The short answer
Water around the RMRS family is nearly always water the cabinet made itself, so the question is not where it came from but where it failed to go. 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 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.
- A puddle on the floor at the front — Water at the front has usually run forward along the base, which means either the cabinet is tilted the wrong way or it has overflowed something at the back.
- Beads of water on the outside of the cabinet — That is condensation on cold metal rather than a leak, and it travels with high room humidity, a door left ajar, or a seal no longer doing its job.
- NEAR MISS - water and the cabinet is also warm — Water plus a warm cabinet usually means the cold surface has iced and is now releasing, and the cooling failure page for this family is the better starting point.
Causes, most likely first on this platform
- The drain that condensate is supposed to use — 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. These entries share one base and therefore one drain path, so what differs between owners is humidity, loading and how the cabinet was set down.
- A defrost the cabinet was overdue — Second on this platform. Frost releasing in bulk is worth ruling in early on any cabinet that has gone a long time without a defrost, because it explains one large puddle that never returns.
- Warm humid air getting in past the door — Third here. 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.
- Levelling, and which way the water runs — Fourth. 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.
- The supply line, on models that are plumbed — Last. 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.
Check in this order, and why
- Find the drain and check that it runs — There is usually a small opening at the base of the cold surface. A little warm water poured in should disappear; if it backs up, you have found the fault. All 7 entries in the table below sit on one base, so what this check tells you holds for every one of them.
- Look at the frost before you look for the leak — A thick layer on the cold surface is a stored puddle waiting to happen. If it is there, defrost the cabinet fully first, then see whether the water complaint survives.
- 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 RMRS family
Reference| Model number | Family key |
|---|---|
| RMRS31X#**-IS | avanti:refrigerator:rmrs |
| RMRS31X** | avanti:refrigerator:rmrs |
| RMRS31X**-IS | avanti:refrigerator:rmrs |
| RMRS31X1B-IS | avanti:refrigerator:rmrs |
| RMRS31X5R-IS | avanti:refrigerator:rmrs |
| RMRS31X6BL-IS | avanti:refrigerator:rmrs |
| RMRS31X7G-IS | avanti:refrigerator:rmrs |
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.
