My rental unit’s refrigerator had a chronic issue with leaking condensation onto the floor on the left side ever since I moved in, causing floor damage to the laminate flooring.
Over time, condensation started to collect inside the refrigerator and required manual defrosting and clean-out. During my most recent effort, I decided to dig deeper and see if I could cure the problem permanently.
Opening up the evaporator cover section, I found a large spill predating my tenancy had gone behind the cover and gummed up the condensation drain.
I thawed out and cleaned all the ice/spillage on the top side, using spray alcohol to clean the evaporator coils and help melt ice.
I opened the rear of the refrigerator to find the drain tube from the refrigerator section, and found a sauce clog preventing it from draining correctly into the drip tray under the compressor.
Before it froze higher up, moisture was leaking out from the TOP of this black coupling, and trickling down the OUTSIDE of the condensation tube to the metal edge of the refrigerator chassis, where it would then be carried to the floor.
I cleaned and replaced the drain. With the tube back in place and flowing freely, the condensation is now carried to the drip tray under the compressor where its operating heat helps evaporate the moisture back into the room air.
The inside of the refrigerator section after cleaning and draining:
The metal drain tray was a bit beat up by freeze/thaw cycles; but replacement parts weren’t readily available. I hammered it back into the best shape possible and reinstalled it.
I noted that the metal clip at the bottom which had worked loose with freeze/thaw cycles needed to be installed tightly to the bottom coil with the tail in the condensation drain – it’s purpose is to help conduct water captured during defrost cycles directly to the drain and prevent the water lingering in the zone where it might freeze.
The original evaporator cover was contaminated from the spill, and had become waterlogged and started to disintegrate from repeated freeze/thaw cycles. I was able to obtain a new one for ~$100 and installed that.
The floor is still terrible, but now it’s slightly cleaner, and it’s evident that the trouble spot at the top left of the image is drying out.
After the work, the refrigerator is running more consistently – my deli meat isn’t freezing anymore, and the refrigerator is running less often.
I spent four hours cleaning, finding/ordering the part, and installing it once it arrived.