determine the culprit of the leak and figure out the way to stop it. To do
that, you need to learn what may make your refrigerator leak, which parts of
the appliance you need to examine to figure out where the water comes from, and
how to fix the issue.
So, here’re top 3 reasons why your refrigerator may leak,
and which steps have to be taken to bring your fridge back to order in each of
those cases.
1. The defrost drain is blocked
What happens
When you notice a leak in your fridge, the defrost drain is
the first place you need to check. When tiny food crumbs and other small
particles accumulate in that drain, they may clog its hose, cause the buildup
of the ice that prevents the water condensate and other excessive moisture from
draining and your refrigerator from being able to control the frost or defrost
on its own depending on the model of your appliance.
Eventually, it will leak. The more time you take to fix the
issue, the more water your fridge will leak and the more probable the major
breakdown will get.
How to fix
The solution is quite obvious and doesn’t require any
advanced skills or knowledge to apply. You just need to unplug your
refrigerator, find the defrost drain’s opening at the back wall of the fridge
(not the freezer), use a small kitchen funnel or a kettle to run hot water
through the drain and relieve it from the ice blockage.
After that, you’ll have to clean out the debris that was the
main cause of the problem. Thus, grab a thin drain cleaning snake to get rid of
the clog. If you don’t have one, you may easily use a long wire or a
straightened metal hanger instead. Clean both from the inside and the back of
the fridge.
But, if you don’t have the pipe snake or if you just can’t
locate the blockage, don’t leave the drain issue not handled and ask a plumber
or an appliance repair pro to finish the task. Otherwise, you’ll have to deal
with frequent leaks and fridge malfunctions.
2. Misaligned water filter
What happens
When the water filter wasn’t installed properly and it’s
misaligned in its housing, it might leak water. In addition to that, the water
might leak from the water filter compartment of the fridge if the filter’s
housing is broken or cracked. Broken filters cause leaks as well.
How to fix
Unplug the fridge, undo the filter and reinstall it, making
sure that the filter and its housing are properly aligned. On the other hand,
if that doesn’t work get your fridge inspected by a professional appliance
repair service and its filter/filter’s housing replaced.
3. Water leaking from under the fridge - frozen or broken water supply line
What happens
This often happens to the models with the built-in cold
water and ice makers. The reason for this problem is quite similar to the
previous one - the debris clog or the ice buildup that interrupts the water
line’s normal flow makes the water leak which may influence the ice and cold-water
production of the refrigerator itself.
How to fix
The first thing to do is to unplug the appliance, find the
shut-off valve that is related to the refrigerator’s water line (it may be
located behind the fridge, under the kitchen sink or in the basement right
underneath the fridge).
Then, you’ll have to inspect plastic pipes to determine if
there’re any frozen water clogs in them. If you notice any, you’ll just need to
leave your refrigerator to defrost for a few hours and test the fridge. If the
ice clog was the ultimate culprit of the leak, the fridge should be alright
after it’s all melted and gone. Finally, check the drain pan for any damages
just in case.
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