Is your Fridge leaking water? There are different ways this could happen, it’s either you are experiencing the leak inside your refrigerator or the leak is outside the fridge.
If you are stuck with your fridge leaking water inside, one of the common issues for this comes from the freezer defrost. However, if it is an outer leak, it usually comes from a torn, punctured, or loose pipe which transfers water into the refrigerator to produce ice.
Since you are here, you might have checked one or two components in your fridge but you can seem to wrap your head around what exactly the issue is.
If that is the case, here is how you can troubleshoot your fridge leaking water both inside and outside the fridge.
NOTE: for some of these troubleshooting procedures, it will be stated when you are better off leaving the job to a repairman due to the complications that come with such components.
That being said, let’s get right into it.
Why is your Fridge Leaking Water Inside
You’d be surprised at the number of the culprit that could be causing your fridge leaking water since some components are interconnected and defects in one can transfer to defects in another.
But then, there are some basic things you can inspect on your own without needing the service of a repairman.
That said, let’s begin with the simple and apparent things to inspect.
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1. Check if the Defrost Drain is Blocked
Before dabbling into other things, this is one of the first things you should inspect when your fridge is leaking water inside. Since the Defrost drain is located inside the refrigerator, its job is to collect water from defrosted ice.
In scenarios where the Defrost drain is blocked with food particles. It will stop the ice melted in the freezer compartment from moving freely which in turn can result in the fridge leaking water inside the fridge compartment.
If you noticed that your defrost drain is clogged enough to restrain water passage, here is what you need to fix it
How to fix
To locate the defrost drain check the bottom compartment of the freezer, right below the produce bin, or behind the unit. The location can vary slightly based on your fridge model. But you can always check your manual to locate these compartments.
- Now, check the drain for any form or blockage, maybe it is clogged with food particles or some impurities
- Next, clear out any particles inside the drain to allow free passage of water in your refrigerator.
- Inspect the pipe for punctures
- If there are none, clean the drain with hot water by pouring it inside the drain to clear out any clogged particle
2. Check if your Fridge is Uneven
Being even might not be a necessary cause of a huge deposit of water leaking at the bottom of your fridge However, you can’t write it off since the drain pan might have a little water stored in it, but because your fridge isn’t level with the ground. The water from the drain pan might begin to leak to the floor compartment of your fridge causing it to eventually leak outside the fridge
However, that isn’t all.
Due to unevenness, the coolant in your fridge might end up flowing in the wrong direction which can later leak to the bottom of your fridge once it condenses
How to fix
To fix issues such as this, all you have to do is simply get a level to determine how even the fridge truly is.
The level should be placed on the ground
Now, adjust the legs of the fridge to correspond to the level point of evenness
3. Check the ICE Maker
Around your icemaker, an inlet tube is connected to it to pass water coming from the water supply into the ice maker. In a scenario whereby the icemaker is leaking, this could result in the fridge leaking water inside.
Since there is no quick pointer to this, you have to inspect the icemaker by taking it out to gain access to the component supplying water to it. Probably, it might be loose.
To Fix it
- Remove your fridge from the power source
- Next, take out the ice maker
- Next, remove the screws with a screwdriver and Inspect the inlet valve Check for punctures or debris, or dirt particles that can restrain the flow of water.
If it is leaking due to a puncture, it needs to be replaced, But if the unlet tube is clogged with ice, you only have to heat it with tools like a hairdryer to melt the ice blocking water from going through the inlet pipe.
4. Check the Whole Water Inlet Valve
You can locate the water inlet valve at the back since it transfers water to the ice maker. You might find it hard to check through the whole inlet valve unless you take it out of the fridge.
If you are unsure of how to do that, follow the guidelines below
- Turn off the water at the saddle valve. You can get to that by checking the basement beneath your fridge
- Now, disconnect the supply tube
- Get the tube and hold it on top of an empty bucket
- Let someone turn on the saddle valve to check if water will flow from the tube
- If it does then the inlet valve is shot and might need a replacement
To remove it completely
- get a screwdriver and unscrew the cover panel
- Now unscrew the screws holding the valve
- After doing that, remove the wiring and loosen the nut connected to the water lines.
- Now get the replacement valve and place it where you remove the former valve.
- After doing this, follow the instructions above to assemble the fridge back.
- Once you do all these and you notice any form of leak in the valve, tighten the nut.
