refrigerator incontinence

Our refrigerator (freezer-on-top, GE "No Frost", c 1980) has suddenly started producing large amounts of water along the underside of the freezer door - possibly only at the 'open' corner. Both the freezer and refrigerator are still working. I find no icing on the freezer walls/floor, and the floor does not seem wet.

From other reading, I'm guessing that this is due to a stoppage in the freezer drain. Would that be a good guess?

And, before I go to the trouble of looking for that, is there anything else that might cause this condition?

Thanks, George

Reply to
George
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Is it possible that there's not a drain in the freezer? This model has the coils under the freezer floor, and then (apparently) circulates freezer air to the refrigerator section with a fan.

I don't see anything in the freezer that looks like a drain line. Nor any sign of water accumulation.

G
Reply to
George

Many refrigerators have electric heaters on the surface where the door seal makes contact with the main cabinet to prevent condensation from forming. The part separating the freezer from the cold section has continuous heat, and the heater around the rest of the freezer section is controlled by the "economy switch." My guess is that the heater is no longer working.

Reply to
Bob

George:

The drain usually won't be visible to you. It will most likely hidden behind the plastic liner of the freezer. The most likely place for the frost to form is on the freezer's cold coil. A fan will normally blow the freezer air past this coil for circulation about the freezer. You need to remove the plastic cowling covering the fan and coil. To make it a "frost free", somehow or someway the frost on the coils is warmed up, melted, and drained down onto a shallow pan under the refrigerator (where the water is evaporated into the kitchen air.) This melting occurs now and then but not every day.

A small tube for the water from above will drain down onto the shallow pan. This is the tube that gets plugged up.

Reply to
Phil Again

You'll have to pull all the food, ice maker, shelves, etc, out of the freezer. Take the back off, and also carefully pull the bottom of the freezer out. The drain should be way in the back, in the center. It may be full of a layer of ice, that needs to be melted first. Drain is typically about

1/4 inch diameter.
Reply to
Stormin Mormon

Do exactly what Stormin says. I found ours with a piece of plastic meat wrapper and some popcorn kernels (wife used to keep popcorn in the freezer) blocking the drain. While you have it opened up, you can check the defrost element to make sure it works and that the fan motor works.

Reply to
DanG

Turkey baster full of hot water, and blast out the drain. Then look under the fridge, and make sure the water ended up in the catch basin next to the condensor. And clean the catch basin, they are typically filthy.

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

Well, there are wires going into the wall at the perimeter of the door opening. (This, in addition to the wires for the door switch.) And, there is a heater element between the coils. So, if I'm understanding you right, that would match what you're saying.

When you say "the heater is no longer working", is that the one between the coils, or the one around the door? Since the coils are not iced up, and the door is leaking, I'd guess the one around the door?

G
Reply to
George

Actually, I had already removed the freezer floor. But, I went back and did it again. I still don't see a drain opening. There is no ice build-up. And, I don't see any evidence of a drain line coming to the bottom of the lower portion, where the drain to the evaporator tray is. Sometimes, I just miss things. But, is it possible that some refrigerators don't have a freezer drain? This is a 1980-ish model.

G
Reply to
George

The drain line goes out the back of the refrigerator, usually center and at the elevation of the floor of the freezer. Algae, ice, or some other combination can block the drain. As Stormin said, it can be cleared by a shot of hot bleach water shot up the drain line.

Reply to
DanG

What you're describing (cold coils in the floor of the freezer) could only be a frost free model. If it's frost free, it's got a drain. Wish I could give you more details. The drain is always in the center, in the back. At least the ones I've fixed.

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

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