Ever step into a mystery puddle on the floor near your fridge? Our writer unraveled the mystery of his leaking refrigerator -- and it turned out to be a no-brainer.
For the past week, my wife and I have been waking up to a puddle in front of our refrigerator. No, we don't have pets. Clearly (and thankfully -- I think), our refrigerator was leaking
The last time I needed an appliance repaired, I called my regular repairman and he said he thought he'd be able to squeeze me in at the end of the day before heading off for race night at the local yacht club. After about 15 minutes of work replaced the belt on a clothing dryer, he coolly asked for $135. Then and there, I said to myself never again.
So I took to the internet to diagnose my appliance ailment. After reading a bit about the problem at various sites, I found it was probably one of two things:
a leak around the ice cube maker, or
a frozen drain in the auto defrost system (or some other sort of clog) that causes condensation to flow to the bottom of the fridge, under the vegetable bins. Once there's enough water it flows out onto the floor.
Having been frustrated with my last repair-person experience -- and not being in the mood to shell out more than the refrigerator is probably worth just to fix it -- I decided to attempt the repair myself.
First I tried turning off the valve that supplies water to the ice cube maker. It was easy to trace the tubing from the fridge to the valve. No dice. The puddle was back the next day.
Next I tried lowering the temperature setting of the fridge in hopes of thawing the clog. Still no luck; just another puddle.
Finally, I decided to empty the fridge and take a closer look at the problem. I got a cooler, emptied the contents of the fridge and freezer frozen foods into it, surrounded the food with some ice to keep it fresh, and unplugged the refrigerator. I took the cardboard access panel off the lower back of the unit and was able to see the pan where the condensation is supposed to go before it evaporates. It was bone dry.
The first step is to locate the drain tube at the back of the refrigerator. Photo: Joe Provey
So was the bottom of the drain tube. I pulled the drain tube from its fitting, cleaned one end and tried blowing through it. Couldn't do it; it was clogged. (see photos).
Joe Provey
Next, I took the drain tube outside, attached my hose to one end and turned on the water.
Joe Provey
A few seconds later a black glob shot out the other end, followed by a stream of clear water. It was
that easy to dislodge the clog.
Now reassembled and restocked, the fridge is back to quietly doing its job. It feels good to know I was able to diagnose and perform the repair myself, while saving money.
But I'm especially happy not to have to listen to my country club repairman tell me about his new boat.
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Reader comments (Page 5 of 5)
Here's the simple way to go. Look at your appliance. See if you can locate the problem. See if you can fix it. Try to fix it. Then, if you realize that you can't fix it, call a repairman. And the idea that all repairmen are thieves is foolish. Some are, some aren't. They don't repair things for a hobby, they do it for a living. There's pretty much a standard charge for their services. If you're paying for anything, it seems too much. If you're being paid for something you have done, it's not nearly enough. Go figure.
ReplyMost home/auto malfunctions can be avoided entirely or fixed correctly with a few dollars, some individual effort, and a brain. Problem is, so few have brains these days.
ReplyI am stunned by all the contentious comments about this article. STUNNED.
ReplyI would like to comment on the fact that my refrigerator's ice making system has broken down, frozen up, leaked, ruined food, didn't make ice, and it was one thing after the other, starting from six months after purchase and lasting until four years and hundreds of dollars in "repair bills" and "parts" later, we finally shut the ice maker down and purchased our ICE in the four years since then. We finally had to give up on the refrigerator completely last week, and I am HAPPY to see it go. If we could have purchased a new one sooner, we would have. Why do the manufacturers sell such JUNK? Why do the repairmen not TELL YOU up front that you will keep having problems "forever" and just save you all the expense of trying to have an ice maker. It was a Whirlpool, side by side, by the way. My husband and I take good care of all appliances, so I am not a "sloth" who doesn't clean the refrigerator. We kept the temp controls at the recommended setting, etc. and everything else by the "book", as well.
