GE Refrigerator Model# GTS18KCMARBB Defrost Drain Continually Clogging

[TimRay]

Hi,

Why is my GE refrigerator model# GTS18KCMARBB defrost drain/line continually freezing, resulting in leaking water from freezer into lower 'fridge?

My GE refrigerator model# GTS18KCMARBB is leaking water from the freezer into the lower 'fridge. I unclogged the freezer defrost line about a month ago and the leaking stopped. But the leaking has continued and after opening the back of the freezer I found that the defrost drain was once again filled with ice. I will unclog it like I did the last time but would like to not have to do it again in 1-2 months.

Is the entire drain line to the drain pan clogging? If so, can I do anything with the drain line such as modify any attachments to it such as a grommet (if there is one)?

Is there something malfunctioning rather with the defrost timer?

Thank you in advance for your time and assistance.

Sincerely,

Tim

[abaesemann]

Part number: WR51X10052

Is this piece of metal hanging off of the defrost heater into the drain hole?

[TimRay]

abaesemann: thank you for the post/question. Yes, that piece of metal is hanging off of the coils and into the drain hole. I made sure to place it back just as I found it. Or at least as it was designed -- I believe, hanging from the coils with the non-curled tip pointing into the drain. 

The next thing I will do is to remove the rear lower panel to view the drain line. And will ensure that it is not clogged by either blowing air up or down into it, or pushing up or plunging down a long pipe cleaner.

[abaesemann]

keep us posted

[AARDL]

Tim is the wire hanging from coils or heater, hope its on the heater.

[TimRay]

AARDL - Yes, the Heater Conduction Wire is hanging from the coils best I can tell when I opened the back panel. Whether or not it was conducting the heat accordingly like it was designed is tough to say. When hanging the wire back on the heater I somewhat crimped it tighter so that it's a tighter fit around the heat coil. And I made sure that the wire end was pointed into the drain hole and even somewhat touching the drain pan so as to better conduct the heat (which I think may make it more effective [?]).

I also pushed a wire brush into the drain line (in back bottom) as far up as I could. In addition to plunging a wire brush attached to a pliable wire hangar down from the freezer top - to clean out the drain line best I could, and to maybe unclog it if it was clogged. Some white solid/sediment material appeared perhaps from 15+ yrs of gradual buildup. I'm located in GA where the water is either hard or soft (whichever contains more minerals, salts, etc. with tendency for calcium or whatever buildup). I wanted to blow some air up and down through the drain line but do not have ready access to an air compressor.

I'll inspect the drain pan in 2 weeks to see if there is any unwanted frozen build up.

But any and all suggestion/thoughts/comments is most welcomed.

Thank you all for your assistance.

[abaesemann]

4 minutes ago, TimRay said:

Yes, the Heater Conduction Wire is hanging from the coils

Needs to be hanging from the heater

4 minutes ago, TimRay said:

When hanging the wire back on the heater I somewhat crimped it tighter

I hope this is where you put it

4 minutes ago, TimRay said:

located in GA where the water is either hard or soft

Your local water has nothing to do with the water coming fro your coils.

Take a turkey baster with hot tap water and dump it into drain pan and see if it comes out the other end through the trap, or remove trap and clean as needed

[TimRay]

Thanks very much, abaesemann, for the input.

"Needs to be hanging from the heater" - gotcha. As I noted, I only hung it on the evaporator coil, dang it!  I obviously didn't know and didn't readily identify the heater.

1. When I re-open the back of the freezer will the defrost heater be fairly obvious?

2. Is it a bar as displayed on the attached/below YouTube video at around the 04:39 mark? Or depends on the 'fridge model?

3. Is the defrost heater attached to the drain pan or does it depend on the model?

"Your local water has nothing to do with the water coming from your coils." - another great point, I wasn't thinking, since the evaporator coil's frost buildup is from the moisture inside of the 'fridge and not city water, as you noted. 

"Take a turkey baster with hot tap water and dump it into drain pan and see if it comes out the other end through the trap, or remove trap and clean as needed" - yup, I used this method to unclog it the last and current time but it now makes sense that if the heat conduction wire is not connected to the heater then it's not transmitting heat into the drain and drain pan then that's why it'll continue freezing. 

I'll re-inspect later and report back.

Thanks again for your invaluable assistance.