The refrigerator in your home is the largest and most useful appliance. It holds the key to satisfying your cravings, keeping leftovers fresh, and storing your food. However, fridges are also one of the most complex appliances in your home and can frustrate you if they start creating problems.
One of the ugliest sights and irritating problems is water inside your refrigerator. Many people report that their refrigerator leaks water inside, making a mess on the kitchen floor. The refrigerator leaking water inside is not only harmful to your appliance; it can also destroy the kitchen flooring. Moreover, a leaking fridge requires regular cleaning and mess management. Hence, you must get the problem fixed as soon as possible.
In this article, we will discuss how you can fix the fridge leaking water inside problem. We will highlight the probable causes of the problem and mention how to fix it.
Fridge Leaking Water inside – Causes and Solutions
Cause #1: Blocked Water Inlet
All refrigerators with a water dispenser/ice maker come with a water inlet pipe. The refrigerator receives water from this point and uses it to make ice and provide you with drinking water. If this inlet point gets blocked, the water may leak inside your refrigerator, particularly underneath your machine.
Solution: Check the Water Inlet Valve
To fix this problem:
- Unplug the machine and turn off the water running to your machine.
- Remove the water inlet pipe.
- Don’t forget to place a tray underneath the inlet pipe and valve as the water may drip from it.
- Check the inlet valve and ensure that it is not blocked. You can use a steel hanger wire to remove any stuck particles. This usually happens when you don’t have a filter installed in your home and sediment gathers at the inlet valve.
Cause #2: Condensation Drain Hole
Another common reason your refrigerator has a puddle inside is the blocked condensation drain hole. This drain hole works by allowing the water to collect near it. It is then transported to the evaporation pan at the back of the fridge.
This hole gets blocked by mold, food particles, and debris. The problem further aggravates if you don’t clean your refrigerator regularly. The water then can’t escape from the hole and travels down the bottom of your refrigerator. It might come out of the fridge as well.
Solution: Unblock the Condensation Drain Hole
There is an easy solution to clean the drain hole if you act timely. All you need is an earbud to clean the tip of the drain hole. Shove it down the pipe a little, which will do the trick. Be ready to witness a dirty earbud as it comes out.
If this doesn’t work and you still notice water at the bottom of your refrigerator, you will need something a little bit longer. A plastic curtain wire will do the needful.
Precautionary Tip: You must not use a steel pipe or steel wire hanger as it can damage the duct inside the drain hole. Moreover, you must turn off the machine before attempting to do this.
Cause #3: Fridge not cooling properly
Sometimes, your refrigerator has water inside because it is not cooling properly. The unit cools for some time and then stops cooling. It may happen due to cooling sensors or components not working properly. A faulty component in the cooling mechanism may trick the compressor to stop cooling, and as a result, the ice in the ice maker will start melting, resulting in a pool of water in the freezer section.
Solution: Professional Inspection
You need to get your machine inspected if you notice this regularly and have checked other things in your refrigerator that may lead to a leaking water problem. If this is the case, it is best to contact refrigerator repair professionals.
Cause #4: Blocked Water Filter
Many refrigerators have a water filter inside them that needs replacement every 6 months or 500 gallons of water. If the filter completes its life or isn’t installed properly, it can start leaking water. The sign will be water droplets or a water streak around the filter area.
Solution: Check the Water Filter
Inspect the water filter and ensure that it doesn’t need a replacement. Replace it if it is near to expiry. Most refrigerators have a filter replacement light that blinks when the filter is about to expire.
Moreover, if you have installed the filter recently, check that it is properly installed according to the directions given in the user manual.
Cause #5: Malfunctioning Ice Maker/ Water Dispenser
The water inlet’s water arrives at the water dispenser and ice maker in your refrigerator. If these two or one of them are not working optimally, you may notice water inside the refrigerator. The culprit is the ice maker most of the time, as it uses water to make ice.
Solution: Check Ice Maker and Water Dispenser
Turn off your refrigerator and inspect the water dispenser. Try to spot the leakage point. Sometimes the spigot leaks from the inside, which causes water inside the refrigerator. Remove the dispenser, clean it and unclog any blocked pipes. If you think that you can’t handle this task, call a professional to check this for you.
