Refrigerator drain question
#1
Member
Thread Starter
Refrigerator drain question
Water puddle forms on the floor in front of the refrigerator about every 2-3 weeks. Suspecting ice maker water valve remaining open, I disconnected the 1/4" copper line from ice maker water valve. Refrigerator top, freezer bottom.
Yesterday it happened again. Immediately I checked the drain pan. It was dry. I noticed water drops at the bottom of the freezer. I turned off both refrigerator and freezer, emptied the freezer, and noticed ice completely covering the bottom of the freezer. I started metling the ice with a fan. Soon continuous water stream formed on the side wall (inside) from where I could see aluminum fins. I suppose it is the evaporator for the freezer. Drain tube must be clogged. I haven't found the drain tube yet.
My questions: What is the source of water drain in general? Is the water coming from the melting of ice formed in the freezer? Does the refrigerator section not generate any defrost water?
Yesterday it happened again. Immediately I checked the drain pan. It was dry. I noticed water drops at the bottom of the freezer. I turned off both refrigerator and freezer, emptied the freezer, and noticed ice completely covering the bottom of the freezer. I started metling the ice with a fan. Soon continuous water stream formed on the side wall (inside) from where I could see aluminum fins. I suppose it is the evaporator for the freezer. Drain tube must be clogged. I haven't found the drain tube yet.
My questions: What is the source of water drain in general? Is the water coming from the melting of ice formed in the freezer? Does the refrigerator section not generate any defrost water?
#2
During the defrost phase water is generated which is collected inside the fridge which goes to the pan via the drain tube. If the tube is full of crud, very common, then water will overflow.
#3
Member
A make and model may help others help you.
The drain is normally directly under the evaporator coils.
The drain is normally directly under the evaporator coils.
#4
Member
Thread Starter
Subzero 550 about 25 years old. Top refrigerator, bottom freezer. Drain pan was wiped clean 2 months ago. It remains clean.
Thank you for the advice. I removed the bottom vegetable drawers from the refrigerator section. A drain tube starts from the back wall and disappears behind the wall. When I pour water into this tube, water comes out to the drain pan. So this tube is not clogged.
The clogged tube must be for the freezer section. I will remove the plastic cover of the evaporator and look for a drain tube there. Thank you.
Thank you for the advice. I removed the bottom vegetable drawers from the refrigerator section. A drain tube starts from the back wall and disappears behind the wall. When I pour water into this tube, water comes out to the drain pan. So this tube is not clogged.
The clogged tube must be for the freezer section. I will remove the plastic cover of the evaporator and look for a drain tube there. Thank you.
#5
The drain pan should have water in it. If it doesn't..... it's not getting there.
Yes.... there are two sealed systems so there will be two drip trays. One in fridge, one in freezer.
With the age of that unit.... have you had the door gaskets replaced ?
Allowing hot air in will create a lot of unnecessary condensation inside.
Yes.... there are two sealed systems so there will be two drip trays. One in fridge, one in freezer.
With the age of that unit.... have you had the door gaskets replaced ?
Allowing hot air in will create a lot of unnecessary condensation inside.
#7
Member
Thread Starter
Thank you for the notes. The drawing helps.
1. The drawing shows only one drain tube that starts from the refrigerator (top), down through the freezer (bottom), and down to the pan. No separate drain tube for the freezer. I guess the freezer drain ties to the main drain tube, and this short path must be clogged. I will soon find out.
2. Since most water would come from the freezer, clogged freezer drain to the main drain tube would explain why the drain pan remains clean and dry.
3. I will order a door seal. When I get it, I will open the freezer evaporator cover and inspect the freezer drain.
Thank you very much for your help.
1. The drawing shows only one drain tube that starts from the refrigerator (top), down through the freezer (bottom), and down to the pan. No separate drain tube for the freezer. I guess the freezer drain ties to the main drain tube, and this short path must be clogged. I will soon find out.
