Blocked Fridge Drain? 

Blocked Fridge Drain

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You will know when your fridge drain is blocked as water will begin to pool at the bottom of your fridge in the shelves or salad drawers. This happens when debris gets stuck inside the drain, the water has no exit point, therefore it resorts to pooling at the bottom of your fridge. You can also spot this earlier as you can see when the drain hole at the back of your fridge is filled with water.

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When condensation forms in your fridge, the water runs down the drain hole into a tray at the bottom of the appliance. Blocked fridge drains are easy to spot as water will begin to pool at the bottom of your fridge in the shelves or salad drawers. ​This happens as when debris gets stuck inside the drain hole/ the water has no exit point, therefore it resorts to pooling at the bottom of your fridge. You may also notice a bad smell coming from the fridge which can smell like stagnant water.

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Cleaning the fridge out every so often can prevent this debris getting caught up in the drain, but if you do find yourself with a blocked drain, here's what to do:

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Switch off the fridge at the power source.

Remove food and any drawers.

Mop up all the excess water which has collected in the bottom of your fridge and in the drawer or box at the bottom.

Once dry, clear the debris from the hole. You can use a piece of wire or a cable tie to clear any blockages in the hole and then a cotton bud or cloth to wipe up any debris that has come out around the edges of the hole.

Put the drawers back and turn the fridge back on.

The easiest way to avoid blocked fridge drains is to regularly clean out the fridge of any dirt and debris.

A quick wipe might fix the issue in the short term, but you should try unblocking the hole as soon as possible as this can lead to issues with the fridge, such as issues with keeping food cool.

What to do if water is still pooling in your fridge

If you have tried the above steps, and still see water pooling at the bottom of the fridge, the clog could be further down the hole, a longer cable tie should do the trick. Once done, you should check and empty the drain tray if needed.