Why does my refrigerator leaks water

All rights reserved. Expert advice from Bob Vila, the most trusted name in home improvement, home remodeling, home repair, and DIY. Kitchen Solved! What to Do About a Leaky Refrigerator Always running and used on a daily basis, your fridge is built to last. Even so, some easy mistakes can compromise its functions and lead to a leak. If you notice water on your kitchen floor, keep reading for common causes and mostly easy fixes.

Consult a pro. Get free, no-commitment repair estimates from licensed appliance technicians near you. Find Pros Now. More From Bob Vila. Unfortunately, the truth is that getting the tubing out and putting new tubing in can be a huge undertaking. It requires substantial disassembly to your refrigerator and maybe a job easier left to professionals.

If you notice a puddle pooling right in front of your refrigerator or notice water leaking out the fresh food compartment when you open it up, you have a drain line issue.

A refrigerator naturally produces condensation that freezes. The defrost function present in all modern refrigerators melts this icy build up and the water runs down from the evaporator in the freezer to the drain tube in the bottom of the fresh food compartment.

The water will enter a drip pan and harmlessly evaporate. However, if the drain tube becomes clogged with any food particles it picked up on the trip, the water will build up on top of it until it just starts dripping out the door.

You will want to pick up a pack of pipe cleaners and run one through the tube to clear out any blockages. In some cases, food particles may just sit at the entrance. If this is a case, you simply need to brush them away to resume proper drainage. Similar to the defrost drain tube, water can build up in the drip pan.

If this is the case, the water will overflow out the bottom of the refrigerator, but not from the fresh food compartment as the drip pan is located underneath. If this is the case, you simply need to empty the drip pan, but you will also want to look into why it was so full.

If you just fixed your defrost, for example, that huge melt off could cause this. It is possible that your defrost function is starting to malfunction. This could mean it under-functions, causing excess frost build-up and melt suddenly, or over-functions, which would cause the freezer section to become too warm.

Have you noticed just a little bit of water in a line in front of your refrigerator? Have you noticed little drips of condensation on the exterior of your refrigerator?

These two symptoms are indicative of a faulty gasket. The gasket on your refrigerator is the pliable plastic that surrounds the inner edge of the door. Ideally, when the door closes, the plastic compresses and forms a seal to keep cold air in and warm air out.

If the door gasket on your refrigerator is physically damaged or has lost its pliability due to age, it lets the cold air and the warm air meet. This causes condensation that can pool up and look like a leak. Fix : Clear away food packages that are too close to the rear freezer wall or are blocking any freezer vents. So you've been waiting and waiting, but your refrigerator's ice maker isn't delivering the goods. It could be that you're not seeing any ice cubes at all, or the ice is too small or maybe it's even hollow.

No matter the scenario, here are a few solutions to try. Cause 1 : A clog in the water line is restricting water flow. A blockage is likely caused by ice in the water connection. A kinked water line can also cause the same problem.

Fix : For a frozen water line rather than a kink in the line, first turn off the water supply with the shut-off valve. It's usually located behind the fridge or under the kitchen sink. One way to remove the blockage is by thawing out the water line manually. Do that by unplugging the fridge's power supply. After a few hours the ice causing the clog should melt away. A faster method is to use heat from a blow-dryer, or squirt it with a turkey baster filled with hot water.

Cause 2 : A shut-off arm is in the wrong position. Many fridge ice makers have a shut-off arm that's designed to stop ice production when the storage bin is full, and sometimes they get stuck in the off position.

Fix : Make sure the shut-off arm isn't engaged. If the arm is frozen in place, first remove the ice storage bin.

Next melt any ice buildup with a little hot water. Quickly wipe away excess moisture with a clean kitchen towel. Cause 3 : Some fridges also have sensors that detect the presence of the ice bin. Over time, ice buildup between the bin and the freezer wall can push the bin out of alignment, tripping this sensor. When that happens, the fridge thinks you've removed the bucket and will stop making ice. Fix : Remove the storage bin, and let it defrost for a few hours.

In the meantime, melt away any ice around the bin sensor with a small amount of hot water. Use a clean towel to remove any remaining water. Return the bin to its place and you should be good to go. Hopefully, these simple steps will have remedied your refrigerator woes and you've solved your appliance problems without fancy tools or much hassle.

You also didn't have to shell out big bucks for a brand-new icebox -- score! But if you're still experiencing hiccups, it could be time to call in the repair pros. Ultimately, you might even consider buying a new fridge. Be respectful, keep it civil and stay on topic. We delete comments that violate our policy , which we encourage you to read. Discussion threads can be closed at any time at our discretion. Taylor Martin , Brian Bennett. Enlarge Image.

Delivered Tuesdays and Thursdays. Now playing: Watch this: Keep these foods in the fridge even if they won't kill Discuss: 4 common fridge conundrums and how to fix them.