The short answer
On the Amana 4w9g01 refrigerator family, water where it should not be points at the ice maker fill, because the water that ends up on the liner here arrives in measured slugs rather than as a steady seep. The brand-generic article puts a blocked defrost drain at the top of this symptom; on this platform it sits second, behind causes that are quicker to rule out.
What you observe on these models
- Ice forming as a sheet in the bottom of the ice bucket — Water going past the mould instead of into it, which freezes flat rather than as cubes.
- Water pooling under the crisper drawers — The clearest single tell there is, and it appears inside long before it appears on the floor.
- A wet patch at the back that never fully dries — Something pressurised is weeping, and it does so whether or not anyone uses the machine.
- NEAR MISS — the cabinet is warm as well as wet — Then the leak is a symptom of the cooling fault and that page comes first.
Causes, most likely first on this family
- Ice maker fill tube frozen and overshooting — The first thing to rule in. A partly frozen tube makes each fill spill past the mould instead of into it. The ice that results is a sheet at the bottom of the bucket and a trail of water down the liner.
- Defrost drain blocked with ice or sludge — Second, and close behind the first. Meltwater from each defrost has exactly one way out. When the drain trough freezes or silts up, the water backs up under the crisper drawers and finds the floor by the shortest route.
- Water inlet valve seeping — Third. The valve holds mains pressure whenever the machine is idle, so a weeping seat leaks around the clock rather than only during a fill. The tell is a wet patch at the back that never fully dries.
- Drain pan cracked, displaced or overflowing — Last on this list. The pan under the cabinet is meant to evaporate what the drain delivers. Once it is cracked or knocked out of position by a move, the same water that used to disappear now arrives on the floor.
Check in this order, and why
- Look into the ice bucket for a sheet of ice at the bottom — Start here. Ice on the bottom of the bucket rather than cubes in it is a fill that is missing the mould.
- Pull the crisper drawers and look for water under them — Then this. Water standing in the bottom of the fresh-food liner is the drain answer, and it appears there before it appears on the floor.
- Look at the back of the cabinet where the water enters — Third. A valve that is weeping leaves a patch that is wet whether or not anyone has used the dispenser.
Before you open anything
Safety
Unplug the appliance or switch off its breaker before removing any panel; a capacitor can hold a charge after the power is off. Leave the door switch wired as it is — it cuts power to a fan for a reason, and defeating it puts a hand near a blade that is still live.
Models covered by the 4w9g01 family
Reference| Model number | Family key |
|---|---|
| 4w9g01 | amana:refrigerator:4w9g01 |
When to call a technician
Call once the drain, the filter head and the level are all clean, because what is left is behind the liner or inside a pressurised joint. Call immediately if water is reaching an outlet, an extension lead or the floor under another appliance. That is an electrical question before it is a plumbing one.
The other faults covered for this family
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