The next thing is to remove the ice maker. Make sure that your fridge is powered off before you start checking the ice maker for leaks. Perform the following steps to remove the ice maker.
- Defrost your mini fridge, if you notice ice around the ice maker. You can defrost the machine digitally or by powering it off.
- Remove the ice bucket from the ice maker.
- Remove the wire housing cover and the wire harness beyond it.
- Take out the ice tray duct and pry the coil down just enough to let the ice maker out freely. This is the critical step; be careful while pulling the coil down.
- Press the depress button on the top of the ice maker to release it.
- Inspect the ice maker and assess why it is leaking. Replace the ice maker if needed.
Read more on how to remove the ice maker from your refrigerator.
How to Remove Ice Maker and Glass Shelf from Samsung Refrigerator
Cause #6: An Uneven Refrigerator
An uneven refrigerator is not directly linked with the refrigerator leaking water inside, but it can cause other components like the ice maker and water dispenser to leak water. An imbalanced refrigerator can happen due to a faulty installation, or your machine can get imbalanced over time.
Solution: Balance your Refrigerator
All you have to do is check your machine’s balance using a balance strip. Once you figure out the problem, use the leveling legs on your machine to balance it out.
Cause #7: Frozen Freezer Exhaust Port
If you notice water in the freezer compartment of your French door refrigerator, it can be due to a frozen exhaust port. You can inspect this by removing the freezer buckets/drawers. The exhaust port is located in the wall on the inside of the freezer. If it is blocked, you will see water drops or ice around it.
Solution: Melt the Ice on the Exhaust Port
- Turn off the machine and remove the buckets/baskets in your freezer.
- Remove the port cover. Refer to the instructions in the user manual if you don’t know how to do it.
- Once the back panel is removed, you will see coils. These coils will have water droplets or ice that melts and floods your machine at the bottom because the drain port is blocked or iced up. Please note that the ice on the coils is due to a blocked drain port.
- Now you need to melt the ice to open up the drain port. There are two ways to do this. Either you can let them air dry by directing a fan towards the coil, or you can use a hairdryer. If you are using a hairdryer, double-check that the machine is off and keep the hair dryer at least 3-4 inches away from the surface of the coils.
- This will open the drain hole. If you notice the water again at the freezer’s bottom, your machine’s drain port is clogged with mold or debris. You will need to clean it. We suggest that you call some expert to do this if you are not an experienced DIYer.
Cause #8: Blocked Defrost Drain
A blocked defrost drain is another common reason you see water inside your refrigerator and on the kitchen floor. The defrost drain is responsible for collecting the water produced by melting ice in the refrigerator and transferring it to defrost pan at the back of the machine.
If the defrost, the drain gets clogged due to some stuck food particles or mold. When it gets blocked, you will see food in the freezer section of your machine.
Solution: Clean the Defrost Drain
When it comes to defrosting drain, its cure is found in prevention. You need to keep your fridge clean to avoid blockages in the drainpipe because if the food particles travel down the drainpipe, you are in for a costly repair.
If there is ice on the drainpipe of your refrigerator, use a screwdriver or stiff wire to scrap off its surface.
Cause #9: Humidity
Though it may happen rarely, the humidity outside can cause the water inside your refrigerator. How? When you open the door, warm air gushes in and comes in contact with the cold air. This leads to condensation. If the door is left open by mistake or improper storage for a long time, you may see water inside the refrigerator.
Solution: Make sure that the Door is closed
Don’t forget to check that your refrigerator’s doors are properly shut. It is a great idea to check before sleeping and keep a random look during the day.
Cause #10: Improper Storage
If you are careless while storing items in your refrigerator, you may become a victim of the refrigerator leaking water inside. When you place something inside your fridge right in front of air vents, this results in an improper supply of cold air, melting the ice and speeding up the condensation process. The problem is further worsened if the item is hot.
Solution: Be careful while storing food in Your Fridge
Ensure that you don’t block air vents and never store hot items.
Final Words
Your fridge may still leak water inside even after checking all the causes above. We recommend you stop checking it and call professionals for a technical inspection if this is the case. Contact customer support of your respective manufacturer if the unit is in warranty.
