water leaking inside refrigerator

This explains how to remove a clog in the drain line of your refrigerator. The freezer section and fresh food section are identical on a bottom freezer model with two evaporators. Follow these procedures for either drain.

First, UNPLUG the refrigerator from the wall.

To remove a restriction in the drain line, unplug the unit. Remove the shelves, drawers and the panel on the rear wall. The evaporator coils are now in view. The metal fins will cut you easily, be careful. The drain hole is in tge trough below evaporator coils. If this drain opening is frozen you will need to thaw by by pouring hot water only into the drain until it runs out under unit. Do not use a blow dryer in the refrigerator the liner is very thin and melts quick. You can ruin your refrigerator by melting the liner.

Remove and clean both drain tubes located behind, in the back at the bottom of unit near the compressor, behind the access panel. Pull them off and clean with soap and water. Also clean the coils underneath with a vacuum.

Pour hot water in the drain and then go to the back and see if the water is coming out below. When it has good flow, put the drain tubes back in place and the panel back on.

Go back to the drain hole inside refrigerator. Look for the defrost heating element at the bottom of evaporator coils. It is the length of the coils width and made out of the same stuff an oven bake element is made from. It’s black and as wide around as a pencil.

In time, the element will warp away from the drain hole beneath it. This puts the heater too far from the drain hole and it can’t keep it thawed.

You can add a heat sink to the element that will heat the drain opening. The heat sink is just a metal clip that attaches to the element it has a long metal tail that will go into the drain hole. The tail will carry the heat down and keep it from freezing

You need part # DA61-06796A

ebay has plenty under $5

The reason the drain clogged, is dirt and dust from underneath the unit got inside the drain tube . This happens when the condenser coils are dirty. . The dirt is pulled in by the fan and if the coils are dirty, the dirt will have to go somewhere. It finds it way up the drain tube, as well as in the compressor relay, the fan motor, and wiring connectors until eventually something overheats, usually the compressor stops working. A clogged drain is serious and should be considered a cry for help. If ignored, you risk overheating your compressor, thus, the refrigerant heats up and doesn’t flow properly. Ice production slows, and temperature rises. By this time the damage to the sealed system is done.

Dirty coils are responsible for expensive repairs. Every owner manual has a maintenance section. Condenser coils need cleaning once a year. More often if you have pets.