Fridge freezer leaking water
Water under or inside a fridge freezer is usually a blocked defrost drain, a cracked drain tray or a failed door seal. Find and fix the source before restarting the appliance.
Likely causes, ranked
- Blocked defrost drain tube Most likely — Water from the automatic defrost cannot reach the evaporation tray, so it pools under the salad drawers or runs out onto the floor.
- Blocked defrost drain tube Likely — Water from the automatic defrost cannot reach the evaporation tray, so it pools under the salad drawers or runs out onto the floor.
- Blocked defrost drain Possible — Food debris blocks the drain hole at the back of the fridge section.
- Cracked or misaligned drain tray Possible — Melt water escapes instead of evaporating.
First checks
- Unplug the fridge freezer.
- Find the drain hole at the back of the fridge compartment (often behind a plastic cover). Flush it with warm water using a turkey baster or syringe until water runs through to the tray below.
- Check the evaporation tray above the compressor at the back-bottom of the appliance is seated correctly and not overflowing.
- Check the appliance is level (front slightly higher than back by design; a wrongly-tilted appliance spills defrost water forward). Door seals that let humid air in also add defrost water — check the door seal with the paper-grip test.
Safety
Unplug or switch off at the wall before any check. Never work on gas appliances, refrigerant circuits or anything beyond external access yourself.
Call a professional when…
You cannot find the source after clearing the drain and checking the tray and seals, or the leak returns within a day or two.