The short answer
A leak on the AQ refrigerators is usually defrost water that has lost its route out rather than anything under pressure. On these models a displaced drain pan is the first thing this page would have you rule out. Every cause below can be checked by the owner, which is why the order matters more than the list.
What you observe on these models
- A pool at the front of the appliance that comes and goes — Water that arrives on a cycle is defrost water.
- A sheet of ice under the bottom drawer — The same fault caught before it reaches the floor.
- Water in one drawer and nowhere else — A closed humidity slide and wet produce will do this on their own.
- NEAR MISS — the water is warm or has a smell — That is not appliance condensate; find the source before going further.
Causes, most likely first on this family
- Drain pan cracked or out of position — Pans get knocked out of position whenever the appliance is moved, so this cause follows a house move or a deep clean. Ranked first here: the commonest of the four on this family. This family is a single build, so it holds across the line.
- Filter head or filter seal not sealing — The filter head carries full supply pressure, so an o-ring rolled during a change drips every minute of the day. Second, because it produces almost the same complaint from a different part.
- Water inlet valve or its fitting weeping — The water arrives at the back on the supply side, and it arrives whether or not the appliance is running. Third, because the two above account for most of what arrives with this complaint.
- Supply tap or saddle valve seeping — Any leak that carries on with the appliance unplugged is on the supply side by definition. Last on this page: real, but uncommon on these cabinets.
- Body: Against the brand-wide order, installation and loading causes move up here and wear causes move down: one build means a narrow spread of ages in service, so how the cabinet was put in matters more than how long it has run.
Check in this order, and why
- Cut the power, look under the back of the cabinet and check the pan is intact and properly seated. — It leads: the ranking puts this cause first, so its check goes first too.
- Dry around the filter head and watch it for a few minutes with the filter seated. — It sits here because it rules a cause in rather than out, which saves a step later.
- Dry the valve body and its fittings, then look again a day later for a fresh trail. — Last, because it confirms what the checks above have already narrowed.
Power down first, then work
Safety
Unplug the appliance or switch off its breaker before removing any panel, because a capacitor can hold a charge after the power is off. Nothing on the sealed system is owner work; those lines are under pressure. Dry the floor before pulling the appliance out, and keep water away from the electrical parts at the base of the cabinet.
Models in the AQ family
Reference| Model number | Family key |
|---|---|
| AQ250**RW | amana:refrigerator:aq |
When to call a technician
Owner work ends at the rear panel. If the drain clears, the pan is sound, the cabinet is level and water still arrives, what is left is behind sheet metal. Call at once if there is water under a socket.
The other faults 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.
