I'm trying to fix a fairly modern fridge that is leaking more than a normal refrig would leak even if the evaporative tray were removed. The lady says it will soak a large towel daily. I turned off the water supply line pressure as she wasn't using the ice maker. No effect.

I can't find any of the normal smoking guns. It's been humid of late - 60 to 70% and my best guess is that somewhere the refrigerant is cooling one of the lines before it gets into the freezer and is condensing much water. Can't find it though.

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1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K

Bleach out your unit's drain tubes. If you can source them. Drain may need emptying. -Another possibility.

I agree with skidmark on this, blocked drain.

Where is the leak coming from? Is the drain hose disconnected? Is the defrost system cycling too often?

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1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

I once had water pooling in the bottom of the inside of the refrigerator. Suspecting a frozen drain system, I emptied the refrigerator, unplugged it, and let it sit for 24 hours. The drain defrosted, and everything was fine.

Good questions and feedback. The unit is in a mother-in-law cottage rental at a client's house. The tenant, a woman in her 60s, is a bit of a pack rat. The place is tidy but filled up. Just pulling the unit away from the wall took some doing.

Not sure about defrost cycle going too often. I took the back plate in the freezer off, it had some frost buildup in the middle, the rest clean, so I can be somewhat assured that it defrosted fairly recently. I couldn't find any blockage in the drain tubing up in that area. It's hard to tell where the water is coming from, somewhere underneath is all I can figure. The evaporative tray was bone dry. I'll be out there again today, I'll see if I can find anything else. It's unfortunate because in every other respect it works perfectly.

She has a bunch of meat in the freezer. Maybe the main house unit has some room to store it long enough for a 24 hour off period but unlikely.

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1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K

Perfect test.

For keeping things cold, get some blocks of dry ice and a sufficient size chest or just a large cardboard box with a about a 2" to 4" liner of crumpled newspaper or kraft paper to provide some insulation. Don't skimp on the dry ice. Use a layer on the bottom, middle, and top, and everything will be colder than the freezer can do. It'll cost about $30 for the dry ice.

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Toyota is a leader only because their drivers block everyone behind them. Oh what a feeling.

The tube running to the evap tray from where water is collected (at the base of the cooling coil) is leaking or disconnected. Or the collection tray is leaking.

If the tube were blocked, water would collect inside the fridge.

X2. The drain tube is disconnected somewhere.

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1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

Top or bottom freezer?
Our brand new Maytag bottom freezer fridge started doing that last year. Frost free warm up cycle was refreezing water in the inadequate drain hole in the floor of the freezer. Or something. Anyhow the service guy cleared it and it's been fine since. Humidity was the key, it was during the summer rainy season.

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You're a daisy if you do.
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84 Euro 240D 4spd. 220.5k sold
04 Honda Element AWD
1985 F150 XLT 4x4, 351W with 270k miles, hay hauler
1997 Suzuki Sidekick 4x4
1993 Toyota 4wd Pickup 226K and counting

Who you trying to fool? If it was last year it is NOT brand new any more

Provisions are usually adequate to drain down to the evaporator tray on the compressor. Unless there is a problem with the drain or drains. We are in the north in comparison to yourself and our fridge drain plugs off about every two to three years.

I guess they could also disconnect as others have experienced as well. symptomatically there is always water inside our fridge when this occurs.

Apparently I was premature. They are now telling me that I'm a genius and that turning off the water pressure has done the trick. I hoped that might be it but I wasn't optimistic. The other possibility is that when I had everything shut off and the freezer back panel off (freezer on top BTW) the drain line thawed out and obstruction passed. The bit of frost that had been in the middle of the freezer element melted (I had it off about an hour, with the frozen goods under a blanket), who knows, maybe the drain did also.

OTOH, the lady told me that she would use large bath towels, folded up several times, on the floor just in front of it and they would become soaking wet in one day. I have a hard time imagining that much condensation in one day so maybe there was indeed a leak in the ice machine water line. It didn't show up the first day, perhaps water was still dripping from insulation or something.

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1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K

If the unit is equipped with a water filter be suspect of that area. On a Frigidaire with an inside filter it will leak and run straight down the wall and out the door.

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00 E420
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97 S500
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86 Holden Jackaroo Turbo D
86 300SDL
(o\|/o)

The lady had removed the small ice bucket that catches the cubes. I had to take it out (the ice maker) and unplug it to get the back panel off, I probably should have just left it out. At any rate, unlikely they will turn the water back on for it.

But thanks, that bit about the filter makes sense, maybe I was on the right track.

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1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K