My fridge just recently started defrosting on one side and leaking onto the floor (when I open the fridge door). You'll see in the pics that the metal fins in the back of the fridge are frozen/frosty on one side and melted/wet with condensation on the other. The condensation on the melted side is building up and collecting and dripping into a puddle in the fridge. The fridge seals normally. The freezer seems fine, but has a lot of frosty stuff on the back of it (I assume that's normal). I noticed a few weeks ago that the "check" light is on. I don't remember if it's always been on or that's new. The problem only started a few days ago. I am running my fridge on electric, on a 30 amp circuit that my rv is hooked up to. I'm not using the gas feature for my fridge at all. Does anyone know what's going on, or have had this experience?
Fridge fail
- Thread starter csarm
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Rene T
Site Team
Do you have a collection tray under the fins to catch any water? If you do, there should be a drain line at the bottom of the catch gray and the water should drain continuously away from the fridge. Sometimes it drains into a small container behind the fridge where it evaporates. Some fridges have that drain line exit the back of the fridge through the lower vent door and it just drains on the ground. Either way, that line has a very small tip with a very small hole to keep bugs out but still allows the water to drain. That may be your issue.
NY_Dutch
Well-known member
Remove the outside lower vent cover and check for any signs of yellow powder and/or an ammonia smell that would indicate a refrigerant leak. If there are no signs of any leakage, try running the fridge on propane to see if the issue improves. If it does, that could indicate a problem with the electric heating element.
Rene T
Site Team
Have you taken any temperature readings of the fridge and freezer sections?
NY_Dutch
Well-known member
Looking at your pictures again, you really need to defrost the fridge. All that ice buildup on the coils cuts down the cooling efficiency. That may be part of the problem...
JudyJB
Well-known member
You definitely need to defrost both the freezer and get rid of the ice buildup on the fins in the refrigerator immediately, like tonight. (I have to do mine about every 3-4 months.) There should be only a small amount of ice on the fins and in the back of the freezer!!
First, you need to determine if you have that drain tray under the fins and if the hole at one end is not clogged. It should sit so that the drain hole fits into a little fitting that enables the water to drain out the back of the refrigerator and through a hose of some sort that lets the water go outside. You will need to take the outside cover out to determine this. If you don't have a drain tray, you are going to need a stack of rags to sop up the melted water.
Second, while you have the outside cover off, make sure there are not any insect nests anywhere. Sometimes wasps or other bugs decide this is a handy place to set up housekeeping and take a long trip at the same time. They can clog up the drain system and also cause electrical problems.
Third, assuming there is nothing blocking water from draining when you defrost your refrigerator and you have removed any insect nests, go back inside and turn off the refrigerator by pushing the Off button in the control panel.
Fourth, empty everything out of your refrigerator. (I get away by just emptying the top shelf if I know the drain is working properly.)
Fifth, get out a hair dryer and wave it back and forth over the fins until the ice melts. Don't let it stay in one spot long enough to melt any plastic--just keep it moving. The melted water will be caught by the little tray and exit down the hole and run outside down the side of your RV, assuming everything is clear. Keep at it until the ice on the fins is completely melted.
Finally, wipe any water up that dripped on your floor or got into the bottom of your refrigerator. You might want to remove the bottom vegetable drawers to check on this. Good time to wipe shelves off and toss any spoiled food, as well!!! This usually takes me 15-20 minutes.
All of this will wear you out, but you need to tackle the freezer next. I completely empty it out of all food and do the hair dryer thing on the back wall, but again, make sure you do not melt any plastic, so keep it moving and watch what you are doing.
Unfortunately, on my freezer there is no hole to drain melted water, so I have to sop it up with rags and then wring them in the sink. When all the ice is gone, wipe everything down, and again toss out food you no longer want and did not know you had!!
Have fun!!! Note that it will take a few hours to get completely cold again, so you may need to put some food in a cooler for a while. But once you know the problem is NOT an ice buildup, you can tackle other potential causes.
First, you need to determine if you have that drain tray under the fins and if the hole at one end is not clogged. It should sit so that the drain hole fits into a little fitting that enables the water to drain out the back of the refrigerator and through a hose of some sort that lets the water go outside. You will need to take the outside cover out to determine this. If you don't have a drain tray, you are going to need a stack of rags to sop up the melted water.