2. Since most water would come from the freezer, clogged freezer drain to the main drain tube would explain why the drain pan remains clean and dry.
3. I will order a door seal. When I get it, I will open the freezer evaporator cover and inspect the freezer drain.
Thank you very much for your help.
Last edited by paker; 07-12-20 at 11:56 PM.
#8
I agree..... the diagram is a little sketchy.
It would appear that there may be a tee at the back of the freezer drip tray.
It would appear that there may be a tee at the back of the freezer drip tray.
#9
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Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: USA
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defrost drain heater
This is common problem. Find the tube which drains into the drain pan at the bottom and contrive to blow through it. It may be clogged. There are also sometimes rubber valves in the line.
Remove the back panel of the freezer exposing the coils. At the bottm you should find a calrod heater under the cooling coils and a drain pan under the whole thing. This drain pan somewhere has a hole leading to the drain pan under the fridge. If you found that this line is clear then what you have got is freezing up of this hole. There is a great solution, bend a piece of #12 bare copper wire into a small candy cane and hang this lightly on the calrod and the length of the can insierted down into the drain hole. This works great. I just went through 100+ degrees summer with no freeze up and no leakage. This is a gem I learned on Youtube.
Also, clean your coils under the fridge. A felt loike material builds up. This does not causes leakage but reduces efficiency. These two fixes made my fridge work great.
Remove the back panel of the freezer exposing the coils. At the bottm you should find a calrod heater under the cooling coils and a drain pan under the whole thing. This drain pan somewhere has a hole leading to the drain pan under the fridge. If you found that this line is clear then what you have got is freezing up of this hole. There is a great solution, bend a piece of #12 bare copper wire into a small candy cane and hang this lightly on the calrod and the length of the can insierted down into the drain hole. This works great. I just went through 100+ degrees summer with no freeze up and no leakage. This is a gem I learned on Youtube.
Also, clean your coils under the fridge. A felt loike material builds up. This does not causes leakage but reduces efficiency. These two fixes made my fridge work great.
#11
Member
Thread Starter
It took me 2 years to solve this problem. Let me post the solution first.
Aluminum foil heater on the drain pan
I applied Supco SH-226 115V 40W aluminum foil heater to the drain pan. The defrosting circuit of Subzero 550 uses 2-pin Molex 2.13 mm connectors. I bought a kit (3 male and 3 female connectors, 6 pin and 6 socket inserts) from ebay for about $10 and fabricated the wiring harness for the foil heater.
Above poster Richard123 solved his problem by hanging copper strips from the heating element. It didn't work in my case. I guess my drain line is just a tad closer to the freezer and I needed extra heat source to keep the line unfrozen.
Aluminum foil heater on the drain pan
I applied Supco SH-226 115V 40W aluminum foil heater to the drain pan. The defrosting circuit of Subzero 550 uses 2-pin Molex 2.13 mm connectors. I bought a kit (3 male and 3 female connectors, 6 pin and 6 socket inserts) from ebay for about $10 and fabricated the wiring harness for the foil heater.
Above poster Richard123 solved his problem by hanging copper strips from the heating element. It didn't work in my case. I guess my drain line is just a tad closer to the freezer and I needed extra heat source to keep the line unfrozen.
#12
condenser coils, fan and compressors
One for the freezer section and one for the refrigerator? Neat I'm used to the small apartment refrigerators with the evaporator in the top freezer section and a fan/air duct to bring that cool air down to the bottom refrigerator section!
#13
It uses two smaller compressor and is generally more energy efficient.
Some of the benefits are that odors are not transferred between the fridge and freezer.
The excessive moisture encountered in the fridge side is not brought into the freezer side reducing defrost times.
Some of the benefits are that odors are not transferred between the fridge and freezer.
The excessive moisture encountered in the fridge side is not brought into the freezer side reducing defrost times.
paker
voted this post useful.