ReplyI'm in the appliance repair business. The frig that this person fixed himself was likely a GE or Hotpoint. Many refrigerators are not that easily fixed. Many times you have to take the entire freezer apart to clear a clog, especially a top mount freezer. Unless you are mechanically inclined and have a good idea of what you are doing, I strongly suggest you don't try to fix these problems.
ReplyI have gone to too many customers homes and found they have caused more trouble and most don't know what they are doing. A word to the wise: If you don't know: Don't fix............................
Well that frig is an easy one, but what if the drain line is on the inside and you cant pull it out so easily, I know because i do appliance repair and come across alot of freezer tops, that have tghe darin line inside the cabinet, so NOW what would you do, throw it away or pay to have it cleaned.....
ReplyI called a repair person for essentially the same job. He took a look at it, and said it needed a new part. That part cost $87.00. Two days later he brought the part, installed it and then took a canister of air and attached it to the discharge line in the freezer and blew out the line. With labor the job was over $100 and that was back in 1980. I only paid $117.00 for the refrigerator. I was smart enough to know I had been had and that the only problem was a clogged line which he blew out with the air canister. Next time I had that problem I bought an air canister and blew the line out myself. Problem solved. ]
ReplyI also carefully watched how a heater repair person replaced an electronic switch on my heater and the next time I had that problem, did it myself. They hate having you watch them over their shoulder, but I wouldn't miss the chance to learn how easy some of these repais are.
Then I had a problem with my washing machine. It wasn't spinning. The repair person took out something or other and put it back. Amazingly the washing machine worked. But a week later, the same thing happened. I decided to look for myself. I tilted the washer and looked underneath and saw a belt. I pulled a bit on the belt and it was kinda loose so I thightened it. It has not failed to work since.
I once described a problem with that washing machine (prior to this) and the receptionist at the other end of the line told me to come in and she would sell me a $10 item to replace. She said it was easy to replace and sure enough it was. We women have to stick together.
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$135 is nothing since they have to come to your house (15 -60 drive). No how to fix it. Everyone want to make a lot of cash but doesn't want to pay anyone else. Grease monkeys at the garage get $80-$100 per hour and you take the car to them. They have familie to feed.
ReplyThat been said, I always try to fix things myslef and most times I do as it's usually something simple.
I am a small woman; living in a townhouse apt. and I have the same problem - the water is leaking from my fridge. I am calling the maintenance crew to fix it. Even if I didn't get free repairs I could not fix this myself! I am not physically capable of pulling the fridge out from the wall and I don't have access to an outside hose hook up. I can do a lot of fix it yourself repairs but this is not one of them.
ReplyThis is a "Do It Yourself Site" what do you expect to read about here? This is for people who want to do it themselves. Why are so many repairmen even reading this site.
ReplyGood you were able to fix it yourself, My family bought most of our appliances from sears and we have a home waranty policy that covesr just about everything in our house even if not from sears, from waterheater,boiler ans all tv's and appliances. cost us about $1500. So far out fridge has been fixed 5 times, tv replaced 3 times, vacum cleaner fixed 3 or 4 times and 2 water heaters. All at no cost to us. More than covers the cost of the policy. If you can always try to get a warranty from major retailer or even an extended one. Saves big money inl ong run
ReplyIve been in the HVAC for 30 years and almost ready to retire.I just love these do it your selfers. Most of the time we get to repair what john Q public has screwed up and then fix the original problem. It usually cost s a lot more than it would have to begin with.
ReplyEverybody should be in business at least one time. Let me see. You have business license,college trained, it wasnt free. trucks, rolling parts store. repairs on trucks,gas and oil. depreciation on equiptment workman comp.,liability insurance, office manager, medical insurance, imployee wages, benefits.power bill, water bill. mortgage at bank for office, continued education, mandatory to keep your license.You guessed it, not free. you're dealing with the government here. as an independent dealer , Im not garanteed nothing, like a coushie pay check each and every week. Still like to make a killing like us? Go for it. Everything that glitters is gold.
