How To Check For Refrigerator Leaks

If you walk into your kitchen and find that your refrigerator is leaking

, the natural response is to want to call the appliance repairman. And that may be your best or only option. But if you're the kind of homeowner who likes to take on projects, saving time and money, you might be able to solve this problem on your own. By inspecting doing a few simple things to inspect your refrigerator, it's possible to save a call to the repairman. Read on to see what you need to do.

Check the seal.

While water on the floor can cause a panic, you may not have a leak at all. Rather there may be a gap in the seal around the door. That will cause the refrigerator to run overtime trying to keep things cool, which in turns causes condensation to build up on the coils. The rubber door seals need to be checked to make sure that there is a proper seal. It's possible that spilled food or liquid has built up in the seal to prevent the proper closing.

If a problem is found, you can wash the seal with warm soapy water. Then apply a thin coat of lubricant, such as petroleum jelly. If that doesn't fix the seal, you may have to replace the gaskets.

Make sure that the doors are closing properly. Open each door and hold it halfway open. When you release it, the door should close completely. If not you may need to check the adjustable legs on the appliance to make sure that your refrigerator tilts slightly to the rear. If it's unbalance in the wrong direction it can compromise the seal. Use adjustable pliers, to turn each leg clockwise one turn. Repeat this process until the doors close properly.

Check the drain pan.

Refrigerators regularly drain water into the drain pan to prevent water from pooling in the appliance. It could be that the leak is just a cracked or damaged drain pan. Most of the time, evaporation will take care of this small amount of water. Pull of the grid on the front of your refrigerator then pull the drain pan out from under your refrigerator to inspect it. Put it in your sink and fill it with water to test it for leaks. If it's damaged, you need to replace it as soon as possible.

Check the defrost drain.

A leak inside the unit as opposed to outside may mean a clogged defrost drain. The condensation inside drips down into the defrost drain and then to the drain pain underneath. The defrost drain can become clogged or more likely freeze shut. The manual that came with your refrigerator will show you were to locate the defrost drain and should give you instructions on how to declog it. Often flushing with warm water will take care of it. You can use a meat baster to force water through. If the drain is working properly, the water will collect in the drain pan.

Check the ice maker for leaks.

While not the most common source of leaks, the water line to the icemaker can sometimes come loose. It may be as simple as tightening the connections or replacing the line that leads to the icemaker. Be sure to shut the water off first. If these solutions don't work, it's time to contact the appliance repairman. Do so as soon as possible. Sometimes a leak in a refrigerator indicates a much larger problem. This becomes more urgent if you suspect that the leak is not water, but the refrigerant which is a toxic material.

by: Lawrence Reaves

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