Water build up in the bottom of the fridge is not only annoying but it can be a health hazard as well. While conditions in a refrigerator will keep temperatures down and bacterial growth to a minimum, it does not prevent it completely. Stagnant water at the base of the fridge can be a spot where bacteria will grow. From there it can cross contaminate food and make the people that eat the food sick. It is very important that a refrigerator be kept neat and clean in order to ensure that the food does not become contaminated.
If the fridge is experiencing problems with excessive water the first reaction of many people is to either ignore it and hope it gets better or call a repairmen. Unfortunately neither of these two ideas is the best thing to do. If the fridge is experiencing these kind of things the best thing you can do is take a look and see whether or not the repair is going to be easy. For the most part problems like this will occur when there is a blockage in the drain. This blockage can be caused by any number of things. The first and most common is a back up of ice along the drain in the freezer. In order to fix this the freezer will need to be defrosted. Not always completely, but at least enough to free up the blockage in the drain. You can do this warm water, but if the freezer is too cold the water will simply freeze again. Be sure to get the temperature up above freezing before attempting to clear the freezer drain this way.
If the blockage is in the refrigerator part then more than likely it is not clogged by ice. It can be any number of different things that can cause a clog in this drain. Mostly though it will be caused by food or some other debris so using the method that can be used on the freezer will not work. In some cases you may need to call in an expert to get this cleaned out, but if you are resourceful you may be able to do it yourself. The first thing you are going to want to do is identify where the drainage tube is. Many times this going to be in the middle towards the back of the fridge and covered with some kind of protective plate. Check to see if there is something visibly blocking the drainage tube. It may be as simple as clearing this area out but if not do not worry there are some simple tricks you can do to free up the drainage tube.
First you will have to remove the protective plate to get access to the tube. Once this is removed you now should be able to see down into the tube. If you can try to clear away any visible debris from this area. If water is still backing up you are going to have to get a bit more involved. The easiest way to clear it out at this point is by using an old metal coat hanger to insert down the tube. Try to find a coat hanger that is all metal and does not have a coating on it. The plastic coating can come off and cause more harm later on down the road. Once you have found the appropriate coat hanger straighten it out then gently insert it into the drainage hold.
Pour some water into the bottom of the fridge and then slowly begin to work the coat hanger down the drain. If you meet resistance do not worry, but do not force the coat hanger right away. Work it around, up and down and side to side, slowly trying to dislodge whatever is blocking the drainage. Eventually the coat hanger should pop through and the blockage will be cleared. Continue pouring water down the drain and working it until you are sure that the drain is completely clear.
As you can see fixing the blockage in your fridge causing water to form is not something you need to call a professional out to do. If these steps do not work however it is highly recommended that you get a professional in as a blocked drainage pipe on your fridge can cause many problems.
