Even a new, reliable and ultra-modern refrigerator can suddenly fail, causing irritating puddles on the kitchen floor. Unfortunately, such a technique can flow for many reasons, starting with a banal and easily correctable failure and ending with the total output of their order. Moreover, it will not be possible to postpone expensive repairs – without a refrigerator, the supply of food will quickly become worthless, and it will be much more difficult to organize food. In such conditions, daily life, and especially the three-time cooking of the menu for the whole family, will turn into a real and endless hell, since it will not be possible to save food in any way.
However, it’s not necessary to panic and immediately calls the master, noticing a leak under the refrigerator – some types of repair do not require special skills and tools, and therefore they can be done independently, saving a considerable amount of professional services. Finding out why the refrigerator is flowing and whether it is possible to cope with the situation on your own, you will protect yourself from unnecessary expenses and will be able to quickly stop the problem with your own hands!
Check for obvious reasons
Despite the seeming banality, in most cases, the flow under the refrigerator is in no way connected with the breakdown of household appliances. Therefore, before calling the master or get the tools, you should exclude external factors that could cause puddles:
- Electrical problems. If the apartment recently disconnected electricity, the outlet to which the refrigerator is connected was out of order, or the plug was not plugged in strongly enough, it is not surprising that the refrigerator began to flow – just a couple of hours without a power supply is enough for it to freeze.
- Other sources of leakage. Water can appear on the kitchen floor not only because of a broken refrigerator – blame can also be leaky pipes, a leaking washing machine (of course, provided it is located in the kitchen), batteries, and even a banal box of milk or juice spilled inside the refrigerator.
Eliminating the possible causes of leaks, you can safely take up the analysis of the condition of the refrigerator – there are quite a few options for breakdowns that can provoke a similar problem.
Damage options and measures to eliminate them
1. The drainage hole of the refrigerator compartment is clogged.
This reason is the undisputed leader among the many failures that can lead to the appearance of puddles under the refrigerator. Identifying it yourself, as well as eliminating, is not difficult – it does not require special technical skills and intricate tools. If the liquid flows not only to the floor, but also inside the refrigerating chamber, and frost has already formed on the inner surface, most likely the problem arose due to the disturbed outflow of water.
As a rule, the causes of breakage, in this case, are crumbs and small pieces of food that accidentally fell into the drainage hole of the refrigerator. You can clean it with a normal syringe or syringe – the main thing is that the volume of the “instrument” is sufficient. Having filled the container with warm water, you should attach the tip to the drain hole as tightly as possible, and then press on the piston – a strong pressure of water will quickly remove the formed blockage, and the refrigerator will almost instantly stop flowing. And in order not to encounter such a breakdown next time, you should monitor the cleanliness of the refrigerator, regularly wipe it with a damp cloth and clean the crumbs that appeared on the shelves.
2. Clogging in the freezer
A similar fault may appear in the freezer, however, it will be much more difficult to eliminate it. In this case, inside the refrigerator, there will be observed not only liquid but also a noticeable frost, concentrated mainly around the doorway.
Since the drain hole of the freezer is located inside the case, it will take a lot of time, effort and technical skills to eliminate the blockage. In this case, it is better not to save money and still resort to the services of a master – non-professional repairs at home can eventually result in more serious problems.
3. Breakdown of the collection tank
If the inside of the refrigerator is perfectly dry and clean, and under it a rather impressive puddle is noticeable, one should suspect the appearance of a crack on the walls of the container, in which water should accumulate if used properly. You can notice such a break with the naked eye – water will flow from under the bottom of the refrigerator (usually closer to the back wall).
Repair the damage yourself is absolutely impossible. Of course, you can try to patch the tank with a sealant or waterproof glue, but this measure will still be temporary – under the constant influence of moisture, the container will begin to flow again. It is much easier and faster to contact the workshop, where you replace the failed part.
4. Depressurization of the drain tube
Such a breakdown may occur in two cases – if the hose leading to the water collection tank is cracked or disconnected. And in fact, and in another case, the leak will appear only under the refrigerator – inside the chambers will be dry. Externally, the damage is easily confused with a cracked reservoir, but it is much easier to fix it.
Most often, the handset is disconnected if the equipment is improperly transported, careless operation and other external influences. To correct the situation, it is enough to move the refrigerator and put the tube back in place – the liquid will flow again into the container, and the annoying puddles will not bother you anymore. If there is a crack on the tube itself, you can try to replace it yourself or contact the master.
5. Worn seal
Over time, the gum seal on the door of the refrigerator and freezer wears out, loses its elasticity and flexibility and can no longer perform the functions assigned to it. As a result, the temperature in the chambers will constantly fluctuate, due to which liquid, frost, and condensate can accumulate inside and outside the equipment. The only way to eliminate such a problem is to completely replace the seal with a new one. Rubber can be purchased at a specialty store – it will not take much time to replace it yourself, so you will not have to contact a service center.
6. Thermostat malfunction
If the refrigerator is completely out of order, the liquid accumulated under it is far from the only problem. Breaking the thermostat requires careful and scrupulous repair and possibly replacement of the part. In such a situation, it does not make sense to talk about self-repair – specialists should be engaged in restoring the functionality of kitchen appliances.
7. Failure of the evaporator heater
As in the case of a thermal dispenser, such a malfunction does not bode well for it – only qualified craftsmen need to repair it. Such a problem may occur in the NoFrost system refrigerators – in this case, there will be an atypically large amount of ice and frost in the freezer.
8. Freon leak
Freon acts as a coolant, which moves inside the elements of the refrigerator using a compressor. If a chink, crack or gap appeared in the case of freon cooling elements, and food particles or other garbage got inside, water may accumulate under the refrigerator. In addition, this will lead to an increase in temperature in the refrigerator. In this case, you should call a specialized workshop as soon as possible – only the master can eliminate this damage, which can quickly remove the equipment from them.
9. Oil Leaks
If the puddle that has accumulated on the floor under the fridge has a specific dark shade, you should make sure what kind of liquid it is – perhaps it is not water that flows, but oil from the compressor. At the occurrence of cracks and depressurization of this knot, oil will quickly flow out from reservoirs, as a result of which the device can completely fail. To avoid this, you must call the wizard. If you wish, you can try to cover the hole with sealant, but this repair will not be durable – most likely, after a few days, a leak will appear under the refrigerator again.
10. Incorrect installation of the refrigerator
No matter how strange it may sound, sometimes the appearance of liquid under the device can be provoked by improper installation. If the equipment is tilted due to the uneven floor or the legs of the refrigerator itself, the door may loosely adhere to the chamber, as a result of which warm air will penetrate inside. This can lead to condensation or ice on the inner surface of the walls, which sooner or later will begin to flow out. To fix the damage, you will have to rearrange the refrigerator to a more suitable place, making sure that it is standing exactly and the door fits tightly to the chamber.
If you notice a puddle spreading under the refrigerator, do not over-tighten the repair. Defrost the equipment, carefully examine for damage, and if you cannot cope on your own, contact a specialized workshop as soon as possible – otherwise, there is a great risk only to aggravate the problem, which will subsequently require more expensive repairs or even a complete replacement of an expensive device.
