The short answer
First decide whether the water stops. Water that keeps coming is the supply line or the dispenser plumbing - close the valve now. Water inside the cabinet that stops is almost always a blocked defrost drain. A dispenser that drips after each use is usually the last of the water in the line, not a fault.
What you observe
- Water under a drawer inside the cabinet — The classic blocked defrost drain.
- Ice building on the freezer floor — Defrost melt refreezing because it cannot drain.
- Water on the floor that keeps coming — A supply-side leak. Close the valve.
- Drips from the dispenser after each pour — Usually residual water rather than a fault.
- NEAR MISS - condensation on the interior back wall — Normal after the doors have been open.
Causes, most likely first on this brand
- A blocked defrost drain — First for water inside the cabinet. Debris and mould close the small opening, the channel fills and freezes, and the overflow appears under a drawer.
- A supply line, fitting or filter head weeping — Second in likelihood but first in urgency, because a line under pressure does not stop. The filter head is a very common source.
- A dispenser line or connection in the door — Third, and specific to through-the-door cabinets. The tubing passes through the hinge area, where it can chafe over years of door movement.
- A door seal admitting humid air — Fourth. More humid air means more condensate than the drain was sized for, so a marginal drain overflows.
- A cracked drain channel or a split tube — Last. Uncommon, and the only cause here that is not an owner fix.
Check in this order, and why
- Decide first whether the water stops — Water that keeps coming is the supply, and it is urgent.
- Close the supply valve as a test — If the water stops, you have found it.
- Look for ice on the freezer floor — That proves a blocked defrost drain.
- Dry-tissue the filter head and fittings — A tissue finds a weep that a hand will not.
What an owner can safely check
- Close the supply valve if water keeps arriving — Do this before any diagnosis; a pressurised leak does not wait.
About 10 min
- Dry the floor and lay paper towel — So a continuing leak shows itself clearly and you can see where it starts.
Tools: paper towel, torchAbout 20 min
- Clear the defrost drain after letting ice melt — Flush with warm water and a soft flexible probe, never a sharp tool.
Tools: warm water, soft probeAbout 30 min
- Check the filter head and the door hinge area — Dry-tissue each fitting and look where tubing passes the hinge.
Tools: dry tissueAbout 25 min
- STOP HERE if the supply side is weeping — That is a plumbing repair.
Before you open anything
Safety
Close the supply valve first for any leak that does not stop, then unplug the refrigerator before working near water. Never clear a defrost drain with a knife, a skewer or stiff wire, because the cooling circuit runs behind that surface. Get help to move a wide cabinet, and if the appliance trips a breaker or a residual current device, leave it off and call rather than resetting it.
When to call a technician
Call when the defrost drain runs clear, the seals are sound and water still appears inside. Call immediately, with the supply valve closed, for any leak from the water line, the filter head, a fitting or the door tubing. Say whether the water stops on its own when you book, because that single fact tells a technician which half of the appliance to bring parts for.
Nearest pages of this class
What this page does not cover
This page covers leaks from the Cafe freestanding French-door refrigerators with a through-the-door dispenser, which route water tubing through the door hinge. The built-in cabinets with an internal dispenser have no door tubing and are covered on the sibling page linked below. Deliberately absent: fitting and tubing part identifiers, sizes and water pressure figures.
Links: - [Cafe built-in refrigerator leaking water](/blog/caf-refrigerator-water-leak-2)
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