Second, while you have the outside cover off, make sure there are not any insect nests anywhere. Sometimes wasps or other bugs decide this is a handy place to set up housekeeping and take a long trip at the same time. They can clog up the drain system and also cause electrical problems.
Third, assuming there is nothing blocking water from draining when you defrost your refrigerator and you have removed any insect nests, go back inside and turn off the refrigerator by pushing the Off button in the control panel.
Fourth, empty everything out of your refrigerator. (I get away by just emptying the top shelf if I know the drain is working properly.)
Fifth, get out a hair dryer and wave it back and forth over the fins until the ice melts. Don't let it stay in one spot long enough to melt any plastic--just keep it moving. The melted water will be caught by the little tray and exit down the hole and run outside down the side of your RV, assuming everything is clear. Keep at it until the ice on the fins is completely melted.
Finally, wipe any water up that dripped on your floor or got into the bottom of your refrigerator. You might want to remove the bottom vegetable drawers to check on this. Good time to wipe shelves off and toss any spoiled food, as well!!! This usually takes me 15-20 minutes.
All of this will wear you out, but you need to tackle the freezer next. I completely empty it out of all food and do the hair dryer thing on the back wall, but again, make sure you do not melt any plastic, so keep it moving and watch what you are doing.
Unfortunately, on my freezer there is no hole to drain melted water, so I have to sop it up with rags and then wring them in the sink. When all the ice is gone, wipe everything down, and again toss out food you no longer want and did not know you had!!
Have fun!!! Note that it will take a few hours to get completely cold again, so you may need to put some food in a cooler for a while. But once you know the problem is NOT an ice buildup, you can tackle other potential causes.
8Muddypaws
Well-known member
That much frost is usually a sign of bad door seals.
Ex-Calif
Well-known member
I like the hair dryer trick - I have been using hot/wet towels.
My freezer has no drain at all. I saw a post here from someone that says if the fridge has a high humidity setting (like mine) it can cause more rapid ice build up - I switched mine and it seems to go longer between needing a thaw out.
For OP - Also check the freezer door seal - especially on the side were ice is accumulating - Long shot but worth looking at.
My freezer has no drain at all. I saw a post here from someone that says if the fridge has a high humidity setting (like mine) it can cause more rapid ice build up - I switched mine and it seems to go longer between needing a thaw out.
For OP - Also check the freezer door seal - especially on the side were ice is accumulating - Long shot but worth looking at.
Gary RV_Wizard
Site Team
I see the check light is on, so I'm surprised it is cooling at all. IMO, the first priority is to diagnose that condition. It's in AUTO mode, so would have switched to Gas if there was a total 120v electrical outage. And yes, it badly needs defrosting too.
What is the make/model of the fridge? It looks like a Dometic but I can't identify the model. And you said "one side", but it appears to be a single door model, not double-door. Do you mean that only one end of the fins has lost the heavy frost? Or that there are two separate sections to the freezer like some double-door models have?
What is the make/model of the fridge? It looks like a Dometic but I can't identify the model. And you said "one side", but it appears to be a single door model, not double-door. Do you mean that only one end of the fins has lost the heavy frost? Or that there are two separate sections to the freezer like some double-door models have?
Kirk
Well-known member
That light indicates that something has gone wrong with your refrigerator and probably whatever the cause is has been getting worse ever since the light first came on. If you continue to just live with it there is a very high probability that in time the refrigerator will fail completely.
That picture is clearly taken in the chill box portion of your refrigerator and not the freezer.
I took it to my photo editor and brightened it in order to be sure. What do the coils in the freezer look like? I suspect that they are ice coated as well. As others have said, the first thing to do is to defrost the entire refrigerator including the freezer. Once you have done that, power it up to see if the check light remains on as that may have been triggered by the ice buildup covering the thermistor and most of the cooling capacity.
I agree with Gary on this. We need to know that make and the model of the refrigerator. If you open the door there is usually a tag inside of the chill box and usually on the right side. That information would enable us to know what service manual to use.
In studying your picture, one thing that I notice is that you have it packed so full that there is probably very little air circulation. After you have defrosted it completely, do not stuff it so full. One thing that would help in yours is to use a battery operated refrigerator fan inside to help circulate the cool air.
