Problem With Larder Fridge

[chokkie]

Not really sure where to put this question, so hope this section will be appropriate.

We have a larder fridge in our small kitchen, it's an integral part of the fitted kitchen, so the door is covered with a matching cover. We've had this fridge ever since we had the kitchen fitted, which is absolutely ages! Just noticed a bit of a problem inside the fridge. The two "salad storer" plastic boxes at the bottom of the fridge, have about half an inch of water in them, and when I take them out of the fridge, the "dips" where they fit in also have a pool of water in them. Any ideas ... I suspect that something is blocked somewhere and so all the water which should be draining away is going into these boxes. I hope that we don't need a new fridge, but I suspect that we will. The fridge doesn't really owe us anything, but it would be a shame to have to disrupt everything to put one in. Hope someone can help, cheers, chox.

[Old_Geezer]

Do you see drainage holes at the back to remove water in the air, that may need unblocking ?

[Prudie]

This happens to my fridge (which is also behind matching doors) and it's usually because the hole is blocked when it auto-defrosts- somewhere near the back of the fridge is a small draining hole that needs unblocking. You are usually provided with a plastic poker thing to do it with but if not a plastic straw works well. If you do have to replace it's not as big a deal as it may appear, you just need to buy an integrated fridge of the same size and then your kitchen door fits back on (we did).

[chokkie]

Thanks for the suggestion, OG. I can't bend very well, so will get Mr. Chox to have a look for me. I know that there is a hole at the back of the fridge at the bottom, which could well be blocked up. Will empty the fridge first, though, of course. Will let you know. Cheers, Chox.

[Old_Geezer]

That question has been raised before and I recall a blocked exit turning out to be the issue. Prudie may have the exact details.

[KARL]

Self defrosting fridges incorporate an arrangement whereby the cooling surfaces (within or behind which is the cooling circuit) frost up as one would expect during the "on" running time but during the "off" period these gradually warm up to above freezing and the frost quickly melts - then the whole thing repeats.

The meltwater runs down to a groove which directs the flow toward a drainhole. This hole is just through the inner lining of the cabinet and ends in a very short tube-like shape but from there a proper and separate plastic tube is usually fitted onto the "nipple" and this second piece leads the water onto a small bowl-like feature on top of the motor - when the motor runs it warms up and the water evaporates. The drainhole can become blocked by wet traces of food being colonised by fungi.

What you could do is to gently feed in something a bit smaller in diameter than the hole at the back of the inside of the fridge. This must not be too hard/rigid or you risk damaging the water path - I suggest something like electric flex with a clean cut right through at the end that goes in first. If you succeed this way you will avoid having to move the fridge forward.

Note that more frost will be produced inside the fridge if food is uncovered and not in any bins, so to minimise humidity/meltwater one needs to consciously store things appropriately.

[chokkie]

Thanks for all your suggestions, folks - much appreciated. Will take a look at the little drainage hole, I think I know where it is. A straw is a good idea for the job .... would rather not get a new fridge if the problem can be sorted so easily. Cheers, Chox.

[chokkie]

Thanks again for all your help folks, have had a bit of a wiggle around with a suitable implement, and that drainage hole seems to be clear now. It was a bit gunky anyway, but there was also a bit of cling filmy stuff which seemed to be blocking it as well. Anyway, will give it a while and if it happens again, might contact the fridge manufacturers. Cheers again, Chox.

[TonyV]

Hi Chok had similar problem last week and ended up buying new appliance. Only thing I didn't try was trying drain hole as suggested above. Best supplier and price I found was AO.

[zebo]

We had problems with a fairly modern Bosch fridge freezer having pools of water and ice blocks under the salad drawer. The drain hole was kept clear and we turned the temperature up a degree which seemed to help the situation.