Brand: Frigidaire Model Number: FRT18QRHW3 Main Symptom: Water in the fridge What happens & when:
Error Code (if any):
Parts or tests already tried:
Photos / video link:
Had water in the fridge. Disconnected for 2 days. Opened the freezer panel inside, located the drain hole. I can see there is some type of filter in the drain hole, I am not sure if I need to remove it or not, does not appear to be dirt. Any ideas (I poked a little hole through it)? I did put some hot water and it goes down slowly.
Also, the hole appears to lead to a spout inside the fridge, which leads to the drain pipe directly. But it seems glued to the back wall of the fridge and I don’t want to pull it as I am afraid it will break. Maybe it is blocked there. Any ideas on this too? Thank you.
When you poured the hot water in and it drained slow, was that before or after you poked a hole in the object in the drain hole? Did it overflow at the spout inside the fridge?
Hard to say as I put a lot of water in the hole with a turkey baster, it started going down slow, but better after I poked the hole. It did not overflow at the spout inside the fridge.
Can that spout inside the fridge be removed, so I can see if the hole going out to the drain pipe is somewhat blocked?
Yes, you can carefully pull it off. But I’m more concerned with whatever is sitting in that drain hole. From the picture, it looks like something may be completely blocking the drain.
See if you can carefully remove whatever is in there. I don’t remember refrigerators that old having a screen or anything similar covering the drain opening.
Also, the fact that the spout inside the refrigerator isn’t overflowing makes me think the drain tube itself may not be the main problem. Still, while you’re there, it wouldn’t hurt to check the tube and make sure it’s clear all the way through.
When you say carefully pull the spout off, I tried but it is not coming out, I am scared to force it out, how is it holding?
I can try to remove the material that looks like a screen/filter, but just want to be sure first, as the water will fall directly in the spout without anything holding it / filter.
I did the water test yesterday after I cleaned it, but not much dirt came out of it. However, like I said, it appears that after I poked the little hole, it seemed to be working fine, found all of the water in the bottom basket. Is it an issue if I poked a little hole in it? By the way, were did you find the information please that the screen is molded in?
The Frigidaire FRT18QRHW3 refrigerator features a built-in defrost drain hole filter/screen located at the bottom center of the evaporator drip channel. This screen is designed to catch food crumbs and lint so they do not slide into the tube and cause water to back up into your fresh food compartment. [1, 2]
How to Address the Defrost Drain Screen
Leave it in place: The screen is a built-in, molded part of the drain structure or cup assembly. Do not attempt to forcefully pull or tear it out of the back wall, as you risk cracking the liner or the molded drain spout. [1]
Expect a slow drain: Because the screen acts as a grid filter, water poured down the drain hole will naturally go down slowly. A slow-draining stream is completely normal behavior as long as it empties entirely. [1]
Clear any surface blockages: Use a small brush or a cotton swab to gently wipe away any dust, slime, or food debris sitting right on top of the grid screen
That is precious information, thank you. The link to the part shows ‘‘Frigidaire 216503100 Freezer Drain Screen OEM Part’’, but it looks nothing like the one in my picture (mine is more like a filter)? There was not much dirt or debris, so not sure what the issue may have been?By the way, are you a technician Jeffrey?
Yes. That was a general description I could find nothing in the literature for your specific model.
And yes I am a technician with over 29 years experience
I poured quite some water in it yesterday, and it seems to be ok now, but I did not find anything that may have been clogging it, which is strange, so I don,t know what the issue was. Regarding the spout inside, I guess I should not touch it? I tried but could not get anything in there because of the awkward position (I tried with a zip tie). I can only presume it is not clogged. Anything else I can do?
If you’re getting a steady flow of water down to the drain pan I’d say no. It may have frozen up before all the water could drain. If the coils look good . I’d put it back together and see what happens. If it freezes again send me pictures of the ice before you melt it
Ok thank you, you have been a great help. This has been going on for about 3 month. The first timeI just disconnected it to let the ice melt, but the issue came back. So now I opened it, tried to clean it (like I said there was not much dirt or debris). Will assemble it and try it again. Was getting ready to go purchase a new one, and now it also appears we can expect a price increase from what I see in the news.
Hi Jefffery, just an update. It has been a few days now and not one drop of water, I’m hoping it continues, will keep you posted. Not sure how it just fixed itself, maybe some debris flushed down the drain pipe to the pan and I didn’t see it (but the drain pipe is very thin).
In retrospect, maybe the little hole I poked in it was a good thing as it may be helping the water to drain. I’ll see what happens for a few more days. Thank you again.
Also, may I ask please if you are aware how the evaporation process for the water pan works in this particular model? I did not see a fan around the pan. I looked today and the pan was about 3/4 full on one side, but I just emptied the water while I was there.
The pan is very rusted and it appears I can see the top of the compressor it sits on (which was warm). I am wondering if the water may be falling directly on the compressor and sliding to the pan, if that may be an issue? I see the pan is no longer available to buy (part #26).
It’s just the heat from the compressor which evaporates the water. A lot of what you are seeing in the pan is actually deposits left behind by evaporated water and mol. I would clean the pan out real good then look for obvious holes. Then I would pour water into it to check for leaks. On average a defrost cycle only produces a cup or two of melt water
Thank you. I cleaned the pan real good, verified and there are no holes, so all is fine. Question please regarding the Styrofoam part in my picture (air diffusor I guess). You can see 2 drops of water in the picture, is that normal, the water condensation on that part or the frozen drops?
A little occasional condensation is normal. If you notice a constant drip or excessive build up of moisture, you may have a leak where the drain pan drain goes into the fridge
