Refrigerator problem

We bought a new refrigerator about 5 years ago. It is a Fridgidaire brand. Besides being a total cheap piece of plastic c**P(all the plastic shelves crack when you put too much weight on them(like a gallon a milk), it leaks water. The inside bottom is always full of water and it will overflow and run on to the floor. I was told that it must have a plugged drain, I was also told that it might be a bad evaporator, I was also told there should be a pan under the fridge that catches water. I don't see any pan and there's no way we could have lost any pan since its never been moved since new.
Any refrigerator repairmen out there with any helpful advice? If I thought it would do any good, I would sue Best Buy Corp. for selling me this piece of c**p.

If you locate the plastic pipe that is running into the condensate pan underneath the cabinet into the plastic pan that is probably located on the top of the compressor, well, sometimes you can blow the obstruction out. If you notice that there is NO water in the pan, most likely there is an obstruction in the condensate pipe.
Hope this helps. BY the way, most household "white-goods" refrigerators, stoves, etc, are owned by the WHITE CONSOLIDATED INDUSTRIES. That's wright, WHITE TRUCKS, INC.

The 400 series SS will rust from the alloy mix or the 300 series will if cleaned with something containing iron, SOS pad ?, steel wool?, etc;

Jenn-Aire = Maytag"s cheap line.

T_Bone

Mark

IF you have water under the crispers, it is most likely you are making the water (rain) inside your refrigerator by having a poor door seal. When you mix cold and hot air, you get mositure. This also is assuming, that you have no Ice Maker or Water in the Door features that would be leaking.

This model of refrigerator (I am assuming based upon age) has a condensate pan but it is affixed to the top of the compressor. When the compressor runs, it creates heat and thus heats the pan, and the water collected in theory is suppose to evaporate.

You could also have a plugged drain in the evaporator area but I kinda doubt it. Usually there is a icy mess when that happens.

If you were to give a Model Number, I could be more precise in helping you out.

P.S. i just replaced my 10 year old failing Frigidare with a Whirlpool, wish I had done it much sooner. One other thing to remember, There is a big difference in quality of different models in any brand.

You sound like you know what you're talking about. Everything you said sound's like that tube is the problem.
Now I know what I will be doing this weekend.

Thanks very much for the advice!

Several thing to check. Most refers don"t use a inside drain anymore. They rely on a non-condensing temperature inside the cabinet. In layman terms that means the water collects in the crisper drawer...lol

1) make sure no hot food is being put in the refrige before it cools.

2) Check to see that the refrigerator side air control is set high engough. Takes 48hrs to correct a humidity problem between dial changes.

3) make sure the inside lite shuts off when the door closes. Lite should go off before door completely shuts. Manualy Try door lite swicth.

4) Check to be sure the door gasket seals. Put a sheet of white notebook paper on the door surface, shut the door, then see if there"s resistance to pulling the paper out. If there"s resistance then seal is working, no resistance then you have a leak in the seal. Adjust door and/or replace magnetic seal.

5) Air passage is blocked from the freezer compartment. The Theremostat controls the compressor from the freezer side. The refrigerator cold control is a air damper from the freezer. This usally means ice has built up on the evaporator. If a ice covered evaporator then most likely the defrost control is not working or the freezer fan has stoped or running slow or the deforst element has burned out. Freezer temps should also be high. If evaporator iced solid the defrost with a hair dryer.

6) a refer problem. Condensor coil clean? Condensor fan (if present) running?

If none of the above, call a repairman for a "estimate" then price out a new unit but NEVER buy a Fridgaire/Westinghouse.

Maytag, GE, Whirlpool in that order and no other brands. Same with all major appliances. Why? Parts are cheaper or easy to get after market parts and parts always in stock.

T_Bone

The Frigidaire is superior in my mind over GE. Without regard for anything else, the evaporator is mounted vertically on the rear of the box, has a large surface area (about as big as the box) and uses natural convection to extract the heat. It is up off the floor and requires no fan; the heat off it goes up into the room. The light bill is $10 per month noticably cheaper. The evaporator tray is also up off the floor, and is located on top of the compressor where compressor heat can aid in the evaporation process. Compressor is so quiet you can barely hear it run and it seldom runs.

The GE has the (small) condenser crammed beneath it with the evaporator. All the "radiated" heat off it goes up to the bottom of the ref which has to ship that heat out eventually. It has a pull off exctucheon on the front to access (very limited) the condenser coil; which, since it sits 2" off the floor, is constantly clogging with lint; is most difficult to remove the lint and the motor gives out, probably due to the heat and lint. Air access is limited and as a result the compressor runs nearly constantly. It is noisy also.

Sears Washer it the best in my book; has been for as long as I can remember. They just run and run and run and aren"t Maytag expensive, self cleaning filters and all. Been Married 42 years and had 3 Sears washers in that time. Nothing else and the latest one is over 10 yrs old, looks and runs like new.

Had GE dishwashers for years. Not now. Have a Frigidaire. Bought a dishwasher ($199 Frig.@ Lowe"s) for the oldest son. Helped him install and check it out. Couldn"t believe how quiet is was, how well it washed and the ease of loading dishes and silverware.

Went to Lowes and bought me one. Worst I had was Whirlpool; door seal problem.

GE room Air conditioners are OK. Their spine fin is very efficient and no joints to fracture and leak.

I have a 30" GE gas range that I like. Their small appliances have worked well for us.

Don"t like their TV"s.

Dat"s de history of my appliances.

Mark

Try taking some steel wool and put inside the drain tube. Some times this will help keep the lint out with-out creating a plug up.

Sears = Whirpool or did, I really don"t know if they still make 100% Sears or not.

The problem with Frigidaire is they don"t sell the quanity of appliances that GE, Maytag or Whilpool does and there"s virtualy no after market parts available. The factory only carry"s parts for a few years so if something breaks that only Frigidaire made then you got to buy a new appliance. Frigidaire parts were almost twice as expensive than other OEM parts.

T_Bone

On parts, since Home Depot and Lowe"s started handling appliances, the prices are really great and if you have any problems, they stick behind their stuff. Sorry for the mom and pop shops, but these monster businesses have the where-with-all to service their customers and happy customers come back. So they are successful. Get my money.

Enjoyed the chat.

Mark

Here's an old GE Refrigerator that I've used in my shop for the past 20 years. This one still carries it original charge of Sulphur Dioxide refrigerant, and works fine. Last year, after seeing an identical one sell on eBay for $800+, I thought about trying to sell this one, and took these photos...but didn't have the heart, and put her back in the shop to live out her life.

Nice. Let er die in piece...good idea.
Mark

If you ever get a refrigerant leak, you"ll atleast know about as sulfur dioxide stinks really bad.

T_Bone

Mark