The short answer
On the BUFK models, water inside the cabinet and water on the floor are two different faults with two different first checks. Inside means the drain has blocked or the seal is letting warm air in; outside means the tray, the line or a connection at the back.
What you observe
- Water at the back, near the base — The tray, its position, or a connection behind the cabinet.
- Beads of water around the door opening — Warm room air meeting a cold surface. This is a seal or a door-alignment story rather than a plumbing one.
- A pool on the floor under the front of the cabinet — Water that has run forward along the cabinet floor and out under the door.
- A sheet of ice on the cabinet floor — Water that pooled and then froze where it stood. It means the drain has been blocked for a while, not that the unit has suddenly started leaking.
Causes, most likely first
- A blocked condensate drain — First on this family by a wide margin. The drain hole in the cabinet floor is small, it sits where crumbs and label paper collect, and once it closes the water has nowhere to go but forward and out.
- Uncovered food and frequent door opening — Every open door delivers humid room air, and uncovered liquid supplies more. On a small cabinet this is enough to overload a drain that is otherwise working.
- A door seal that is letting warm air in — Second. Warm humid air reaching a cold cabinet condenses on everything it touches, and on a compact unit with a light door a seal that has taken a set produces a steady supply of water rather than an occasional bead.
- Frost melting off the evaporator in a lump — When a frost sheet finally lets go it arrives as more water at once than the drain can take, so a cabinet with a frost problem leaks intermittently rather than steadily.
Check in this order
- Find where the water starts, not where it ends — Dry everything, put paper down at the front and the back, and see which wets first.
- Look at the rear wall inside for frost — Only after the drain is clear.
- Close the door on a strip of paper at several points around the opening — A seal that does not grip explains a steady supply of condensate without anything being blocked at all.
Before you open anything
Safety
Unplug the appliance or switch off its breaker before removing any panel. A capacitor can hold a charge after the power is off. Empty the cabinet before you move it: a compact unit full of stock is heavier than it looks and the floor under it is wet.
Models in the BUFK family — The models this page covers, as the product spine lists them. This family is a single model, so there is no variant to rule out before you start.
Reference| Model number | Family key |
|---|---|
| BUFK12W | black-decker:refrigerator:bufk |
| BUFK12W | black-decker:refrigerator:bufk |
When to call
The line on this family is the rear panel. Clearing the drain, levelling the cabinet, repositioning the tray and testing the seal are all yours.
Other faults on this family
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
