Top positive review
5.0 out of 5 starsDRAIN TUBE IS A GOOD FIX ... BUT REQUIRES MANUAL REFRIGERATOR DEFROSTING TOO!
Reviewed in the United States on January 6, 2017
The Whirlpool refrigerator that I own began leaking water on the floor and developing ice in the bottom of the freezer compartment. When I researched the problem on YouTube, I found several videos that identified the source of the problem.
It seems that Whirlpool designed a "duck-billed" grommet attached with a trough to dispell water into the drain pan during defrost cycles. This fitting is easily plugged up by sediment in the water because of its narrowness. This prevents the water from flowing into the trough. Instead it leaks into the freezer compartment and becomes frozen. That ice then melts on defrost cycles and flows directly onto the floor under the freezer compartment.
Whirlpool developed this part which looks like a sink trap to resolve the problem. The "duck-billed" shaped grommet is replaced by a small cylindrical tube like spacer that is connected to solid tubing and allows the water to pass freely to the drain pan. This replacement tube does not get plugged up so it should stop water from leaking into the freezer compartment. Then during the defrost cycle, the absence of that ice assures that no water will be present and thus no leaks onto the floor.
It was VERY EASY to install if you follow the cited video CAREFULLY. I am waiting to see if in fact the problem is resolved in the coming week.
SHAME ON WHIRLPOOL! They knew about the defective part and even created the new part as a replacement. But they NEVER informed their customers or issued a recall and either a free or discounted replacement part. The customer only finds out when the water begins to appear on the floor! The price for this replacement part from Whirlpool directly is double the price offered by Amazon for the same.
It seems Whirlpool was counting on paid service calls and profit from the new replacement part. To me, this is toal disregard for its customers and smudges Whirlpool's reputation.
The part is worth the money but Whirlpool needs to hear from us!
UPDATE:
After I installed this part, I STILL had the original problem of water leaking onto the floor!
Researching further, I learned that the ice build up around the evaporator must be removed as well as the possible ice blockage at the port leading to the drain pan.
I reviewed many solution options to resolve this problem - including a removal of all the shelves in the freezer compartment - to remove the ice. I chose a pretty simple method: perform a full, manual defrost without dismantling the freezer compartment.
Before implementing the fix, I prepped as follows:
1. I filled two empty, gallon-sized milk containers with water and froze them overnight. This formed two blocks of ice that last far longer than packaged ice or ice cubes.
2. The next day, I purchased a five pound bag of dry ice from the local Publix.
3. I completely emptied the ice maker and then disconnected the refrigerator from its power source.
4. I then removed all the food, placing frozen items in a large styrofoam container with the dry ice and refrigerated items in two other styrofoam containers with the created block ice.
5. Next, I removed the ice that accumulated on the bottom of the freezer compartment (which was the source of the leaking).
6. I allowed the refrigerator to defrost for seven hours and used a hair dryer to melt ice that accumulated on the evaporator and in the drain path, while wiping up any water that made its way to the bottom of the freezer compartment. If the shelving is not removed from the freezer compartment, it's a bit of a tight situation to aim the hair dryer ... but it is possible.
7. Lastly, I connected the refrigerator back into the power source, set the freezer and refrigerator settings to the RECOMMENDED TEMPERATURES on the digital displays, per the manual, and correctly adjusted the humidifier settings for the fruit and vegetable bins.
The refrigerator has been operating properly, with NO leaks for about two weeks now! There is zero ice accumulating in the freezer and thus no water leaking onto the floor.The installed replacement drain tube gives a wider and direct flow path to the drain pan for the water created during defrost cycles of the refrigerator.
WHAT IS SIGNIFICANT HERE IS that installation of the drain tube itself will probably NOT resolve the leaking problem, since the ice build up will not go away with normal defrost cycles. It's almost certain that the manual defrosting MUST ACCOMPANY the drain tube replacement for full resolution.
Home - Interior
A drain tube in a Whirlpool freezer compartment that keeps freezing up can make defrosting your freezer a hassle. A properly flowing drain tube is important to the health of your Whirlpool refrigerator for use during defrosting and cleaning. Understanding how your Whirlpool refrigerator works will help give you an idea of why the drain tube is freezing up and some possible ways to deal with this appliance challenge.
How Whirlpool Refrigerators Operate
All refrigerators, including Whirlpools, circulate liquid coolant through the refrigeration system. Before the coolant reaches the freezer, it passes through an expansion valve. This expansion valve causes the liquid to expand into a gas in the freezer chamber, lowering the temperature. The cold air in the freezer then makes its way down into the refrigerator cabinet. After the coolant passes through the freezer, it is pumped through a compressor, which compresses the gas back to a liquid.
Drain Tubes
The purpose of the drain tube in your Whirlpool Refrigerator is to direct water into the refrigerator during the defrost cycle. As the freezer defrosts, the ice built up along the inside of the compartment heats up and melts, transforming into water. The sloped floor of the freezer compartment directs the melting water to the drain tube. Once in the tube, the water passes into the drain pan underneath the refrigerator, which catches all the water.
Refrigerator Temperature
If your drain tube is constantly freezing, this is a good sign that your refrigerator compartment is set to the incorrect temperature. This, in turn, could be causing the water draining out of the freezer drain tube to turn into ice before it reaches the refrigerator compartment. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, the correct temperature setting for a refrigerator should be below 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Because you want to keep both the tube and the food in your refrigerator compartment from freezing, the correct temperature should be between 33 and 39 degrees Fahrenheit. This will be cold enough to keep your food at the proper temperature, but warm enough to keep the drain tube from freezing.
Cleaning Out a Frozen Tube
Remove the food from your Whirlpool refrigerator and store in another refrigerator. Remove the crisper drawers and lower shelf. Start the defrost cycle on your refrigerator. Keep an eye on the drain tube in the bottom of the cabinet. Keep any food debris out of the drain opening. Break up any ice frozen on the tube inlet with a sharp wooden implement, such as a chopstick. Don't use anything metal, as this could scratch the drain tube and give bacteria a place to breed and cause odors in your refrigerator.