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Gary RV_Wizard
Site Team
The freezer often does not have fins - the chill plate is embedded in the freezer wall.
CharlesinGA
Well-known member
That looks like a Dometic fridge. They use a drain hose that is expected to be run out the bottom of the RV or out the vent. In mine, I installed bug screens in the vent and the drain hose was broken and water was spilling onto the plastic bottom surface below/behind the fridge. I installed a new drain hose (which snakes thru the coils on the back) and used an aluminum grease catch cup from a Blackstone Griddle as a catch can. Some 3M VHB tape holds it down.
The OP needs to empty the fridge out, defrost it completely and verify the positioning of the drip pan and the integrity of the drain hose, vent "stopper" in the end of it and the routing out of the RV. Then restart everything and see how it operates.
I use one of THESE fridge temp monitors to keep track of the fridge and freezer. Its battery powered (but has a USB power cord also) and bluetooth and works great.
Here are shots of what my drain hose looked like when I removed it. The old hose was white, the new Dometic hose is black. The way it is interlaced into the coils on the back I did not want to use something like clear vinyl hose.
My travel buddy bought a 2017 trailer almost a year ago. In doing a prebuy on it we discovered the drain tube (Dometic) had been coiled up by Dometic and shoved into the coils, and the RV manufacturer had NEVER pulled out the tubing and routed it out of the trailer when they installed it, It .was still rolled up in the coils on the back of the fridge.
Charles
The OP needs to empty the fridge out, defrost it completely and verify the positioning of the drip pan and the integrity of the drain hose, vent "stopper" in the end of it and the routing out of the RV. Then restart everything and see how it operates.
I use one of THESE fridge temp monitors to keep track of the fridge and freezer. Its battery powered (but has a USB power cord also) and bluetooth and works great.
Here are shots of what my drain hose looked like when I removed it. The old hose was white, the new Dometic hose is black. The way it is interlaced into the coils on the back I did not want to use something like clear vinyl hose.
My travel buddy bought a 2017 trailer almost a year ago. In doing a prebuy on it we discovered the drain tube (Dometic) had been coiled up by Dometic and shoved into the coils, and the RV manufacturer had NEVER pulled out the tubing and routed it out of the trailer when they installed it, It .was still rolled up in the coils on the back of the fridge.
Charles
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Kirk
Well-known member
It would appear that csarm has not been back to see what is suggested?
Ex-Calif.....I don't see anything wrong with the hair dryer trick for defrosting if your are careful, but I don't use it...But I might if I was in need of a quicker defrost. My fridge manual on my Dometic DM2652 fridge says "DO NOT" use a hair dryer or similar heating device for defrosting the fridge. I know...people do it all the time...Just saying...........................
Henry J Fate
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jun 14, 2018
- Posts
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Hair dryers are fine if used with caution. Expeditated thermal expansion of materials and the sealed system should be considered. The best way is to leave the freezer door partly open and place the hair dryer nozzle into the cabinet on low. Don't forget to shut the fridge off. It's nice to be able to expedite the defrosting process but don't get too greedy
Manufactures will decide against the use of this method to shed any liability of the possible adverse effects.
Ex-Calif
Well-known member
Because my freezer has no drain, I have to mop up the water anyway. I may try the hairdryer next time but hot towels works pretty fast. I guess the key is to stay ahead of things and not let the ice build up too much.
NY_Dutch
Well-known member
Regular defrosting is one thing I really don't miss with our self-defrosting residential fridge.
We never have to defrost until we get home from a trip...even on a 4 month trip. The freezer does get a little frosty but not enough to need to defrost on a trip. I use the Fridge-fix fan unit that is wired to the hot side of the fridge door switch. It blows air through the cooling fins in the fridge section. That eliminates ALL ice from building up on the fins and eliminates cold and warm spots in the fridge section. So, I have a drain in the fridge section that never needs defrosting and never has any water to drain...and no drain in the freezer section that has water to drain when defrosting. My trailer stores on the side of the house and I plug the trailer into the garage outlet and we take our time emptying the trailer and fridge. When empty I turn the fridge off and use the Dometic door clips to hold the doors ajar. I have a beach towel that I put in the freezer and I remove that the next day, after the defrost, and hang it out to dry. Not as good as self defrosting models but works fine for us!
Rene T
Site Team
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