Leaking fridge >:(

[El_Freddo]

G'day,

I'm looking for help with our fridge - Whirlpool WBM35MW. Since "coming out of storage" and moving home it's been leaking in the refrigerator compartment from the freezer above through a cold air vent above the door.

I've tried doing google searches but keep getting directed towards a site called "FixYa" - I've put in a question but impatience can't wait.

Currently the fridge has been thawing out (it's great having an engel on hand!) in the hope of de-icing the drain plug - this seems to be a common issue with many fridges. I'm not certain that will stop the issue.

We've had this once before and it was a simple search online and it was sorted. Not so this time

It also leans back more than I think it should, but there's no adjuster feet at the rear to counteract. The floor in the house doesn't help either I'm thinking of running the rear up on a board to make it lean forward so it's upright as it should be.

Any help anyone can offer would be greatly appreciated, we're sick of getting a shower just about every time we open the door to get something from the fridge!

Cheers

Bennie

[tambox]

Hi Bennie
Make sure the fridge is sitting level, the door is lined up and seals properly. A door sealing problem makes the fridge work harder and more ice. Level can upset the draining system.
Then as you said defrost the drain pipe, but check its flow as its common for "stuff" to get stuck in it and restrict/block it.
If it has a mechanical de-icer, check that it works.
Have fun.
Greg

[El_Freddo]

Doors line up and seal properly. The freezer has always been clean, unless there's been some mould build up between moves/while in storage.

I can't find the drain hole, the only two holes I can find are to the refrigeration compartment and an air duct that the fan works with. I don't want to shove anything up from below incase I damage the pipe, plus I don't have anything to do that job with anyway.

I'll work on getting the fridge level

Cheers

Bennie

[tambox]

Some fridges with a fan system have a timer to let it do a de-ice cycle. I do not know enough about your model fridge.
See if you can find out if does or not, as these often fail/lock up.

[tambox]

Just had a brief look on the internet, they list a heater to defrost it.
If that is correct, it will have two main parts, the element and the timer.
Either can fail.
The drain hoses should run to a plastic cup/cap on top of the compressor, to evaporate the defrost water.
Dont poke anything in the hose, blow through it from the outelt end. ( you may need to join a little bit of hose onto it to make it long enough to blow, although a lot unclip to make this possible)

[El_Freddo]

Thanks Tambox. Have you got any links to the info you found?

We thought we had it sorted but it started leaking again after two days. Very frustrating!

I'll try that trick of the hose, hopefully I'll find one here that's a good fit to do the blow though trick. I'm not sold on it being a defrost issue, if it didn't defrost we wouldn't be getting the water in the fridge as it would all be frozen!

Cheers

Bennie

[Bantum]

Clear the drain ...

See if that fixes it ...

[TOONGA]

Bennie a very old school trick is to get a 5 dollar bill and close it in various place around the fridge seal. if you can pull the note out with no resistance at any point around the seal, you have found your leak in the seal

To defrost a fridge ... get everything out and store in a cool spot (esky another fridge) take it out into the back yard and let it still for a while (about 15 -20 minutes)... get the garden hose and using a gentle spray wash the freezer out with low pressure. do the same with the fridge compartment.

Yes I know that this is not meant to be done but neither is using a sharp object to remove ice from a freezer (still the most common way of killing a fridge)

I believe the drain that runs to the aerator on the top of the condenser is blocked.

TOONGA

[El_Freddo]

Sweet, a few more leads/ideas. Problem now is that Mrs El Freddo has filled the freezer again - so the engel is a freezer full of stuff from the fridge's freezer and now that's full too...

The leak isn't as bad as it was previously, which I think it sort of interesting.

Batum, that link takes me to that site that has questions that don't directly relate to my issue or the model of fridge we've got

Cheers

Bennie

[Bantum]

Ok - What fridge do you have ?

Check here ...



Once you have it, put this code into the system and see what come's up ...

[El_Freddo]

Whirlpool WBM35MW.

Ok - What fridge do you have

I've put the code into the system but I haven't found much

Cheers

Bennie

[El_Freddo]

Ok, so might have to check out that barcode thing and see how it goes. I can't do much with it at the moment as I've put my back out again - even worse than when I first did it 6 months ago. Got a scan this time and hopefully something will come of this to resolve the issue once and for all!

Cheers

Bennie

[M0rpH]

How long did you allow the fridge to cool down the compartments before stocking it with food?
Are you sure the fluid is coming from the freezer?
Sound like humidity condensing on the plate and welling in the bottom of the fridge.

[El_Freddo]

How long did you allow the fridge to cool down the compartments before stocking it with food?
Are you sure the fluid is coming from the freezer?
Sound like humidity condensing on the plate and welling in the bottom of the fridge.

The freezer cooled down over two days before we put anything in it.

Yes, the fluid is definitely coming from the freezer.

It doesn't well in the bottom of the fridge, it drips from the vent above the door to the bottom of the fridge...

When my back gets better I'll be having a go at it.

Cheers

Bennie

[GOD]

Bennie is the freezer completely full? I had a similar problem for a while. Turned the fridge off and defrosted it, now only keep it 2/3 full and it's good as gold. Apparently if there's no room for air to circulate, the defrost drain will ice up and cause internal dribbles.

Dane.

[El_Freddo]

Bennie is the freezer completely full? I had a similar problem for a while. Turned the fridge off and defrosted it, now only keep it 2/3 full and it's good as gold. Apparently if there's no room for air to circulate, the defrost drain will ice up and cause internal dribbles.

Nah not at the moment. We've had this problem before, I sorted it, can't remember how I did it last time but it could also be much worse this time! When I sorted it last time we had it full to the gills so to speak without any issues - there's ducting all over this freezer which I think helps it out heaps when it's draining properly.

Thanks for the heads up though!

Cheers

Bennie

[El_Freddo]

Update: Well, I've resolved the issue for now... with a bucket - a 2L icecream container. I simply don't have room to put all our cold stuff while I defrost the fridge/freezer to sort this issue out properly

I got sick of removing towels when they were wet, plus the water that splashed the door and each shelf before it ended up on the bottom level drove me nuts. I just happened to finish a tub of ice cream and had a brain wave moment

Cheers

Bennie

[AlpineRaven]

I know its nothing to relate to you - Had a problem with ours too but opposite yours (fridge top freezer bottom)- turns out to be blocked tube and the tube would freeze up in freezer compartment causing overflow back in the fridge. What I did was i got air hose from compressor and nozzle in drain hole while it was thawed out and unblocked it - turns out to be something that got stuck in there!
Cheers
AP

[steptoe]

I fixed my fridge that had been freezing stuff all over the shop, top shelf, bottom shelf, in the door shelves - and the tip came from a fridge sales guy when I was on the hunt for new 'fridge.

Empty the whole thing out, switch off and leave for 24hours as it may have a gas freeze somewhere, the time allows for it to get to room temp, any gas freeze sort itslef out. Been good for last six weeks or so now

[RSR 555]

Clean or replace door seals can also help reduce icing