Start here, for RDTM models
Water under an AVG RDTM refrigerator is usually condensate that has lost its way out, not a burst pipe. The defrost drain blocks, the pan overflows or the water finds a path down the back wall instead of into the tray. Trace the water to its highest point before assuming anything is broken.
What the owner sees
- Water on the floor at the back of the machine — On an RDTM model, back-of-cabinet water means the path got that far and then failed — pan, tube or a tilted machine.
- A clean, clear puddle that returns within hours — On every RDTM model in the table, if it comes back quickly and is perfectly clean, isolate the water supply before anything else.
- Ice building up under the bottom drawer or on the freezer floor — Across the RDTM line, melt water freezing where it stands is a drain that blocks and then freezes shut.
- Damp along the door edge with a dry floor — Where RDTM models are concerned, condensation on a cool surface rather than a leak, and on a humid day it means nothing.
- Water at the front, just inside the door — In the RDTM family, a gasket passing humid air condenses it right there, and it runs down the liner.
- NEAR MISS — a steady drip with the machine switched off — A machine that is off is simply defrosting. Empty it, dry it and judge it once it has been running again for a day.
Ranked causes on the RDTM line
- A blocked defrost drain — First and by a wide margin: the drain hole is small, it sits in a cold damp place, and it silts up with food debris and then freezes.
- An overflowing, cracked or displaced evaporating pan — It sits here because back-of-machine water almost always means the water got this far and then missed the pan. On RDTM models it earns that place.
- A spill inside the cabinet that was never the appliance at all — Ranked here because it costs nothing to rule out and because it explains water that appears once and never again.
- A perished or disconnected drain tube — It comes here because you have to get behind and under the machine to see it, which is past most owners. That is the position it takes on this family.
Work through these in order
- Find the highest point the water reaches — In the RDTM family, dry everything, put kitchen paper at likely points and come back: the first sheet to wet tells you where to look.
- Find the defrost drain hole and test that it flows — It is at the base of the rear wall inside; a slow trickle of warm water down it should disappear at once.
- Check the cabinet is level, front to back especially — Tilted forward, melt water leaves the drain channel and runs into the cabinet instead of down it.
Before you take any panel off
Safety
Power off and water off before you start, and dry as you go: a capacitor can hold a charge after the power is off, and a wet floor in front of a heavy cabinet is how people get hurt moving it. Two people to walk the machine out, one to hold the door shut. Warm water is the only tool a drain needs.
Models in the RDTM family
Reference| Model number | Family key |
|---|---|
| RDTM181SE | avg:refrigerator:rdtm |
| RDTM181WE | avg:refrigerator:rdtm |
When to call a technician
The owner line is the water path you can see: the drain hole, the pan, the tube, the gasket and the level. Behind that — the defrost heater, the thermostat, the inlet valve — belongs to someone with a meter. Call the same day if the puddle refills within an hour, because that is supply water and it will not stop on its own.
More RDTM pages
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
