water pooling in fridge

[Dreamless]

Every couple of weeks I'm mopping up around 500ml of water from the bottom of the fridge. Where is it coming from?? I've never known anything like it before. The door isn't being left open so i don't think it's that causing condensation, though it does seem to be dripping down as i find it on the lowers shelves as well. Its making everything in the fridge soggy.

Any ideas?

Will be really embarrassed (but relieved) if it's something really simple.

Just marking my place as I have meaning to start a similar thread! If I make the fridge colder it freezes everything, but if I have it at the right temperature I get a lot of water in the bottom of it too. V annoying

At the back of your fridge probably behind one of the shelves there should be a small hole which will be clogged up with slummy gunk. You need to clean it out with a pipe cleaner or maybe you can use a syringe like you get with the nurofen.

nappydays is right, it means that the hole on the back wall is blocked. In my fridge there are two channels which make a V shape so condensation can run off the back wall. Often a stray bit of food blocks the hole and so it pools on the floor instead.

You might have to take the shelves out to see properly but its usually easy to sort out.

Yep tiny drainage hole, usuall near the bottom of the back sall. Cocktail stick or similar works a treat!

Great thanks, I'll give that a go! :)

Makes sense, thanks. Will unclog manky hole in back of fridge asap!

I also have this problem, the water freezes and once a week or so I scrape it off and get a massive spear of ice. I've been in the hole at the back though, with cotton buds etc, and there is no blockage at all! Am at a loss here, so marking my place...

There's not a clump of something in the drainage channels running to the hole? Our work fridge drain was clear but there was a fermenting morsel in the channel causing it to backup and overflow.

Mine does this often and the cause is the pipe at the bottom being bunged up !

Where is the pipe at the bottom? Is it in a different place from the drainage channel and hole? I just find nothing there. I'd like to get some extra long cotton buds tho (mebbe will ask DP to nick some from the IT dept at work so I can dig deep and find some exciting gunge

Usually you will find a plastic gutter on the back wall inside the fridge, often removable for cleaning, leading to a hole or pipe which is the drain.

If the gutter is out of position, or was removed for cleaning and not put back, the melt water may not run into it. If it is not fitted to the hole or pipe, water may not drain away. You will have to look at your instruction book to see how it should be fitted.

Food detritus, especially concealed blood from meat pushed against the back wall, or spilled milk or cream that has turned to cheese, can block the hole or pipe. Often a pipe cleaner will dislodge it.

Having done the inside of the fridge, disconnect it from the power supply by pulling out the plug. Pull it out away from the wall, you will find a plastic dish postioned on top of the motor. This is where the drain water runs, and it is evaporated by the heat from the motor. It will be full of fluff, dust and mould. Clean it out. Do not allow water to drip onto any electrical part. You will see the pipe(s) leading from the fridge and freezer drains. Clean them out with a pipe cleaner or something. You can hoover the dust and cobwebs off the evaporator coils on the back while you have it out.

This is a good opportunity to give the machine a complete defrost, if you have time, especially if it is a frost-free freezer and does not seem cold enough (they have air ducts in the back which sometimes get choked with ice). With luck you will have cleared all blockages and will see clean water dripping out of the pipes into the dish.

Wow. PigletJohn, are you a fridge engineer? I have exactly this problem too so will try your solution tonight.

Oh. That's what that is.

Whenever this happens in my fridge, I use a cotton bud and poke it in and out of the little hole and that stops it for a month or so. Cotton bud always comes out all black and mouldy though - eeek.

don't ever let anything actually touch the back wall in the fridge
this is v bad, apparently, according to fridge engineer man

We used a airspraycan thingy to clear the drainage hole. It's liek a new fridge

I have this - solid ice at the bottom of my freezer that builds up week or so. But I can't see any draingage hole anywhere. It's a Siemens - there's a plastic back plate behind the drawers. Maybe I should try and unscrew this?

better

I am guessing you have a frost-free freezer.

Your problem will be different from the OP one.

Most likely the air ducts at the back, that the fan blows cold air down, have become choked with frost. This leads to them filling up with ice. If you put a thermometer in, you will probbably find it is not cold enough. If the problem is as I suspect, you need to take out all the food and eat it, or store it in another freezer; unplug it from the mains; leave the door open for at least 24 hours while you continue to mop up all the melt water from inside the cabinet and from the dish at the back, and continue letting it defrost until no more water drips out front or back (if you stop early, the ducts will not be fully cleared). You can't usually unscrew the grilles or ducts when they are blocked, because they will be firmly stuck in place with the ice.

If it blocks again in less than a year, it probably has either had the door left open; or the door seals need replacing; or the heating element that is supposed to prevent ice blockages is not working. The second two means it needs repair unless you are willing to manually defrost it.

p.s.

better

if you are really lucky, it might be that the drain tube is blocked with fungus where it goes into the dish at the back, so you could inspect and clear it first. But it is usually blocked ducts, that need to be manually defrosted.

I suspect you're right. I have defrosted it before, but possibly only enough to clear any small amount of ice on drawer runners, rather than behind the 'workings'. Ok, lots of eating to be done!

I think the seal may need re-doing as well as it's not very strong... cue spare parts website.

Another one with the same problem here. The drainhole inside the back of the fridge is fine, but is a built in fridge so can't easily check anything else. What I find most disturbing is that inside the back panel of the fridge sloshes when pushed...

From a man.. I've had this issue badly in a self defrosting integrated fridge freezer. Found the solution by accident when kitchen was in darkness one night. Rubber door seal not meeting, and inside light on constantly due to slightly illfitting door, leading to heat inside and reduced effectiveness, causing water buildup. Once adjusted, problem will reduce over 2-3 weeks before disappearing altogether.

I put a bic pen top in the drainage hole in my fridge , I find it keeps it open and clear after having problems with water pooling in the past

OH MY WORD
We have this problem. I just looked, I cleaned, and I kept cleaning. It was more satisfying than any spot video I have even seen. So much gunk came out.
This may be my new favourite job

Wish I could find a drain hole! I have a Siemens fridge freezer and the fridge bit keeps collecting water at the bottom and in the salad tray. I can't find any hole or drain at all - any suggestions for this fridge?!