What to do if the refrigerator is leaking and why does this happen?

Even the most technically advanced household appliances are not immune to breakdowns, which is why they all require careful and high-quality care. If water has accumulated under a trouble-free refrigeration appliance, before replacing the unit or calling a repair team, you should try to find out why the refrigerator is leaking.

In most cases, you can fix the problem yourself, completely restoring the function of the device. First of all, you need to pay attention to whether water accumulates only from below or flows along the walls located inside the chambers. Particular attention will have to be paid to models represented by the no frost system, even they are susceptible to a similar phenomenon.

Before you find out why your refrigerator is leaking, you need to make sure that the problem is in the refrigeration unit itself. Often the real reason lies in leaky pipes, a leaking dishwasher or washing machine, or simply an accidental spill of liquid. To do this, you need to inspect or feel the bottom and walls of the installation. Only if traces of water are detected can further work begin to eliminate the problem.

The refrigerator is leaking from below: causes of the phenomenon and methods for eliminating it

If, during an inspection carried out inside the refrigerator and freezer compartments, it was not possible to detect moisture on the walls, and water accumulates only on the floor, one of the following factors may be the cause of the phenomenon:

• Departure of the drainage tube. Most often this happens after transporting the unit or general cleaning, as a result of which the drain tube has been moved. It is located at the back of the refrigerator, so you need to move the device away and adjust the element so that it connects to the reservoir. Sometimes it turns out that such manipulation is not enough to fix the problem. This may indicate a crack in the hollow part. You need to check whether water is flowing down its surface. If necessary, the element will have to be replaced. It is highly not recommended to do this yourself or try to get by with sealant; it is better to immediately turn to professionals.
• A crack appears in the fluid reservoir or it breaks. In this case, the rear wall of the refrigerator at the bottom is usually affected. Water literally drips onto the floor without interruption; a crack can be identified visually. In this case, only replacing the tank will help, which must be entrusted to a specialist. Until a specialist arrives, you can temporarily solve the problem by covering the formation with a waterproof sealant. In this form, the device will last for several hours and even days.

If the listed phenomena are not eliminated in time, nothing will happen to the products inside the chambers, and the unit itself will not suffer much; these problems have practically no effect on the cooling system. But this does not mean that the problem should be ignored; increased humidity will negatively affect the condition of surrounding surfaces and will quickly lead to the appearance of mold colonies.

What to do if water flows along the inside wall of the refrigerator?

If water not only accumulates under the refrigerator, but is also accompanied by the appearance of drops inside the chambers and flows down the back wall, the reasons may be the following:

• The freezer drain hole is clogged. In addition to the fact that water accumulates in the most inappropriate places, an ice crust may appear around the perimeter of the chamber. A clogged hole may be a consequence of exposure to very hard water, poor cleaning of the chamber, or the accumulation of food particles in the drain (violation of food storage conditions). After mechanical cleaning of the drainage hole, the functionality of the camera will quickly be restored, and side effects will go away.

Advice: In this case, you should not try to do something yourself. The drainage hole for the vast majority of models is located inside the body. To get to it you will have to do a lot of manipulations, violation of the technique of which can provoke even more serious problems.

• Refrigerator drain hole is clogged. In this case, the bulk of the water often accumulates inside the chamber, under the vegetable trays. If a drain is clogged with food particles or ice shards, you can clean it yourself. To do this, take a syringe without a needle, fill it with water and rinse the hole under high pressure. If you don't want to use water, you can try to clear the drain using a cocktail straw. Do not break through the blockage with knitting needles or other sharp objects, as this may damage the material. To prevent the problem from returning, the drain should be checked regularly and food should be moved away from the back wall.

• The habit of not closing the camera door. This is most often observed in families with children or when replacing a model with a self-closing door with a traditional counterpart. The refrigerator continues to try to perform its functions and begins to freeze more than usual. As a result, ice forms on the walls, which melts under the influence of warm air, begins to flow down the walls and overfill the water tank. Practicing the right habit or increasing the tightness of the door hinges will help get rid of the problem.
• Reduced functionality of the rubber seal. The density of the rubber layer between the refrigerator chamber and the environment gradually decreases. Even installations with a no frost system are not immune from this. Warm air enters the chamber, disrupting the flow of technological processes, resulting in water appearing on the floor under the refrigerator and its walls. The problem can be solved very simply - buy a new seal and install it to replace the old one. You can do this yourself, but professionals will do a much better job.
• Thermostat failure. In this case, the refrigerator not only leaks, it also completely fails. You cannot solve the problem on your own, but a repair shop will quickly find the necessary parts and restore the unit in the shortest possible time.

If an inspection of the refrigerator does not allow you to clearly determine the cause of the problem, you should not perform preventive cleaning of the drains, change the seal or adjust the hinges. It is better to immediately seek advice from professionals before the situation becomes critical.

Why is the no frost system refrigerator leaking and what should I do?

Even refrigerators with know frost installation are not immune from breakdowns; in this case, it will be associated with a malfunction of the evaporation element heater. With this problem, water accumulates directly under the unit, and the walls inside the chambers become covered with a thick layer of ice, which is unacceptable for a no frost system. Sometimes it is the formation of ice that owners pay attention to first of all, then it becomes possible to prevent the accumulation of moisture under the device.

Regular opening of the door leads to an increase in the temperature in the chamber, so the ice begins to melt faster, actively filling the liquid reservoir. Evaporation does not occur as planned and the no frost refrigerator begins to leak. In this case, it is not recommended to do anything on your own; it can only worsen the situation. It is better to call a repair team that specializes in working with the know frost system, which will quickly restore the functionality of the device.

Water accumulated under the refrigerator should not be scary. This is just a signal that the product is not being used correctly or has received minor damage. After solving the problem, it is necessary to adjust the usual methods of operating the refrigeration unit so that the unpleasant phenomenon does not recur and does not cause new troubles.