GE Ice Maker Is Leaking Into Storage Bins

Clogged Defrost Drain

• When the automatic defrost system heats and melts the frost from the cooling coil, the water drips into a drain and is carried away to a pan below the appliance for evaporation. Occasionally food particles can clog this tube or the water can freeze over the drain, preventing proper defrost system drainage. The result is an overflowing defrost drain. The overflowing water can spill into the ice bin depending on its location within the freezer. More commonly it will drip into the lower part of the freezer on a side-by-side model or into the fresh food compartment on a top freezer model. The storage bins located in the bottom of the freezer or at the bottom of the refrigerator can fill with this water and result in food spoilage or mess.

Clearing a Clog

• You can usually clear out a defrost drain clog easily. Inundating an iced-over drain with hot water will clear the ice away and allow for proper drainage. You may need to resort to using a turkey baster with warm water and perhaps a little baking soda to blast into the drain to clear other clogs deeper in the tube.

Water Valve

• The water inlet valve opens and closes to allow water into the ice maker and water dispenser. If the valve is damaged or improperly installed it can leak either at the connection to the lines or through the actual valve housing itself. Check the valve for leaks; water pressure build up here, so water would easily escape if there is an imperfection in the component or in the fitting seal. This water could easily end up in the storage bins in the bottom of the freezer compartment on a side-by-side model or in the produce and meat drawers in the bottom of the fresh food compartment on a top-freezer model.

Level

• Make sure your refrigerator is sitting on a level surface. The ice maker may not function properly if it is not, because the water may pour out of the cube molds and into the ice bin. Such an issue could potentially have the same symptoms as a defrost drain clog depending on just how off-level the refrigerator is.