Your Fridge’s Drain Is Blocked Or Water Is Pooling At The Bottom

Do you have stagnant water in your fridge, or does the water drain hole appear to be blocked? Here we explain to you why this problem is occurring and how to resolve it.

THE POSSIBLE CAUSES FOR THIS PROBLEM:

• The drain gutter is blocked

• The non-return valve is damaged

• The compressor drip pan is clogged up

• The gutter heating element is defective

• The thermostat is not working

• The circuit board is faulty

WARNING
Before you do anything to your appliance, make sure you disconnect it from the power supply.
There is a risk of electric shock.

The drain gutter is blocked

Towards the bottom of your fridge's interior back wall there is a small gutter. Over time, debris can accumulate inside it and end up blocking the drain. This will cause the water to overflow from the gutter and trickle into your fridge. You can clean the drain out yourself with warm water and by gently pushing a piece of metal wire into the drain hole.

The non-return valve is damaged

At the back of your refrigerator, between the compressor drip pan and the fridge body, there will very likely be a rubber flap. If this is dirty, or stuck due to the heat, attempt to clean it. If it's damaged, however, it will unfortunately have to be replaced.

The compressor drip pan is clogged up

On the back of your fridge, just above the compressor, there will be a drip pan that connects to the water drain tube. Over time, debris can accumulate at the end of this tube. We recommend cleaning both the drip pan and the tube itself. If they are defective in any way, they will need to be replaced.

The gutter heating element is defective

Fridges equipped with frost-free technology are fitted with a special heating element that prevents the gutter from frosting up. If this heater is not working properly, the water produced by the evaporator during the defrost process could overflow and end up trickling into the freezer compartment. You can check the heating element using a multimeter in ohmmeter mode. Simply place the meter's two probes on the element's terminals. It should give a value (continuity). If this is not the case, you will need to replace the gutter heating element.

The thermostat is not working

If the thermostat is damaged, it will no longer be able to regulate your fridge's temperature correctly, which could result in it getting too cold. If this occurs, ice may form inside the drain, which could lead to water overflowing into your fridge.
A fridge that gets too cold will produce more water run-off. This water will then overflow and trickle underneath the vegetable drawers, for example. You can try to resolve this problem by adjusting your thermostat to increase the temperature in the fridge. If the appliance then still continues to get too cold, it may be that your thermostat is defective, in which case it will need to be replaced.

Purchase a thermostat for your refrigerator

The circuit board is faulty

If the circuit board is faulty, your fridge may get too cold and end up with its gutter frosted up. The run-off water will then overflow and trickle beneath the fridge drawers.
On fridges fitted with frost-free technology, the circuit boards no longer supply defrosting information to the appliance. It is therefore highly unlikely that the board will be the cause of the problem on these kinds of fridges.
If the card is defective, you will need to replace it. You can either do this yourself or call on the services of a manufacturer-approved engineer.