LESLIE: Betty in Wisconsin’s got some unwanted water in the kitchen. Tell us what’s going on with the fridge.
BETTY: Seems like (audio gap) I make ice it creates a lot of ice down in the (audio gap) the freezer part and then it leaks out on the floor. And I don’t know if it’s when it’s defrosting or when I’m making ice.
TOM: Hmm. Betty, where exactly is the water dripping out from?
BETTY: Down on the floor.
TOM: And you have a drip pan underneath this?
BETTY: Yes.
TOM: If it’s a self-defrosting refrigerator, there’s usually a tube that comes out and aims towards the drip pan. And what I’m thinking here is that that part of the drain is misaligned or has become jammed or bent or …
LESLIE: The tube could even be clogged.
TOM: (overlapping voices) … or clogged. Exactly. Because it’s not getting to the pan; it’s coming out elsewhere and that’s the issue.
So what you’re going to have to do is pull that pan out, look under there with a strong flashlight, identify where that tube is and try to figure out if it’s blocked or it’s clogged or perhaps it’s missing. I don’t think that it’s a major deal. I think you’re just going to have to be a bit of a detective here. And if you can’t see under there, I’ll give you a little trick of the trade from my years as a home inspector. And that is you can take a small mirror – like the kind that you use for a compact; like a makeup mirror –
BETTY: Yes.
TOM: – and shine the flashlight against that and that will light up the underside of the refrigerator and you can see where you’re going with the mirror.
BETTY: Oh, OK.
TOM: Now, I don’t want you guys to get the idea that I carried my makeup with me on my years as a home inspector. (laughter) We actually used a folding mirror for that but I’m not suggesting you go out and buy one. But a compact works fine.
BETTY: Alright.
TOM: Alright, Betty. Thanks so much for calling us at 1-888-MONEY-PIT. 888-666-3974.
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