What you are actually seeing
- Condensation running down the outside of the cabinet
- Water in the base of the cabinet under the load
- Water on the floor at the front
- Not this fault: Water only on the outside of the cabinet in humid weather
Ranked causes on a Conserv freezer
- Seal letting humid air in, which condenses and collects — Ranked here because: a single-function cabinet is opened and loaded harder than a combination unit, and the gasket carries the whole load of keeping one compartment at one temperature
- Wet door insulation sweating on the outside — Ranked here because: these cabinets are frequently built into cabinetry that does not give them the clearance the platform assumes
- Defrost drain blocked or frozen — Ranked here because: with no ice maker in the cabinet the defrost drain is the only water path, so any water at all points at it
- Defrost cycle running too long or too often — Ranked here because: the cold control on most of the range is a discrete mechanical part, testable and replaceable on its own
What to check, and in what order
- Check whether there has been an outage, a tripped breaker or a door left open in the last day
- Dry everything and watch where the water reappears — inside the cabinet, at the front, or at the back
- Put a level on the cabinet and set the feet so it is level or very slightly back
Steps you can safely do yourself
- Put a level on the cabinet and set the feet so it is level or very slightly back — Tools: spirit level, adjustable spanner — Estimated time: about a quarter of an hour
- Find the drain hole in the base of the cabinet and flush it with warm water from a turkey baster — Tools: turkey baster, warm water — Estimated time: about twenty minutes
- Unplug the cabinet, pull it out and inspect the drain pan under the compressor — Tools: flashlight — Estimated time: about ten minutes
- Test the door seal with a paper strip at several points — Tools: sheet of paper — Estimated time: a few minutes
Safety
Safety
unplug-before-service branch-circuit-15-20a
When to call a technician
the drain cannot be cleared from inside the cabinet the drain pan is cracked or the water is coming from the sealed area water appears along with a cabinet that is warming, since that points at the defrost circuit
Nearest pages
What this page does not cover
Not this fault: the family pages for the all-refrigerator, upright-freezer and chest lines Not this fault: model-specific pages once a model number is known
Links: - [Common Conserv Freezer Problems](/blog/conserv-freezer-problems) - [Common CONSERV Refrigerator Problems](/blog/conserv-refrigerator-problems) - [Common Conserv Refrigerator Problems](/blog/conserv-refrigerator-problems-2) - [Conserv Freezer: Abnormal Noise or Vibration](/blog/conserv-freezer-abnormal-noise)
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
