Way OT Refrigerator

Binary chop. Turn the water off.

You'll then find out if it's water from the ice maker, or defrosted water.

For defrosted water, down at the back inside, there is a drain hole. If it's blocked with mush then water is just finding another path to surprise you. Unblock.

Age of the unit? Plastic tubing used these days becomes brittle and cracks. Tube to water dispenser [if you have one] or ice maker could be leaking. If there is a delay in water flowing to the water dispenser, you have found the issue. Or turn off the ice maker and see if that stops the leak.

The condensation is probably intended to drip onto an evaporation tray kept warm by being just above the compressor. I threaded a bit of wire through the tube that leads the water down there so I can unblock by giving it a wiggle. (A tacktick copied from "limber holes" in old boat bilges!)

Mike.

Probably a drain hole clog since there is NO water connected to the ice maker although I do put ice from another source into the ice maker just so it can dispense it.

The dispenser works OK.

My daughter has an IKEA branded Whirlpool refridgerator that leaked water on the floor every time it went through a defrost cycle. As others said, the drain hole was plugged up so the water would leak into the freezer instead of going to the drain pan.

otherwise there could be a crack in the tray on top of the compressor where the defrosted water goes

There can be condensation on the outside of a refrigerator. To prevent that, there once were low power heating elements installed near the door seals. In my experience, those elements eventually went bad.

My current refrigerator is about 15 years old, and has had the condensation problem for the past few years. While it may be possible to replace the heating elements, it is time I got a new refrigerator.

Searching the web, I found this: It indicates the electrical heaters were replaced by a different method, but does not mention when.

Fred

Reminds me of the "joggle pin" on 2-stroke motorcycle exhausts.

They had to make a hole in the silencer to drain unburned oil - that always got clogged by carbon deposits.

They put a split pin in the hole and spread it just enough to stop it falling inside.

Well, I had a crazy one some years back. One of the classic freezer on top, refrigerator below, with a wide mullion between the doors, that held the evaporator coils. The refrigerator started condensing water and dripping all over the food below. I tore the mullion apart, and there was a compartment that looked like a picnic cooler, just a bare styrofoam box, with the coils and defrost heater inside. there was some ice there, but it was clear the defrost heater was working, as there was no ice near it. I took out the styrofoam, and the lower part weighed about 20 LBS!! I left these out, and ended up putting them in a trash bag with a vacuum pump for several hours a day to draw the water out. I'd weigh it every day, and when it stopped getting lighter, I reinstalled it, but wrapped it in trash bag material to try to keep the foam from getting waterlogged again. This de- watering process took over a week. It did fix the problem.

Jon

That styrofoam waterlogging is a problem with hot tub covers. The last cover I replaced took two peope to lift it off of the tub when it was replaced. Really one person could have done it except it was so big AND heavy that it was really awkward. I paid extra for the new cover becuase it has extra wrapping to slow down how fast the styrofoam absorbs moisture. Your vacuum pump idea is a good one. I wonder how long it would take to dehydrate a hot tub cover. Maybe wait 'till the middle of winter and freeze dry it. Yeah, right. Eric

Ice diffuses slower than liquid water, which diffuses slower than water vapor. So, freeze drying only works if you can then slam it against a wall and break all the ice off, which I think is NOT what you want.

Jon

I know what you can do. You can smash it with a hammer.