Leaking Fridge Freezer

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sc6lou

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Leaking Kitchen Aid Fridge Freezer - $140.00 an hour for repairs???

How could a drain line in a fridge plug up anyway? It's inside the fridge....

The repair man said this is a common problem with the Kitchen Aid fridges. I find it hard to believe that dust floats inside the fridge and blocks the drain line.

$140.00 and hour for repairs.... I should be switching trades at those rates.

JW
This has happened to me also. Sears just says purchase extended warranty. The problem is the drain...Hole must be too small, I had a GE but wife wanted this one. My GE lasted 24 years until compressor went. Sears is no longer reliable or dependable. They sell other peoples junk and do not back it. SO I have to every three months clean and defrost by the dain to keep it open. Going to try to put a bigger hose on the rubber funnel, maybe that will fix it.
 

hj

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quote; Could I send the water instead to a separate drain line like I mentioned

NO! But if you could you would have a drain line coming out of the freezer's doorway and across the floor.
 

lab

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Thanks Steve. My fridge was not even two years old. You would think a brand new fridge could last more than a few years before leaking out and staining the hardwood floors. Lucky for me my hardwood was actually plywood! But still. Brand new. Really???


Here is the whole story ! I own the same model fridge & had the same problem. I paid Sears 120.00 to unfreeze the drain line. I e-mailed Kitchenaid customer service Dept & complained . They not only offered to send me a part that would fix the problem, but they also had a company come to my house & install the part....FREE . Haven't had a problem since. That has been about 12 months ago. The part that freezes up is called a "duck bill"
Roger
 

provobis

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I have been all over the map for answers that applied for my Kitchen Aid KSRD25FKWH01 side by side fridge, and have never found anyone with that model having the plugged (defrost) drain problem. The reason I needed that model illustrated (I thought) was to find the same or identical parts installation so as to get more applicable fix answers. Even here, though I find pretty close answers (some of which I actually used successfully I hope), my model was no where to be found. In any case however here is what I did to evidently solve the problem.

My model Kitchen Aid, like most others, also has a drain hole fed by a slightly contoured (shaped downward) plate that collects defrosted water which then normally runs into the drain hole, through the drain pipe and then into the drain pan on the floor under the fridge. The pan is not normally removable because of tight fridge pipes, wiring, mechanics, etc and probably was never intended to be removed without tipping the fridge forward and sliding it out to the rear. As is always indicated, the water in the pan is evaporated by a fan that runs continuously.

When the drain hole becomes plugged with ice and/or debris it no longer lets water flow into the pipe and into the pan. Mine was thoroughly plugged with ice. I removed the back panel inside the freezer to expose the drain hole for better visibility but now know that once you know where everything is located you don't have to remove that panel since there are vents (in my model) cut in the panel through which you can see that hole, and if necessary blow heat through the vents onto the hole to melt any ice that may be clogging the drain path. Anyway this first time I used a hair drier to melt the clogging ice and then a #12 bare copper wire (about 2 feet long) pushed through the hole, into the pipe and out the bottom of the pipe which I could verify from the back of the fridge by looking underneath. In this way I cleared out any remaining ice or debris in the hole and drain pipe.

Then, using advice I saw here and in other forums I wrapped at least one loop of that #12 copper wire around the defrost element running parallel above the drain hole, and in my model up both sides to the defrost (electrical) connection at the top. I could not wrap more than one loop of #12 because the defrost element (in my model) could not be detached one one side and dropped down for better access, so I had to use a long nose pliers to secure the loop as tightly as possible (for better heat transfer during the defrost cycle). The other end of the #12 copper wire I fed into the defrost hole about 1 inch so the total length of the #12 wire is about 3-4 inches. My reasoning for this wire was to help melt any ice that might form in the top of the hole.

In my model there was no so called duck bill at the end of my drain pipe, and I could not see where (if any) part was supposed to be otherwise be installed to solve or alleviate this drainage problem, and so far after 1 week of running the fridge there has been no freezing water at the freezer bottom so of course no water leaking out the front onto the floor. I assume there has been at least one defrost cycle so things look good so far. I don't know if that drain will ever again become plugged but if it does what I describe here seems to work well so I would do it again if necessary.

One other thing, I also bent the front of the collection plate overlapping the drain hole slightly upwards in the front so as to cause any collected water to flow back towards the drain hole. In my opinion that plate was too flat in the front so as to let water overflow into the freezer where in would naturally freeze on the floor.
 

Bucklingbeam

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I'm very thankful for this blog and as a result I decided to go at it myself. The fix is super easy and I will now put it on the list on household preventative maintenance tasks. Anyone who can turn a screwdriver can do this.

My model is the -25 with the freezer on the bottom, a vegetable drawer in the middle and French doors on top.

It's as easy as this.....

Unplug.

Remove backside access panel.

Find black rubber duckbill rubber cap in the middle section under the drain trough and pull off. Wash thoroughly in diluted dish washing liquid. I was surprised by the amount gunk that had collected. It will be sticky from plumbers grease but that is ok. Slide it back on after it is clean. The slotted opening will be open.

I then vacuumed everything out, replaced the panel, plugged her in and problem solved.

There is absolutely no reason to call a repairman if you can unscrew a screw, clean and vacuum, wash a part and then put screws back in where they came out.
 
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