5. Check the Water Dispenser
The water dispenser dripping water is usually caused by air that is trapped in the water line. This alone would most likely increase the pressure inside the water dispenser.
If you notice this all you need to do is to remove the water from the dispenser and any ice around it.
All in all, you should avoid opening the door of the fridge for too long
Why is your Fridge leaking water Outside
If your fridge is leaking outside on the ground I will be breaking down some things you can inspect on your own.
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1. Check if The Drain Pan is Broken/filled
The drain pan is situated at the down part of your refrigerator and in most cases, there is usually some water in it. The drain pan simply collects any water droppings from the fridge although there are different things you can use the drain pan for.
However, If the drain pan is broken, the water collected from the defrost cycle will leak to the bottom of the fridge. And as time goes by the water might begin to leak outside the fridge when the drain pan becomes filled up
2. Check for leakages in the Water Supply Line
After going through the defrost drain, one of the things you ought to check is the water supply line. For most brands of refrigerators, the water supply line is a small nylon pipe that is linked inside the refrigerator.
It might be copper or any other suitable metallic body.
Anyways, here is what you should do to fix that when you come across leakages due to puncture or loose connection.
How to fix
- First things first, turn off the valve supply
- After doing that, Inspect the water line pipe for any form of tear or punctured hole
- Also, you should check the compression fitting to ensure it isn’t loose if it uses an adjustable wrench to tighten it.
NOTE: In a scenario where water is leaking from the ice maker water line. it can settle at the bottom of the fridge making appear as though the leaking is from inside.
3. Inspect the Door Seals
Get this right, for water to leak outside your fridge from the inside, it is either a pipe from the water supply running into the fridge is punctured or loose or the gasket is worn out.
If your gasket is worn out, it is quite easy to discern since the door won’t close properly. And this alone would cause the water from the drain pan to seep into the floor of the fridge when it is filled.
To fix this
Simply get a replacement seal for your fridge based on the model and brand.
Since you are armed with this info, you should be able to troubleshoot any leaking issue in your fridge. That said, let’s look into some popular refrigerator models.
Why is my Frigidaire refrigerator leaking water inside
For Frigidaire fridge users, one of the things you might be faced with is a leaking fridge.
Although the issue is common across popular brands of refrigerators. However here are the reasons for your Frigidaire fridge leaking water
- The defrost drain is either frozen or clogged with dirt
- The water filter head is either damaged
- The water filter housing is damaged
- Either the water inlet valve is leaking or it s damaged
- Leaks in the water tank assembly
- The water filter size is the incorrect one
- The water in the drain pan is already filled up and is overflowing
If your Frigidaire fridge isn’t freezing contact Frigidaire customer support
Fridge is Leaking Water Inside and not Cooling
If your Fridge is leaking water inside and it is not cooling, the two things you should inspect are the defrost drain and the evaporator fan. If the evaporator fan is blocked or is faulty, the fridge won’t get cold. While for the defrost drain. It happens due to the state of the fridge temperature
Is a Fridge leaking water dangerous?
No, it isn’t. What you should watch out for is to resolve the leaking so as to reduce water wastage. But then, water leakages outside the fridge might not be good enough.
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Why is the LG refrigerator leaking water inside
If your LG refrigerator is leaking water inside the fridge, it can be quite stressful to deal with. However, understanding why your LG refrigerator is leaking is a problem half solved since it helps you inspect those parts for any issue.
That said, here are the reason why your LG refrigerator is leaking inside
- Clogged or Frozen Defrost Drain
- Faulty Water Inlet Valve
- Damaged Water Tank Assembly
- Faulty Water Filter Head
- Worn-Out Water Filter
- Cracked Drain Pan
If your LG freezer isn’t freezing you can check here for a comprehensive guide on how to resolve that
How to stop fridge leaking water
Stopping your fridge from leaking water isn’t a herculean task. You first have to figure out where the leak is coming from and then take the necessary action by either replacing the affected component or simply repairing them.
Follow the procedures above if you have a leaking fridge
Conclusion
By now you should have figured out the reasons behind your fridge leaking water and the different ways you can self-diagnose it. If you feel uncomfortable troubleshooting it yourself, you should request the services of a repairman or contact your fridge brand customer support if you still have a valid warranty with them
Have you tried any of the steps above? If yes, let’s know what challenges you’ve faced and your fridge model.