The short answer
On the F family a leak is nearly always the defrost drain, and the water that appears on the floor is melt water that never reached the pan. Every one of these cabinets makes water on purpose during its defrost cycle and expects to move it to a pan at the back.
What you observe on these models
- Water pooling under the front edge of the cabinet — Water running forward along the floor of the compartment and out under the door is the classic blocked-drain pattern.
- A sheet of ice under the bottom drawer or on the compartment floor — Melt water that refreezes before it reaches the drain, which is the same blockage seen earlier in its life.
- Water at the back of the cabinet or under the compressor — That is the drain pan overflowing or a dislodged drain hose, and it is a different repair from the one above.
- NEAR MISS - a steady puddle that grows while the machine is idle — Water that keeps coming when the cabinet is not running is a supply-line leak, and that is a plumbing fault rather than a defrost one.
Causes, most likely first on this family
- Defrost drain blocked with debris or frozen shut — First on this family. The drain hole sits at the base of the evaporator, it is small, and it silts up with food debris and then freezes across; the melt water then runs forward instead of back, and because the family spans several configurations, the answer depends on which of them you have.
- Drain pan cracked, displaced or overflowing — Second. The pan sits over the compressor and relies on that heat to evaporate what reaches it.
- Cabinet not level, tipped forward — Third. The drain path works by gravity, and a cabinet leaning forward on its feet keeps water in the compartment even with a clear drain.
- Door seal letting humid air in, and supply-line fittings — Last. A leaking gasket makes far more melt water than the drain was designed for, and a weeping supply fitting looks like a leak but continues when the cabinet is unplugged.
Check in this order, and why this family dictates it
- Decide whether the water is at the front or the back — Front means the compartment drain, back means the pan or the supply. Nothing else narrows the job this fast.
- Find the drain hole and pour warm water into it — Second: water that backs up confirms the blockage immediately, and warm water clears most of them without any tool.
- Put a level on the cabinet top and check the feet — Third, because a cabinet tipped forward reproduces the complaint however clean the drain is.
- Unplug the cabinet for a few hours and watch the floor — Last, and it is the test that separates a defrost leak from a supply leak once and for all.
Before you open anything
Safety
Unplug the appliance or switch off its breaker before removing any panel, and mop up standing water before you work near the machine. A capacitor can hold a charge after the power is off, and water on a floor next to a running appliance is a shock risk in its own right. Close the water shut-off before touching any supply fitting.
Models in the F family
Reference| Model number | Family key |
|---|---|
| F4506S | antarctic-star:refrigerator:f |
| F5846-BLACK | antarctic-star:refrigerator:f |
| F5890B-BLACK | antarctic-star:refrigerator:f |
| F5890GN-GREEN | antarctic-star:refrigerator:f |
| F5890GY-GRAY | antarctic-star:refrigerator:f |
| F5890R-RED | antarctic-star:refrigerator:f |
| F5890W-WHITE | antarctic-star:refrigerator:f |
| F6840-BLACK | antarctic-star:refrigerator:f |
| F6840-SILVER | antarctic-star:refrigerator:f |
| F6848-BLACK | antarctic-star:refrigerator:f |
| F6848-GREEN | antarctic-star:refrigerator:f |
| F6848-WHITE | antarctic-star:refrigerator:f |
| F6891-BLACK | antarctic-star:refrigerator:f |
| F6891-GREEN | antarctic-star:refrigerator:f |
| F6891-WHITE | antarctic-star:refrigerator:f |
When to call a technician
Call when the drain will not clear with warm water, when it blocks again within weeks of being cleared, when there is a heavy ice sheet on the evaporator, or when the water is arriving from a fitting you cannot reach. Note the model number from the table above first: the drain routing is not the same across every configuration in this family.
Other faults covered for this family
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