The short answer for this family
On the Alpha PAR RD RDTM family, water inside the cabinet or on the floor beside it is usually a blocked defrost drain. A top-mount machine takes its air from the warmest part of the room, so ambient and clearance problems outrank dirt on this family. The brand-generic order holds at the head here; what this platform changes is the order below it. The checks at the head of the ranking cost nothing but time; the cause at its foot is not owner work at any stage.
What you observe on these models
- Which of the family's models you are standing in front of — The matrix on this page is a single model whose family key marks it as the top-mount build, and that is worth reading first, because a top-mount machine takes its air from the warmest part of the room, so ambient and clearance problems outrank dirt on this family.
- Water pooling under the bottom drawer or on the cabinet floor — Melt water that could not reach its drain has to go somewhere, and this is where it collects.
- A sheet of ice under the drawers — The same blocked path, found later. The pool froze before anyone noticed it.
- Water on the floor at the back — A supply fitting or a line, not anything happening inside the cabinet.
Causes, most likely first on the RDTM family
- A blocked defrost drain — Ranked first because a top-mount machine takes its air from the warmest part of the room, so ambient and clearance problems outrank dirt on this family.
- A door that is not sealing — Second.
- The drain pan and the evaporation path — Third. It explains water that appears in a rhythm rather than continuously, which is the pattern to ask about.
- A cabinet that is not sitting level — Fourth. Worth correcting while you are there even if it is not the cause.
- The water supply line and its fitting — Last. Worth a look because a supply leak wets the floor without ever wetting the cabinet.
- Body: This is not the brand-generic ranking. The head of the ranking matches the brand-generic order, but below it a door that is not sealing moves up to second place, because the platform here is a cabinet whose condensing unit sits on top, where it draws warm air from the ceiling side of the room.
Check in this order on these models
- Find the drain hole at the base of the evaporator area and clear it — Warm water down the hole until it runs freely. This is the single most common cause of water inside a refrigerator cabinet.
- Walk the seal with a sheet of paper — A seal that lets warm air in makes condensation continuously, and the condensation is the water you are looking at.
- Look at the pan under the cabinet — It should be damp, not overflowing, and it should be sitting square on its rails. A cracked or displaced pan puts every defrost cycle on the floor.
- Put a level on the cabinet, front to back and side to side — A cabinet tipped forward runs its internal water the wrong way and lets the door hang open just enough to sweat.
- Body: The order follows the ranking, and the access decides the rest: on these models the condensing unit is overhead and needs a step to reach; the evaporator and drain are inside the cabinet.
Before you open anything
Safety
Unplug the appliance or switch off its breaker before removing any panel, and before putting your hands anywhere near standing water inside it; a capacitor can hold a charge after the power is off. Turn the water supply off at its valve before touching any fitting.
Models in the RDTM family
Reference| Model number | Family key |
|---|---|
| RDTM116WE | alpha-par-rd:refrigerator:rdtm |
Where the owner limit falls on these models
Call when the drain is clear, the seal holds and the water still returns, when water is arriving from the machine compartment, or when a supply fitting weeps after being remade. A leak that has soaked into cabinetry or flooring should be looked at quickly for the damage rather than for the appliance.
Other symptoms covered for this family
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
