Why does water accumulate under the fruit and vegetable drawers in the refrigerator?

One of the most common refrigerator problems is water accumulating under the vegetable drawers. We will look at why this happens and how to fix the problem yourself in this article.

This article is suitable for all models of Russian, Soviet and foreign production - single-, double- and triple-chamber, including built-in ones: Hotpoint Ariston, Ardo, Beko, Bosch, Candy, Daewoo , Electrolux / Electrolux, Gorenje / Gorenje), Haier / Hayer, Hansa / Hansa, Hitachi / Hitachi, Indesit / Indesit, LG / ElDzhi, Liebherr / Liebherr, Polair / Polar, Pozis / Pozis, Samsung / Samsung, Sharp / Sharp, Shivaki / Shivaki, Siemens / Siemens, Snaige / Snow, Stinol / Stinol, Toshiba / Toshiba, Vestel / Vestel, Vestfrost / Westfrost, Whirlpool / Whirlpool, Zanussi / Zanussi, Elenberg / Elenberg, as well as Nord, Biryusa, Yuryuzan, Atlant, Oka Sviyaga, Ocean, Minsk and Don.

Water accumulation areas

One of the useful inventions of our time is refrigeration equipment, which allows you to keep food fresh and make preparations. Expanding the functionality of devices from famous brands (Liebherr, LG, SHARP, HANSA FY, HITACHI, SIEMENS, Shivaki, Mitsubishi, Samsung) even allows you to get ice, chilled and purified water: both regular and carbonated. But even such “smart” units can break.

On the back wall

Devices with a drip defrosting system suffer from a “crying wall” (Liebher CNEF 4815, Bosch KGE39XW2AR, Atlant XM 4625-101, Veko RCSK 335M20W, Whirlpool ART 9810/A+, Indesit DF 4200 E).

This does not always indicate a problem in the operation of the equipment, since it is an automatic defrosting cycle. All the ice that forms on the wall then thaws, and the melt water flows through the hole located below.

Sometimes the process is accompanied by gurgling, gurgling, hissing and other sounds; this is normal.

But the appearance of a “snow cap” is already a violation in the freezing system:

• Setting the cooling mode to maximum value in hot weather;
• Depressurization of the main compartment and the entry of warm air from the room, followed by the formation of condensation, due to a torn or old sealing gum;
• The drainage hole is clogged;
• Placing hot kitchen utensils on shelves without a lid.

Under the drawers

In units with No Frost cooling (Samsung RT60KSRVB, Daewoo FR 3501, Beko cmv529221 w, Bosch KGN36NL14R, Indesit DF 5181 XM), if the defrosting module breaks down, condensation collects from below (under the vegetable boxes).

Symptoms of malfunction:

• constant operation of the motor-compressor;
• a large “snow cap” in the freezer;
• yellow liquid leaking from under the door seal;
• sometimes there is no cooling in the main compartment.

Under the refrigerator

The accumulation of liquid under the device itself on the floor may be the result of careless movement or transportation, resulting in the following damage:

• The drainage pipe flies out;
• The water collection container cracks.

Determining the type of refrigeration unit

To understand why water has accumulated under the fruit boxes, you must first understand how the refrigerator is designed and works. Modern units with two or more chambers are divided into two types based on their operating principle:

• Drip defrosting system . Refrigerators of this type have a special evaporator. At the moment of cooling, it and the back wall inside the chamber are covered with a thin layer of frost. As soon as the temperature reaches the desired level (+4 +8 °C), the cycle stops. As a result, the resulting frost melts, forming droplets of water. All liquid flows into a separate tank, where it completely evaporates.

Drip defrosting system

• No Frost system. In units of this type, the refrigerator compartment is not equipped with an evaporator. The entire cooling cycle occurs with the participation of the freezer evaporator. Cold air is forced into the chambers using a fan through a specially designed channel system. When the desired temperature is reached, the system closes the air dampers and the supply of cooled air stops. As soon as the air becomes a little warmer, the valves open again.

No Frost System

Causes

Drain clogged

The drainage system is designed to drain condensate into a special pan located next to the compressor. The engineers provided a container so that there would be no fogging and the food inside would not get wet.

Accumulating water under the fruit and vegetable container indicates that the drain tube is clogged with dust, food crumbs and other debris. Over time, an unpleasant odor will certainly appear as bacteria begin to multiply.

If you wait and do not clean it, a breakdown will occur due to freezing of the evaporator. This will lead to even bigger problems - failure of the compressor, since it will have to work at increased speed to maintain the temperature of the refrigerator and freezer.

Cleaning the drainage hole is quite easy and does not require special skills.

You will need a special device (initially included with the device) or a cotton swab, a syringe or a large twenty-cc medical syringe, thin wire and hot water. The hole is usually located in the middle of the main chamber, closer to the bottom.

Step-by-step instruction:

• Turn off the refrigerator, or better yet, defrost it completely;
• Carefully, without sudden movements, clean the drainage hole;
• Fill a syringe or medical syringe with water and pour it under pressure into the drainage hole.

