The short answer
Every cabinet in the RM family produces water continuously while it runs and has one route for getting rid of it, so this page is about what happens when that route stops working. There are only two kinds of water complaint on a cabinet like this: meltwater that has gone the wrong way, and supply water on the models that are plumbed. Establishing which one you have takes a minute and saves everything after it.
What you observe on these models
- Water at the back, near the wall — A wet patch behind the unit points at the drain pan or at the supply connection where the model has one, and both need the cabinet pulled out to see.
- Ice under the drawers or across the base — A drain that has frozen rather than blocked gives ice where water would otherwise be, and it will thaw into a puddle as soon as the cabinet is switched off.
- Water pooling under the bottom shelf inside — Water that collects inside the cabinet rather than outside it has been produced at the cold surface and has not reached the drain, which puts the drain first on the list.
- NEAR MISS - the water is warm, or it is coming from a wall fitting — That is household plumbing rather than the appliance, and the appliance is only where it happens to be pooling.
Causes, most likely first on this platform
- Meltwater with nowhere to go — Every cabinet of this kind melts what it has frosted and sends the result down a drain to a pan, where it evaporates. Block that drain with debris or let it freeze, and the water backs up and leaves by whatever path gravity offers. Across a group this wide the drain path is the one thing that has stayed broadly constant, and it is also the thing most often left uncleared for years.
- Warm humid air getting in past the door — Second on this platform. Air leaking past the door keeps producing water no matter what else is fixed, so it is worth a paper test even when the drain turns out to be the culprit.
- The cabinet is tilted the wrong way — Third here. A forward tilt turns a small internal drip into a floor puddle, so it is worth a level on the cabinet before any part is blamed.
- Supply water rather than meltwater — Fourth. On a plumbed model the supply is always worth eliminating, because a slow weep at a fitting behind the cabinet can run for months before anyone sees it.
- Ice that has finally let go — Last. Heavy frost releasing is worth ruling in early on any cabinet that has not been defrosted in a long time, because it explains a single large puddle that never comes back.
Check in this order, and why
- Dry everything, then watch where it comes back — Inside, under, or out of the front door are three different faults, and an old puddle cannot tell you which one you have. Give it a day after drying before deciding anything. With 34 entries on 15 bases in the table below, this check is one of the few that means the same thing across all of them.
- Pull it out and look behind — Check the drain pan for a crack or an overflow, and, where the model is plumbed, run a dry hand along the line and every fitting. A weep shows as a dark line rather than a drip.
- Do the paper test around the whole door — Close the door on a sheet of paper at several points and pull. Anywhere it slides free is letting room air in, and room air is where nearly all of this water comes from.
Before you open anything
Safety
Water and electricity share a floor here, so unplug the appliance or switch off its breaker before mopping under or behind the cabinet, and remember a capacitor can hold a charge after the power is off. A wet connection is not something to investigate while it is live, whatever the circuit behind it. Clear a frozen drain with warm water rather than with a tool.
Models in the RM family
Reference| Model number | Family key |
|---|---|
| RM16J0W | avanti:refrigerator:rm |
| RM16J0W* | avanti:refrigerator:rm |
| RM16J0W-IS | avanti:refrigerator:rm |
| RM16J1B | avanti:refrigerator:rm |
| RM16J1B* | avanti:refrigerator:rm |
| RM16J1B-IS | avanti:refrigerator:rm |
| RM16J3S | avanti:refrigerator:rm |
| RM16J3S* | avanti:refrigerator:rm |
| RM16J3S-IS | avanti:refrigerator:rm |
| RM17T0W | avanti:refrigerator:rm |
| RM17T1B | avanti:refrigerator:rm |
| RM17T2P | avanti:refrigerator:rm |
| RM17T3S | avanti:refrigerator:rm |
| RM17X0W-IS | avanti:refrigerator:rm |
| RM17X1B-IS | avanti:refrigerator:rm |
| RM17X3S-IS | avanti:refrigerator:rm |
| RM24T1B | avanti:refrigerator:rm |
| RM27B2P | avanti:refrigerator:rm |
| RM27B3S | avanti:refrigerator:rm |
| RM32J0W | avanti:refrigerator:rm |
| RM32J1B | avanti:refrigerator:rm |
| RM32JS | avanti:refrigerator:rm |
| RM3306W | avanti:refrigerator:rm |
| RM3316B | avanti:refrigerator:rm |
| RM3326PS | avanti:refrigerator:rm |
| RM3336SS | avanti:refrigerator:rm |
| RM4406W | avanti:refrigerator:rm |
| RM4416B | avanti:refrigerator:rm |
| RM4426PS | avanti:refrigerator:rm |
| RM4436SS | avanti:refrigerator:rm |
| RM46J0W | avanti:refrigerator:rm |
| RM46J1B | avanti:refrigerator:rm |
| RM46J3S | avanti:refrigerator:rm |
| RM52T1BB | avanti:refrigerator:rm |
When to call a technician
Bring someone in when the free checks are clean and the water returns anyway, and bring them in sooner if the cabinet is also failing to hold temperature, because those two together usually mean the cold surface is icing and releasing on a cycle. Isolate the machine rather than leaving it running while you wait, and keep the floor dry in the meantime.
Other faults covered for these models
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
