How To Fix A Freezer That Leaks Water

There is nothing worse than seeing water dripping at the bottom of your freezer. It can only mean that there is a faulty part in the freezer. In many cases, the culprit is the defrost drain. During the defrost cycle of the freezer, water flows through the defrost drain. When this water freezes, the drain becomes clogged with ice, and with time the defrost water overflows and leaks from the freezer, usually from the bottom.  The following tips explain how you can deal with the situation.

 Locating The Drain

Before you begin your repairs, first you need to find the location of your drain. Location of the drain mostly depends on the type of freezer you have. If it is a top freezer, the drain is either located at the back or near the evaporator cover. If it is out the back, the drain is fairly visible, but if it is near the evaporator cover, you must remove the cover from out the back of your freezer first. Once it is off, you should be able to spot the drain below the evaporator.

Most bottom freezers are equipped with drawer types of doors. For these freezers, you must first remove the door to find the drain. Once you have dealt with the door, remove the evaporator cover and you will spot the drain under the evaporator coils.  

Locating the drain in a side by side freezer is the easiest. Just open door and look at the bottom of your freezer. If you can't find it there, get to the evaporator cover in the back of your freezer and remove it. You should be able to see it below the evaporator.  

Clearing The Drain

After locating the drain, the hard task of unclogging begins. Here are a few simple ways you can clear the drain:

• Melting the ice. If the drain is blocked by ice, you will see some ice on the top. Boil some water and pour it on the ice. Then clean the rest of the way using a turkey baster. Pour hot water into the baster until it fills and spray the water forcefully into the drain until you are satisfied that water can flow freely.
• Using baking soda. You can also clear the drain using a solution of water and baking soda. Mix ¼ parts of baking soda with ¾ parts of water to prepare the right solution. Then pour two cups of the solution in the drain. You can even use a basting syringe to force the solution in the drain; the force also aids in pushing the clog down.

It is important, however, to play safe before you begin to work on the drain. And in this scenario, you are only in danger of one thing: electrical shock. Hence, unplug the freezer before you start.  If these methods don't work, contact a local appliance service to help with your freezer repair.