If after this procedure the liquid continues to pour out and does not reach the container, then you will have to clean the capillary tube using a wire.

Also, without sudden movements, so as not to damage the drainage system and plastic of the refrigerator, push the wire both from the side of the inlet hole and from the opposite side.

If after all the manipulations snow and ice continue to appear, read here.

Seal wear

Over time, the rubber seal on the refrigerator door wears out and air from the room begins to flow into the refrigerator, causing it to leak.

This can happen with a device of any price category: both the simplest (ATLANT XM 6025-060, NORDFROST NRG 119 642, Samsung RL-28 FBSW 1, Biryusa, Indesit, Atlant), and with electronic control and know frost (Samsung RL 63 GCBMG, Daewoo FGK-51 efg, Vestel VNF 366M, Whirlpool BSNF 8101 OX, Zanussi ZBB 928651 S, Daewoo FR-3801).

The main signs of damage and wear of the rubber band:

• Condensation and ice on the rear wall;
• Continuous operation of the motor-compressor.

The solution is quite simple - buy a new seal and replace it. Read how to do it yourself here.

Incorrect installation

Uneven installation of refrigeration equipment leads to the fact that the door will move away and form a gap and not fit tightly. Warm air from the room enters the chamber and disrupts operation, so it is worth using a level during installation.

Thermal sensor is covered

The temperature sensor is responsible for regulating the temperature inside the cooling and freezing chamber. As a result of a thermostat malfunction, the following is observed:

• freezing of food in the cooling compartment;
• freezing of the drainage tube;
• the motor-compressor works continuously and fails quite quickly (2-4 months);
• a uniform layer of ice forms on the back wall of the unit;
• liquid accumulates under vegetable boxes;
• The error indicator light is constantly on.

To replace the thermostat, we recommend inviting a qualified specialist, but you can do it yourself. Detailed instructions here:

Design, purpose and repair of a thermostat for a refrigerator

Evaporator heater failure

Refrigerators with the No Frost system are very convenient: frost does not form in them, and food is cooled using dry cold.

If the evaporator heater becomes unusable, the humidity level inside the unit increases and ice forms. The more often you open the device, the faster it begins to melt and leak.

Replacing a broken element should be entrusted to a professional.

The drain or fluid reservoir has burst

Careless transportation of the device can lead to damage to the drainage system or water collector. As a result, water accumulates below and a puddle forms:

1. Check to see if the drain pipe may have burst or become disconnected; it needs to be repaired or replaced.
2. The seal of the liquid collection tank is broken - it must be replaced. You can contact an official service center, which will definitely have the necessary spare parts for your device.

Leaking from the door

More recently, the function of freezing ice was performed by an ordinary plastic tray in the freezer. Now in expensive models with the “icemaker” function, for example Liebherr, a generator is installed in the door, and ice is produced automatically. The module, like any element of the device, can fail. In fact, there are many reasons for such a breakdown:

• Drain hose clogged;
• Programmer malfunction;
• Evaporator thermostat malfunction;
• The door switch is broken;
• The temperature in the freezer is set incorrectly;
• Freon leak in the main circuit, etc.

To diagnose and accurately determine the causes of a leak from the door, you will have to disassemble the trim and see what happened.

Freon leak

Careless transportation, movement or exposure to a sharp object can damage the tightness of the circuit in the freon circulation system. As a result, the cooling gas evaporates and the refrigerator stops freezing.

During repairs, it is necessary to detect the damaged area and restore the integrity of the circuit, after which the freon can be replaced. This operation is not simple and requires special equipment and knowledge. This procedure is described in detail here.

Oil leak

If you find a liquid under the device that is not white, but brown or black, this indicates a violation of the integrity of the compressor circuit - there is an oil leak.

This happens as a result of external influence (impact, strong shaking) or the equipment has exhausted its service life.

A sealant will temporarily solve the problem. A complete replacement of the compressor should be carried out by a professional technician who guarantees the quality of his services.

Prevention and advice

In order for the device to serve you for a long time and reliably, you should treat it with care and follow the rules of operation and defrosting:

• Never try to break off ice or “snow cap”, as well as frozen food, using a sharp object;
• To avoid unpleasant odors, clean the inside of the device regularly;
• Place food, pots, containers at a distance of at least 2 cm from the walls of the unit;
• Regardless of the degree of freezing, carry out the defrosting process at least once a year, and preferably once every 6 months;
• Do not place hot food in the chamber. Cool them to room temperature;
• Always check that the door is closed tightly.

Results

In a fully functional refrigerator of any type of defrosting, water should not accumulate on the walls or leak onto the floor - all surfaces of the compartments, with the exception of the evaporator cooling the refrigerator, remain dry during breaks in the compressor operation. A violation can occur in any refrigeration cabinet that operates on the compressor principle, regardless of the manufacturer (Atlant, Indesit or Liebherr). If such a problem has been identified, proceed only from the design of the refrigerator system - some problems can be solved independently, while others require a specialist.

Video: getting rid of water in an LG refrigerator

WE GET RID OF WATER IN THE LG REFRIGERATOR WITH YOUR OWN HANDS

Watch this video on YouTube

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