# How can I fix this refrigerator problem?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-fix-this-refrigerator-problem/854166>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 20, 2020, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-fix-this-refrigerator-problem/854166 "2020-05-20T03:05:41Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\
**Post date:** [May 21, 2020, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-fix-this-refrigerator-problem/854166/21 "2020-05-21T17:54:29Z")

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> [@md2000](#):
>
> Could be. Anyway, something melts the condensation buildup proactively, not just stop and wait for it to melt. My friend’s old fridge turned into an oven. (A bit of an exaggeration, it probably got over 100°F or 40°C in there…) The timer had stopped on the thaw cycle.

There is supposed to be a defrost thermostat to prevent that.

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**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\
**Post date:** [May 22, 2020, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-fix-this-refrigerator-problem/854166/22 "2020-05-22T03:38:40Z")

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> [@jebert](#):
>
> I moved to a new place, and within a week or so I started noticing a small pool of water on the floor near the refrigerators. It is a side-by-side refrigerator/freezer. I found that a layer of ice about 1/8 inch thick forms at the bottom of the freezer side. If I chip that layer out, I don’t get the water on the floor, but the ice layer re-forms within 8 or 10 hours, and I have to chip it out again.
> 
> I thought it might be leakage from the ice maker, but I turned off the water source to the unit and emptied all the ice, and I’m still getting the ice layer.
> 
> What is going on with my refrig?

I am guessing it’s the same problem we had (a GE side-by-side): the self-defrost cycle on the freezer causes a small amount of condensation. Usually it drips down to a spot in the bottom, where there’s a small hole (about the size of my pinky fingertip), where the water drips below and then evaporates.

After a while, though, THAT gets clogged.

The fridge instructions actually described what to do to fix / prevent this: once you get the layer of ice chipped out of the way, take a cup of hot water with some baking soda (I think, maybe it was just salt) and drizzle it into the hole. At first it’ll overflow, but after a couple of attempts it’ll melt whatever ice has clogged the hole. Problem fixed for another year or so,.

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