water found in pot drawer under refrigerator

[BrendaWendell]

only in fall and winter when trailer not in use, we find water in the pot drawer underneath the refrigerator unit. All summer with driving rain we don't have any problem. We bag the top and bottom grates in winter to keep snow out, but yesterday, before we had chance to do that, we had rain. You guessed it, water underneath in the drawer. The shelf which the fridge sits on is made of chipboard and that's wet. Any ideas of what we can do to solve this mystery?? We are at wits end. Thanks for any ideas. By the way we don't have an ice maker.
Brenda

 

[danemayer]

Hi Brenda,

Remove the lower ventilation cover on the exterior wall and check to make sure that you don't have a water feed line (even though you have no ice maker). Water feed lines freeze and break very easily.

Also check the drain hose. Condensation inside the refrigerator drains to a tray that has a hose attached. The hose sticks out the lower vent cover. A loose cap allows water to drain but restricts warm air from entering the refrigerator.

The original hose on a 2011 may be very brittle by now and could be leaking. Handle it carefully while inspecting.

 

[BrendaWendell]

Hi Brenda,

Remove the lower ventilation cover on the exterior wall and check to make sure that you don't have a water feed line (even though you have no ice maker). Water feed lines freeze and break very easily.

Also check the drain hose. Condensation inside the refrigerator drains to a tray that has a hose attached. The hose sticks out the lower vent cover. A loose cap allows water to drain but restricts warm air from entering the refrigerator.

The original hose on a 2011 may be very brittle by now and could be leaking. Handle it carefully while inspecting.

Thank you so much for the reply, it's mysterious that it only happens when the fridge is off. We have no issues when in use.

 

[cookie]

Thank you so much for the reply, it's mysterious that it only happens when the fridge is off. We have no issues when in use.

If that drain hose that Dan mentioned has been broken or is not outside the vent and if your refrigerator had ice or condensate on the fins, when you shut the refrigerator off then that ice will melt and possibly be the source of your drawer water.

Peace
Dave

 

[Lou_and_Bette]

I strongly agree with Dave’s response but have two other question? Since it appears, from your description, that this occurs only during the “winter,” is the rig parked in a different location than during the summer? If so, is that site level?
Lou

 

[jerryjay11]

only in fall and winter when trailer not in use, we find water in the pot drawer...
Brenda

That must make it very hard to light up...

 

[BrendaWendell]

I strongly agree with Dave’s response but have two other question? Since it appears, from your description, that this occurs only during the “winter,” is the rig parked in a different location than during the summer? If so, is that site level?
Lou

We have a designated parking place for the Big Horn in our yard and yes,it's level. We use the rig at home too to get max use out of it and never have an issue. Thanks for replying, much appreciated

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That must make it very hard to light up...

LOL good one, especially now it's legalized in Canada

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If that drain hose that Dan mentioned has been broken or is not outside the vent and if your refrigerator had ice or condensate on the fins, when you shut the refrigerator off then that ice will melt and possibly be the source of your drawer water.

Peace
Dave

Thank you, will check it out

 

[hut]

Any updates? I have water in the drawer also. I've checked the things mentioned here already and everything seems intact. I thought maybe the drain hose was frozen up at the outlet, but even if that was it, it would just drain down the back of the fridge to the bottom, but there's not water standing in the bottom. I'm at a loss....

We are living in it right now, so the fridge is on.

 

[Tool958]

Any updates? I have water in the drawer also. I've checked the things mentioned here already and everything seems intact. I thought maybe the drain hose was frozen up at the outlet, but even if that was it, it would just drain down the back of the fridge to the bottom, but there's not water standing in the bottom. I'm at a loss....

We are living in it right now, so the fridge is on.

We had the same problem on ours. Checked and adjusted the refrigerator drain line and water lines to the sink. Ended up being the vent on the refrigerator on the outside. The water, during a rain storm, was running down the side of the camper. It was hitting the top of the vent and then running over the top of the frame and in behind the removable vent. Then it was migrating into the camper to the drawer and eventually running on the floor. I ended up putting a j channel across the front of the top of the vent frame extending over each end of the frame on each end, kind of like a gutter. Of course I sealed the j channel when I mounted it to the front of the frame. It solved the problem with no more leaks. I liked to have never figured out where the water was coming from.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

 

[hut]

We had the same problem on ours. Checked and adjusted the refrigerator drain line and water lines to the sink. Ended up being the vent on the refrigerator on the outside. The water, during a rain storm, was running down the side of the camper. It was hitting the top of the vent and then running over the top of the frame and in behind the removable vent. Then it was migrating into the camper to the drawer and eventually running on the floor. I ended up putting a j channel across the front of the top of the vent frame extending over each end of the frame on each end, kind of like a gutter. Of course I sealed the j channel when I mounted it to the front of the frame. It solved the problem with no more leaks. I liked to have never figured out where the water was coming from.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

I will check it out. I'm learning that nothing is worth overlooking!

This water is soaking through the wood platform the fridge sits on. The lower vent floor looks dry....

Thanks!

 

[Tool958]

I will check it out. I'm learning that nothing is worth overlooking!

This water is soaking through the wood platform the fridge sits on. The lower vent floor looks dry....

Thanks!

That was where it was coming in on ours. I also sealed the vent frame on the outside, around the edge of it. There is a break in the gutter right above it, that directs the water down onto the vent itself. I also sealed it good, to stop the stream coming down from it. We haven’t had any leaks since. If I can think of it, I’ll try to take a pic of what I did and post it. Good luck with it.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

 

[Tool958]

If that drain hose that Dan mentioned has been broken or is not outside the vent and if your refrigerator had ice or condensate on the fins, when you shut the refrigerator off then that ice will melt and possibly be the source of your drawer water.

Peace
Dave

We’ve had that problem. The hose to the drain inside the refrigerator, came off of the bottom. Like you said, when the refrigerator was shut off, was the only time we saw it, before we finally figured it out.


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[hut]

Thanks!