[wptski]

Got an old Frigidaire with a defrost drainage issue. Top freezer model where defrosted water runs down the inside back wall to the bottom sloped area. Underneath there is a pan, I assume where the water is supposed to evaporate.

The issue is there isn't a hole for the water to get into the evaporating pan and never was! I've been sponging the water out of there every so often.

Wondering what size hole it should be as it will allow cold air to escape? Anyone have one that has a system like this?

 

[jmon]

It's probably there somewhere. Hard to tell with older models exactly where it is.

Whats the model number? Thanks.

 

[wptski]

It's probably there somewhere. Hard to tell with older models exactly where it is.

Whats the model number? Thanks.

It's pitched to a low center spot where a hole would be but isn't. It's FPCD-166TN-R, older than dirt!

 

[AllanJ]

If you pour more water onto the low spot where the hole should be, where would the water overflow and cascade to?

Given a refrigerator this old, you might just experiment by drilling a 1/4 inch hole in the low spot and probing with a coat hanger where it would lead to. Be very careful not to let the drill bit penetrate since you might hit some vital component or wire or tube and damage the refrigerator beyond repair. If the hole does not lead anywhere you can tape it over with duct tape.

One 1/4 or slightly larger hole is not going to lose much (or any) cold air when the door is closed provided you don't have gaps in the door gasket to establish cross ventilation with.

 

[wptski]

If you pour more water onto the low spot where the hole should be, where would the water overflow and cascade to?

Given a refrigerator this old, you might just experiment by drilling a 1/4 inch hole in the low spot and probing with a coat hanger where it would lead to. Be very careful not to let the drill bit penetrate since you might hit some vital component or wire or tube and damage the refrigerator beyond repair. If the hole does not lead anywhere you can tape it over with duct tape.

One 1/4 or slightly larger hole is not going to lose much (or any) cold air when the door is closed provided you don't have gaps in the door gasket to establish cross ventilation with.

Water would flow out the door opening. There are two so-called Hydrator drawers that if the water isn't removed will drip when opened because of the level it can get to.

With the front kick plate removed, the pan is right underneath the pitched interior. The low spot is about 2" from the back edge of the drip pan with maybe a 2" drop to the pan and nothing is its way.

The other part that I didn't mention is that I'm getting condensation dripping from the bottom of the freezer compartment which is the top of the normal storage. I had this same thing about 2 1/2 years ago and tore the freezer apart. I guess the drain got blocked up and it all iced up. You can't see where the water drains out as the coil, etc. cover it up. The exit point inside the fridge is a small gap to guide the water to the back wall making it impossible to clean.

Last time I didn't get that deep into how/where the water is/was to supposed to go but thought it was stupid to just sit inside the fridge to just recirculate!

 

[AllanJ]

Looks more and more to me like a manufacturing defect where there was supposed to be a drain hole in the contoured low spot you described, but was inadvertently omitted in the assembly process.

The condensation just under the freezer compartment could have been aggravated by the pooled up water that accumulated down below. Some of the latter evaporates, raising the relative humidity of the air within the refrigerator main compartment and as the air circulates due to eddy currents, the upper surface being at a lower temperature may cause water to condense out as the air passes horizontally along that surface. Then the air up there, being now cooler, drops and increases the amount of eddy currents and more condensation.

 

[wptski]

Funny as if you search the model number all that comes up is newspaper ads from around 1970. It could be pushing forty years old! Amazing that it could operate that long and there is no memories of the need to remove accumulated water. Maybe the defrost element isn't what it used to be.

All that ice makes for a messy repair job so the last thing I do will be punching a hole at the bottom of the fridge because that'll make a nice catch for the melted ice unless I plug it.

 

[AllanJ]

You might want to do some research (Googling, writing the manufacturer, asking on forums if anyone also reading the forum has the same model and does theirs have a hole in that location).

The more room air enters, gets into, or infiltrates the freezer and refrigerator interior, the more ice will develop on the cooling elements making for more water flowing out during the defrost cycle. Even more so when it is warm and humid outside.

Most prepared food should be covered when refrigerated. Frozen food should be wrapped in plastic. Evaporated water from food including frozen food will contribute to the amount of frost and therefore the amount of defrost water as well as leave the food including frozen food shriveled and dehydrated and perhaps stringy in texture.

Note that some fruits and vegetables are better off not wrapped. You will have to use your experience to determine which ones can withstand wrapping; my experience is that apples are better off unwrapped.

 

[wptski]

Like I stated, I had to sponge water out before. I noticed the lack of water but thought it was because of the dryer cooler weather and couldn't remember if the same thing happened last year at this time.

That's why I was asking here about the hole. Not sure how many still own a fridge maybe purchased 40 years ago??

 

[wptski]

I took it apart yesterday and it was plugged up with ice like before but much less as I didn't put it off so long.

I have another fridge in my basement which I transferred the contents into which has to be older but doesn't control the freezer section well, you need to manually force it ON/OFF.

This one has the same type of frost drainage. The bottom floor is sloped to the center as well. In the spot where I have nothing in the other fridge there is maybe around a 7/8" hole with a plastic sleeve which has a female cone shape at the bottom with around a 1/4" hole in it. Inside that sleeve is what appears to be a float with a male cone end.

I guess as water enters, float rises allowing the water out the hole. Sure is lots of stuff missing on my other fridge!

Maybe I can find an assembly like this??

Might have to use a hole saw later so I just punched a 3/16" hole there to let the water out to the evaporation pan.