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Refrigerator problem

Water Collecting Inside the Refrigerator

Water under the crisper drawers, or a sheet of ice in the bottom of the freezer.

4 likely causes 5 things to check first
Water standing in the bottom of a refrigerator compartment with the crisper drawers lifted out beside it.

What this usually means

Water inside the cabinet is defrost meltwater that has not reached its drain. The drain is a small opening at the base of the evaporator, and it blocks with debris or freezes shut. The water then pools at the lowest point it can reach, which is under the crisper drawers on most designs and under the bottom drawer on a French door.

Five observations that narrow it

Answer these before anyone visits. Each one removes a whole branch of the diagnosis, and they cost nothing.

  1. Is the water under the crisper drawers, or in the bottom of the freezer?

  2. Is it liquid, or has it frozen into a sheet?

  3. Does it return within a day of being cleared?

  4. Is there any frost on the back panel inside the freezer?

  5. Has anything been spilled that might have run into the drain?

Causes, cheapest first

In roughly the order a technician rules them out. The expensive answer is at the bottom because it is usually the last one true, not the first.

Blocked defrost drain

low

The cause of most of these calls. Debris or a plug of ice stops meltwater reaching the pan underneath.

Drain frozen shut

low

Where the drain is not warmed properly it freezes during the cycle and stays blocked afterwards.

Door seal admitting humid air

low

More humid air than the design expects produces more meltwater than the drain can carry.

See refrigerator door not sealing

Overloaded or misaligned crisper humidity control

none

A drawer sealed tight will show condensation that is normal rather than a fault.

See condensation inside the refrigerator

Check these before you book

  • Empty and lift out the crisper drawers and look at the surface underneath.
  • On a French door model, pull the freezer drawer and look for a sheet of ice.
  • Check the door gasket for gaps.
  • Clear and dry the area and note how long it takes to return.
  • Look for frost on the back panel inside the freezer.

How urgent is this?

Not urgent, but standing water will spoil produce and eventually finds its way to the floor.

What fixes it

The work behind the causes above, with what it costs relative to the rest.

Refrigerator Defrost System Repair low to moderate

The fault behind most slow, gradual losses of cooling — and behind most visible frost.

Ice Maker Repair and Replacement low to moderate

Most no-ice calls end upstream of the ice maker, at a valve, a tube or a bin sensor.

Defrost Drain and Leak Repair low

Three separate water systems, and a leak belongs to exactly one of them.

Related problems

Refrigerator Leaking Water on the Floor

Where the water appears matters more than how much of it there is.

Frost Building Up in the Refrigerator

Ice on the back wall, around the door, or over the whole freezer — and each location means something different.

Condensation Inside the Refrigerator

Beads on the walls and shelves, or fog on the inside of a glass door.

Refrigerator Door Not Sealing

A gap of a few millimetres is enough to frost an evaporator and run a compressor continuously.

Back to your everyday

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