Refrigerator Leak

[Dan54]

We pulled our 2011 Landmark out of storage last week in preparation for a trip. We plugged in the power & turned on the refrigerator today & water started seeping out from underneath. It was 90 degrees here so I assumed it was heavy condensation due to the heat & humidity. We pulled the drawer underneath the frig to get a better look & could see the water dripping down the back near several tubes running in the area. There are water stains & mold so it’s been happening a while. Maybe the humidity increased the amount of water at startup because we’ve never noticed it before. One of the tubes looks like the ice maker supply line but I didn’t see any pink from the antifreeze we used so doesn’t seem like that’s the issue. Any suggestions? Thanks!


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[Piperflyer]

Not sure if you want a fix it remedy or just a way to stop the leak

 

[cookie]

Could be that your condensation drain line has disconnected or deteriorated from age. I've replaced my drain hose a couple years ago so you might be over due.
What model refrigerator do you have?

Peace
Dave

 

[Dan54]

Not sure if you want a fix it remedy or just a way to stop the leak

I’d be open to learning about both, then I could make a decision which way to go.


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[Dan54]

Could be that your condensation drain line has disconnected or deteriorated from age. I've replaced my drain hose a couple years ago so you might be over due.
What model refrigerator do you have?

Peace
Dave

Dometic RM1350. How did you access your drain hose?


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[boatto5er]

Dometic RM1350. How did you access your drain hose?


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The drain hose should be clearly visible when you open the lower exterior access door.


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[Dan54]

Is it clear or black?


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[cookie]

I have the RM1350. On the back wall of the refrigerator compartment below the fins there should be a drip tray. It lifts up. It will have a drain tube attached. The original tube is usually white. That white tube should exit the outside at the lower access vent panel.

Peace
Dave

 

[JohnDar]

The drain tube is a white thin walled corrugated-like tube that attaches to the drip pan inside the fridge. After not too many years, it starts to embrittle and break apart. Bad engineering. I replaced mine with 1/2” reinforced water hose with a 90-degree brass PEX elbow. Used a small screw clamp to attach it to the outlet on the drip pan. The little plastic bug screen on the OEM tube fit snugly into the new hose.


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[Dan54]

I have the RM1350. On the back wall of the refrigerator compartment below the fins there should be a drip tray. It lifts up. It will have a drain tube attached. The original tube is usually white. That white tube should exit the outside at the lower access vent panel.

Peace
Dave

Refrigerator compartment- Is that the lower rear access panel??


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[cookie]

Inside the refrigerator box.

Peace
Dave

 

[JohnDar]

If your fridge is in a slide, you should have an upper and lower access panel outside. You can better access the tube connection from the top one. It’s tight, getting in there, but doable unless your forearms look like someone’s thighs. From the lower access panel, the refrigeration unit is in the way and it’s too low to get at the drip pan outlet.

When attaching a new hose to it, have someone inside hold the drip pan in place since it will move if you apply any force from the rear.


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[Dan54]

Found the drip tray, hose is no longer attached. Tried to push on it from the lower access panel & it immediately snapped off. Very brittle. Not sure if our local RV dealer have this type of hose in stock. Will check. Can’t get at the upper access right now because of where it’s parked. It is located in the slide out.


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[cookie]

I replaced my drain hose with a clear Tygon hose. I think it's a half inch hose.
When you do replace the hose be sure to install the small plastic screen on the outlet side.

Peace
Dave

 

[JohnDar]

I replaced my drain hose with a clear Tygon hose. I think it's a half inch house.
When you do replace the hose be sure to install the small plastic screen on the outlet side.

Peace
Dave

Pretty sure it’s 1/2” I.D. Since I hd the flexible water hose piece, it worked by making an elbow joint with the PEX fitting.

I don’t know why they use that crappy thin plastic tube. The heat behind the fridge destroys it.


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[wdk450]

If you are getting a LOT of water, and it is not pink like the antifreeze, I would worry about the water being rain or snow water intrusion through the slide seals and/or roof. Refrigerator condensation isn't that much water - maybe a cup or two a day? If the trailer had no pressurized water hookups, the likelihood of being icemaker water line seems small.

You may have to take out the refrigerator retaining screws on the inside top and bottom along with the retaining screws on the outside rear metal pan to be able to shove the refrigerator towards the inside a couple of inches to inspect the inside of the refrigerator cabinet for signs of water intrusion.

 

[Dan54]

Moved my trailer so I could get a ladder next to it to look in the upper access panel. Turns out the drain tube isn’t accessible from there either. There is a piece of sheet metal blocking my view but it seems to attach to the fridge between the access panels. Probably need to pull the unit out from wall to access. Nuts!


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[JohnDar]

Is it welded to the fridge or merely screwed on? If the screws are hidden by the sheet metal, then you are screwed.

They do not build these rigs to be easily repairable. Even for something as simple as this.

An alternative is to pull the drip pan out, attach flexible Tygon tubing to it, and force feed the tubing back in and down to the lower panel, trying not to kink it.


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[cookie]

An alternative is to pull the drip pan out, attach flexible Tygon tubing to it, and force feed the tubing back in and down to the lower panel, trying not to kink it.


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That's exactly how I did mine. I think I added a small clamp as well.

Peace
Dave

 

[JohnDar]

That's exactly how I did mine. I think I added a small clamp as well.

Peace
Dave

I was able to get at mine from the top, fortunately. A little rough on the forearms, though. Mine is a Dometic 2850, I think. Pulling it out of the slide is a desperate last resort.


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