I-Home improvement

[Quasi]

Refrigerator Problems

Think you need a new refrigerator, try these options before you go shopping. I've done rental property repairs for several years and these are two typical problems I see over and over. I had to clear a drain tube yesterday so thought I would share my techniques.

A) Not Cold Enough

This is common and usually due to reduced air flow over the condenser coil on modern refrigerators. In the old days the condenser was a big flat coil on the back of the refrigerator. I wish they still sold this type, no fans, natural air flow, never clogs and always works. Modern refrigerator designers wanted a little more space, so they folded up the coil and put it under the fridge next to the compressor. The problem is a fan and duct housing is required to create air flow over the folded up coil which also became a pet hair and dust bunny collector.

This is usually a fairly easy fix, just clean it out to allow normal air flow. Best to unload heavy items in the fridge, pull it out and unplug it. Then remove the front kick plate cover and the back cardboard cover. The coil is usually accessible from the front, just clean out all the crap, you'll need some small homemade brushes and small pipes to attach to a vacuum, (see photo below of my standard tools). Now the coil may also be located in the back and might look more like an air conditioner coil, same process, just clean out all the crap. While you are back there vacuum out the fan assembly and clean all the junk off the fan blades with a tooth brush. Before re-assembly plug in the fridge and make sure the fan is rotating, very occasionally they will become seized. If seized you can often free them up with a good cleaning and a little oil, before you go out to buy a replacement.

In my experience this fixes the problem 8 out of 10 times.

B) Water in the bottom of the fridge or leaking onto the floor, or frozen water in the bottom of the freezer.

This is another common problem due to a clogged condensate drain. I can usually fix this by locating the condensate evaporation pan under the fridge, then find the drain tube which drains into it. Now use a small wire with pipe cleaner, small test tube brush or whatever else works to feed up the pipe, hopefully as far as the condensate tray inside the fridge. As you feed it in and out, you will remove all kinds of slime blocking the tube. Now use a syringe with some small tubing attached to the drain tube, push in an ounce or two of hot water then pull it back out, do this several times like you are plunging a clogged toilet. Then push in about two ounces and remove the syringe, water should flow out, if not rinse & repeat. If that doesn't work look inside the fridge, freezer and vacuum out any debris that might be clogging a drain port. The drain ports aren't always visible you might have to remove the back interior fridge or freezer panels and remove the crap that is blocking the drain, usually a pea, corn kernel, twist tie, bread clip etc etc.

Hope this saves you some money with a couple of hours of labor, but as always maybe the better half just wants a new fridge!!

Gord