What this usually is on these models
On TW units the first question is not what is leaking but where the water begins. A door that never quite closes explains both the water and a compressor that never rests, and that single distinction settles most cases before a tool comes out.
What you observe
- Water appears at about the same time each day — Following a cycle rather than following use, which narrows the cause considerably.
- A puddle at the front, under the door line — It re-forms within a day of being wiped, and the floor behind the unit stays dry.
- Standing water on the compartment floor — Enough to see, sitting in the channel rather than spread across the base.
- NEAR MISS - the cabinet is warm as well as wet — Water plus a cabinet that will not hold temperature is a cooling fault first; the water is a symptom of it and the cooling page covers it.
Ranked causes for these models
- The door not latching fully — Ranked first on this line: a door held a few millimetres open by a basket, a bottle or a hinge that has dropped lets room air circulate continuously. The cabinet stays cold enough that nobody notices, and the water it condenses runs out at the bottom of the opening.
- Contents damming the drain trough — Next, and close behind: this is the cause that repeats. The drain is cleared, the cabinet is repacked the same way, and the leak returns within a week.
- Warm air getting past the door or lid seal — Then: the seal is the boundary between room humidity and a cold plate. Where it is deformed, dirty or pinched, you get a steady trickle of condensate exactly along that line, which reads as a leak from the door.
- A split drain hose or a failed seam — Last, and the reason the order matters: once the simple causes are excluded, what is left is a route the water should not have: a hose that has hardened and split, or a seam that has opened.
What to check first, second, third
- Watch the door close on its own — Reload the cabinet and try again. If the door only fails to close when the unit is full, the contents are the cause.
- Empty the cabinet and look at the channel — Take everything out and look along the floor channel for a bag, a wrapper or a container sitting in it. Then reload leaving the channel and the cold plate clear.
- Test the seal along its whole length — Run a hand round the closed door for a cool draught, then look at the gasket for a flattened section or a fold that has taken a set.
Read this before you start
Safety
Unplug the appliance or switch off its breaker before removing any panel. A capacitor can hold a charge after the power is off, and a wet floor makes any contact with the machinery end worse. Never run a lead across a damp floor while you work.
Models in the TW family
Reference| Model number | Family key |
|---|---|
| TW115 | alpicool:refrigerator:tw |
| TW35 | alpicool:refrigerator:tw |
| TW45 | alpicool:refrigerator:tw |
| TW55 | alpicool:refrigerator:tw |
| TW75 | alpicool:refrigerator:tw |
| TW95 | alpicool:refrigerator:tw |
When to call a technician
Owner work ends at the gasket and the drain outlet. If the water continues with the cabinet empty, the drain open and the unit standing level, the route is structural and needs the panels off, which is a service call on this line.
Other faults covered for this line
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
