# Kenmore Coldspot 106.54596400: Water on the bottom of the freezer



## ilyaz (Jan 3, 2016)

I have a Kenmore Coldspot 106.54596400 fridge that's more than 10 years old. It's a side-by-side. Today I noticed water leaking from the bottom of the freezer through the door and the discovered a large puddle and pieces of ice on the bottom. Is this a sign of some type of drain being plugged? Googled it but could not figure that out. If there is a drain hole somewhere, where is it? If it's not that, what can it be? Thx much!


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## slownsteady (Jan 3, 2016)

Probably a clogged drain hole. You may find it when you remove the bottom tray/shelf. the hole gets clogged and then ice forms over it. It could also be clogged at the end of the evaporator tube (not sure if that's the correct name). Saw a Kenmore guy deice the inside with a steam cleaner that is sold for steaming clothes


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## ilyaz (May 6, 2017)

I am bumping this thread since I am having this issue again with the same fridge. Every time this happens, I use a blow drier to melt the ice, but then it starts forming again.

Is it possible to diagnose the bigger problem and/or fix it without accessing its back, i.e. only working from the front? Asking because it's hard to move the fridge since it sits very tightly inside the kitchen cabinets around it. It does have enough space above the top for proposer ventilation.

If I absolutely have to move it, I will, I just don't want to do it if it can be avoided.

Thx


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## slownsteady (May 6, 2017)

You can try a thin wire to clear any clogs that might be in the tube, but I'm not sure how successful that will be. It shouldn't be too hard to roll the fridge straight out, as long as the power cord and any ice/water supply tube is long enough.
The clog happens first and then the trapped water will freeze. Simply melting the ice will not remove the problem.


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## woodchuck (May 15, 2017)

Put air pressure and blow out the tube. The lower end under the unit gets blocked with dust, and hair etc. Could be mildew. After you blow it out, pour water through it to make sure it drains away quickly. Pour some clorox through it to kill any mold etc.


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## nealtw (May 15, 2017)

You may have to remove the back inside panel of the freezer to get to the drain and sometimes you have to remove the ice maker too.


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## elbo (Jun 29, 2017)

harbor freight sells a  flexible handled brush about 2 foot long, the brush is about 1 inch in length and diameter .I wish I could find it on their web site for you but I cant. I have bought one a couple of years ago, so maybe they discontinued it, but why not check it out at the store?


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## joecaption (Jun 29, 2017)

How is a 1" brush going to fit down and 1/4 drain line?


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## elbo (Jun 30, 2017)

well, I was thinking that the drain was a little bit bigger, but the flex handle could fit and act as a reamer. besides, we all know that some big things will fit in little holes


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## slownsteady (Jun 30, 2017)

I used to have a set of aquarium brushes that came in three sizes. They were all very thin, although I don't know if they would be long enough for this application. I got them at a local pet/fish store.


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## ilyaz (Aug 22, 2017)

Well, my wife ended up calling a repairman who cleaned the drain. Looks like it was just food particles and other crap that accumulated in it over time. So I guess we're set for now. My guess is before it gets filled up again, we'll get a new fridge. Thanks everyone for their input.


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## ilyaz (Nov 8, 2017)

OK so the saga is not over. The first time the repair guy was fiddling with the fridge, he didn't even pull it out. Then after a couple of month it clogged again. He came and this time pulled the fridge out and spent a lot of time fixing it. Not sure what exactly he did since I wasn't home that day. The result?
1. It's unclogged (for now)
2. Now I have frost in my freezer.
3. The top section of the fridge compartment is warm even at the lowest temperature setting. 

#2 and #3 happened after he came for the second time. So my guess is he screwed something up when fixing the clog. Before I call him for the third time, I want to get an idea about what might have happened. Of course, it may be time for a new fridge but this one had been working fine until this 2nd round of repairs, so maybe the repairman or I can easily fix the new problem? 

We close the fridge and freezer doors all the way but is it possible that something got dislodged and so now we have a gap of some sort with a lot of warm humid outside air getting into the fridge and/or freezer?

Thanks


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## joecaption (Nov 8, 2017)

https://www.repairclinic.com/Repair...more-Refrigerator-10654596400-Troubleshooting


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## woodchuck (Nov 8, 2017)

Is the frost on the coils behind the rear panel inside the freezer and the panel itself. If so that sounds like a defrost system problem. Defrost timer, defrost thermostat of defrost heater.
The ice buildup on the coils blocks the air flow to the fridge.


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## ilyaz (Nov 8, 2017)

woodchuck said:


> Is the frost on the coils behind the rear panel inside the freezer and the panel itself. If so that sounds like a defrost system problem. Defrost timer, defrost thermostat of defrost heater.
> The ice buildup on the coils blocks the air flow to the fridge.



Here's a photo with the red arrows showing where frost has been accumulating


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## woodchuck (Nov 8, 2017)

That ice looks to be caused by door gasket leaking air in. Using a dollar bill or piece of paper see how tight the seal is when the door is shut. does the door shut tight or is it too easy to open. The door closing cam could be broken. It causes the door to shut by itself and holds it shut. its located on the lower hinge of the door.


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## elbo (Nov 9, 2017)

definitely an air leak. clean the seal all around using a "dobie " pad. and dishwashing detergent. rinse. then dry. after doing that,lubricate the seal with a silicon lubricant oil. Just in case you dont know what a dobie pad is, it's just a sponge wrapped in a nylon mesh


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## ilyaz (Nov 10, 2017)

I read somewhere that the reason why the fridge compartment may not be working is that there might be a fan that pulls cold air from the freezer into the fridge compartment.

So I presume it might have been damaged or disconnected during the last round of repairs. If that's the case, would this be totally separate from the drain/defrost not working?


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## ilyaz (Feb 11, 2018)

Ended up buying a new fridge. Put this one in the basement to use as backup. We'll see if the new one lasts as long as this one...


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