What this means on these models
On the Criterion CFDR refrigerator family a leak is nearly always melt water that has lost its path rather than water under pressure, and the melt path here is separate drains per compartment, the freezer one running to a pan at the compressor. This cabinet also carries a pressurised water circuit, which is the one thing here that can put water down faster than a drain fault ever will. Where the water first appears separates a drain fault from a seal fault from a supply fault. This profile generalises over the five codes below.
What you observe on these models
- Damp or mould at one corner of the gasket — One wet corner localises the fault: that is where the seal stands off, and it is usually the corner carrying the most door weight.
- Water on the floor at the front of the cabinet — Water at the front has come over an interior lip or under the door rather than from the back. Here that points at melt water coming over the freezer drawer lip, or condensation running off the mullion flap between the two upper doors.
- NEAR MISS: clean water arriving fast, not slowly — Melt water arrives slowly and in small amounts. Fast clean water means a supply line, valve or filter head, and the first move is to shut the water off.
Causes, most likely first on this platform
- The defrost drain is blocked or frozen shut — First on any frost-free cabinet. Here the melt path is separate drains per compartment, the freezer one running to a pan at the compressor. Once it closes, every defrost puts melt water into the cabinet, where it freezes before the owner sees liquid.
- A door or lid seal letting warm, wet air in — Second, because this platform carries three gaskets plus a hinged mullion flap between the two upper doors, and the flap is the part that gets missed. The hinged mullion flap between the two upper doors has to fold as the left door closes, and a flap that has stopped folding leaves a gap most owners never look for.
- A supply line, inlet valve or filter head is weeping — This cause exists only where the cabinet is plumbed, and here the water line is routed through a door hinge to reach the dispenser or the icemaker, and a hinge-routed line is the one that chafes. A weep arrives faster than melt water and does not stop when the cabinet is switched off.
Where to start, and why here
- Find where the water first appears, not where it collects — Dry everything, then watch. Floor-only, compartment-floor and rear-wall water lead to three different causes here. Confirm your own model against the table first.
- Lift out the bottom drawer or basket and look for an ice sheet — A sheet under the freezer drawer means the lower drain has iced shut. On this cabinet the upper compartment can stay completely dry while that happens. Clear it fully rather than breaking the surface, because the sheet is hiding the drain you are looking for.
- Clear and test the drain path — With the power off, find the trough and flush it gently with warm water. On this platform the melt path is separate drains per compartment, the freezer one running to a pan at the compressor. It should take water away steadily; if it backs up, the blockage is in the tube rather than at the trough mouth.
Before you open anything
Safety
Water and electricity share this cabinet, so unplug it or switch off its breaker before putting a hand near a panel; a capacitor can hold a charge after the power is off. Do not pour hot water into a frozen drain to hurry it, and never chip ice off a trough or evaporator with a screwdriver: the tubing is soft aluminium and a puncture turns a drain repair into a sealed-system replacement. Mop the floor first, because a wet floor at a heavy cabinet is the injury that actually happens.
Models in the CFDR family
Reference| Model number | Family key |
|---|---|
| CFDR225H1S | criterion:refrigerator:cfdr |
| CFDR225M3S | criterion:refrigerator:cfdr |
| CFDR256H1S | criterion:refrigerator:cfdr |
| CFDR286M4* | criterion:refrigerator:cfdr |
| CFDR286M4S | criterion:refrigerator:cfdr |
When to call a technician
The split on these models is not subtle. Clearing a drain, reseating a gasket, levelling the cabinet and emptying the pan are owner work. Call when water is arriving under pressure, when the drain will not clear from inside the cabinet, or when the ice sheet returns within a week, because that means something upstream is re-freezing the trough. On this platform the cabinet has to come away from the wall before most work can start, which is a two-person job on a loaded cabinet.
Other problems covered for 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.
