What this usually means
The FRZ line relies on a door gasket that pulls flat along its whole length, so on the models listed in the table on this page warm air entering at a lifted corner condenses, freezes and eventually thaws into the base. That is a leak with no failed pipe anywhere in it.
What you observe
- A slab of ice has formed in the base of the cabinet — A flat slab rather than furry frost is drainage.
- The floor is wet only behind the machine — Rear water is a different path from front water. On the models listed in the table on this page this is the check that decides the job.
- Flooring in front of the cabinet has started to lift — A slow leak shows in the floor before it shows as a puddle, especially on laminate.
- The drip pan at the back is dry — Dry pan plus indoor water is a blocked path.
- Water appears after a power cut — A partial thaw during the outage produces a one-off leak that needs no repair at all.
- NEAR MISS — the cabinet is warm as well as wet — Warm plus wet is a thaw, not a drain fault.
- NEAR MISS — condensation on the outside of the cabinet — In a humid room the shell condenses moisture externally. It is not a leak and it is seasonal.
The causes, ranked
- A cabinet that is not level — First — and it is not close. Levelling alone stops some of these leaks entirely. The FRZ line behaves the same way here from one model to the next.
- A cracked or displaced drip pan — Then this. A pan off its lugs leaks in exactly the same pattern as a cracked one.
- Food or packaging blocking the trough — Then this one. A bag pressed against the rear wall can cover the drain opening completely. On these models the panel comes away before anything else does.
- A defrost control fault — Fourth in the ranking. Last, and it produces a different picture: a heavy frost sheet that finally thaws all at once.
- A door gasket that no longer seals — Rarer again. Warm moist air enters continuously, condenses on the coldest surface and eventually thaws into the base.
The diagnostic order
- Look behind for a kinked hose or a displaced pan — A torch and two minutes at the back of the machine.
- Test the door seal with a sheet of paper — Even resistance all round; a sheet that slides out marks the failed section. The FRZ line is no worse than its siblings here, but it is no better either.
- Empty the cabinet and inspect the base and the trough — A flat slab of ice or standing water in the base points at the drain directly.
- Check the cabinet is level and not tipped forward — A forward tilt defeats the small fall the trough has.
Read this before you start
Safety
Power off, then panels. Unplug the appliance or switch off its breaker before removing any panel, allow a moment for stored charge to dissipate, and leave the lid or door switch wired as it is — it is part of how the cabinet protects itself.
Models in the FRZ family
Reference| Model number | Family key |
|---|---|
| FRZ603UBNPTC-AU | bertazzoni:freezer:frz |
Where the owner line is
Call when the drain has been flushed clear and the cabinet still wets the floor, or when the frost sheet rebuilds within days of a clear-out. The second is a defrost control fault and it is diagnosed behind a panel.
Nearby pages
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
