[westing]

A couple of strips of my hardwood floor told me a had a problem with my side-by-side refrig freezer. I pulled back the freezer condenser cover (inside the freezer) and noticed the silver coils all had frost on them (frost may be worse at the bottom). Is frost normal or not? There was additional ice and ice clogging the drain hole but I cleared it with a little hot water. Is the black coil looking thing some type of heater element that keeps frost off the silver coils? And the drain hole, does that drain back to the unit somehow or does every drop of water that goes through it go into the cheap plastic catch under the refrig.? That's what I can't figure out, is the black coil (if it is a heater) not doing its job? Or are the silver coils not doing their job? My first guess is that the plastic catch under the refrig had a leak and warped a strip of my hardwoods but I more think that the water was mainly just coming out of the door at the front of the refrig, because when I poured the hot water to clear the drain, the water stayed in the catch below the refrig. Thanks a lot for your assistance in advance! JL

[woodchuckie]

Your evaporator coils frost up in normal use and every eight hours or so the entire unit shuts down and the defrost heater comes on to melt the frost. This cycle last about 20 minutes. The melted frost drips into a drain pan and through a drain tube to the drain tray under the freezer/refrigerator where it's evaporated by the condenser fan.

Your drain tube may be stopped up with ice at the upper end because it drains too slow because it's stopped up at the lower end in the evaporator pan under the unit at the floor. It can get dust and mold in it. Once you get the ice out at the top a little pressure with a turkey baster will usually clear it out. Flushing it out with hot water and clorox may help. Make sure it drains quick enough to prevent refreezing. . The drain should be located below the evaporator coils on the lower back of the freezer.

Everything except the drain seem to be working normal.

[westing]

Originally Posted by woodchuckie

Your evaporator coils frost up in normal use and every eight hours or so the entire unit shuts down and the defrost heater comes on to melt the frost. This cycle last about 20 minutes. The melted frost drips into a drain pan and through a drain tube to the drain tray under the freezer/refrigerator where it's evaporated by the condenser fan.

Your drain tube may be stopped up with ice at the upper end because it drains too slow because it's stopped up at the lower end in the evaporator pan under the unit at the floor. It can get dust and mold in it. Once you get the ice out at the top a little pressure with a turkey baster will usually clear it out. Flushing it out with hot water and clorox may help. Make sure it drains quick enough to prevent refreezing. . The drain should be located below the evaporator coils on the lower back of the freezer.

Everything except the drain seem to be working normal.

Great info, thank you! (I was wondering how the water in the tray went away and I did notice the hot air blowing on it but I couldn't imagine it could be that simple). I do think the hot water cleared the entire drain because it seemed to pour right on through but I will an eye on it or I'll just do the baster to be sure. Thanks!.