Why th heck do people keep buying hot water heaters? I the water is already hot, why heat it?
ReplyI found this helpful too. Yes, I was born with a vagina, but I'm not a trophy wife. My husband's father wasn't mechanically inclined and couldn't help his sons with these problems. My husband has a terrible time with repair situations. Usually after a surge of blue language laced tirades, we end up calling the repairman. My frigerator did the same thing after Hurricane Ivan. Yes, it was filthy, everything had sat for a week without electricity and when we were allowed to come home I had the disgusting job of cleaning it out. I didn't realize about the drain holes. I felt very foolish when the repair man simply unclogged the hole. And I did have to pay $165 for the service. I don't regrudge him the money, but it would have been nice to know how to make this simple fix then. Thanks for the helpful info. I'm sorry you offended the mechically inclined. We appreciate you and probably keep you in business.
ReplyI commend the guy for taking the initiative to fix it himself. My husband tends to be one of those "call the repairman" or "throw it out and get a new one" types. We really don't have money for either. I am a stay at home mom of 3 simply because paying for someone else to watch my kids isn't worth it financially with what my salary would be. Sooooo, as usual, I have to take repairs into my own hands. We are having the same issue with our fridge and I thought maybe it was the magnetic strip that needed replacing. This article was helpful in pointing out something else I would have never thought of.
ReplyLike someone else said, $135 is a weeks worth of groceries. May as well be MY groceries and not some repair bill. And that is not meant with disrespect to repairmen. They have to feed their families just like us.
THE BEST WAY TO REMOVE CLOGS AND ICE BUILD UP IN YOUR FRIDGE. IS WITH A VERY SHARP POINTED KNIFE OR LARGE FORK, OR IF YOU HAPEN TO HAVE AN OLD FASHON ICE PICK THAT IS EVEN BETTER. DONT WORRY ABOUT THE HISSING SOUND IT WILL STOP IN A LITTLE WHILE.. WORKS EVER TIME WALA NO MORE ICE BUILD UP OR CLOG DRAIN. DAM I AM GOOD
ReplyGood evening Trey. Not that I feel the need to justify myself to you in any form or fashion its just that its late and I can't fall asleep. So with all due respect please allow me to expand. As far as my reading level is concerned I'll check the spelling on my chemistry degree to make sure it was presented to the right person. Perhaps one of the many engineering or mechanical design and installation manuals that I have had to consume over the past twenty five years (while working in the HVAC and Refrigeration industry) has deteriorated my ability to extrapolate from the written word the intended meaning. In fact so much so (as you so graciously surmised) that I may now be reading and communicating at the level of a third grade student. Moving on to my weight and apperance. First off I don't even drink beer but I will admit to being a few pounds overwieght. Most of it is carried in my legs , arms and upper body due to the fact that the aforementioned twenty five years were spent climbing up and down forty foot ladders with a fifty pound bag of tools over my shoulder. All in an effort to keep over opinionated know it alls such as yourself comfortable. A plumbers crack? Listen up my friend I'm 58 yrs. old, still play music in a jazz band and look damn good doing it. I guess the music is just another language that I have forgotten how to read. One thing that I will never forget how to read however is ignorance in people. Yuo have yourself a nice day now.
ReplyI married an incredible man! My Washer is 23 years old and my dryer is 8 ( a used dryer replaced my 23 year old dryer 2 years ago) my refrigerator and dishwasher are 21 years old. Our youngest car is a 1998. He keeps everything is great working order. 3 weeks ago I took one of our kids to Best Buy and while she looked at music -- I wandered the appliance aisle and lovingly touched the side by side red front loaders and the stainless steel refrigerators. . . Not in this lifetime! LOL But they sure are pretty!!
ReplyI use for good old fashined pipe cleaners for that job and a glass of hand hot water - far less complicated and Ive always got some hand in my craft box. You can buy them at any stationery store in the craft section!
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