Blackbeered
Premium Member
- Model Number
- LRFD25850
- Brand
- LG
- Age
- 6-10 years
Since purchased in 2006, I repeatedly get water leaking onto my kitchen floor at 6-mo intervals.
Here's the 'chain-of-events': [1] the evaporator and defrost heater are working fine; [2] the condensate tray beneath defrost heater collects water and conveys to drain; [3] condensate drains thru drain and drain tube into condensate tray adjacent to condenser at base of refrigerator; [4] gradually, the draining condensate freezes and the water backs up in the condensate tray; [5] as unit continues to run thru its defrost cycles normally, condensate overflows the 'iceberg' that's formed in the condensate tray and spills onto the floor of the freezer compartment; [6] when the iceberg on the bottom of the freezer compartment grows large enough, the condensate water spills out the bottom of the freezer door onto the kitchen floor.
There are dozens of YouTube videos on how to disassemble the refrigerator to thaw out the ice ... but there are no references anywhere I could find on how to prevent the water [standing?] in the drain tube from freezing in the first place. I do see that Whirlpool models had a similar issue and they redesigned the drain tube [it's now a P-tube, which you can buy and switch over to]. LG hasn't. There's also reference to "after-market" drain tube heaters, but I can't them.
I called LG and asked if they had a solution. They said they didn't; the only "fix" was to empty the freezer every 3 months and remove [defrost] the ice build-up at the bottom of the freezer before it's large enough to cause water overflow!
And I was told "we don't recommend after-market drain tube heaters."
Judging my the thousands of comments about this on the internet, I am surprised there hasn't been a class-action lawsuit.
Here's the 'chain-of-events': [1] the evaporator and defrost heater are working fine; [2] the condensate tray beneath defrost heater collects water and conveys to drain; [3] condensate drains thru drain and drain tube into condensate tray adjacent to condenser at base of refrigerator; [4] gradually, the draining condensate freezes and the water backs up in the condensate tray; [5] as unit continues to run thru its defrost cycles normally, condensate overflows the 'iceberg' that's formed in the condensate tray and spills onto the floor of the freezer compartment; [6] when the iceberg on the bottom of the freezer compartment grows large enough, the condensate water spills out the bottom of the freezer door onto the kitchen floor.
There are dozens of YouTube videos on how to disassemble the refrigerator to thaw out the ice ... but there are no references anywhere I could find on how to prevent the water [standing?] in the drain tube from freezing in the first place. I do see that Whirlpool models had a similar issue and they redesigned the drain tube [it's now a P-tube, which you can buy and switch over to]. LG hasn't. There's also reference to "after-market" drain tube heaters, but I can't them.
I called LG and asked if they had a solution. They said they didn't; the only "fix" was to empty the freezer every 3 months and remove [defrost] the ice build-up at the bottom of the freezer before it's large enough to cause water overflow!
And I was told "we don't recommend after-market drain tube heaters."
Judging my the thousands of comments about this on the internet, I am surprised there hasn't been a class-action lawsuit.