Repair Whirlpool P trap due to freezer leaks

[O’Scolai]

 

Hi Samurai team  This is about your 2014 YouTube video on How to Install the new Condensate Drain P-Trap in Whirlpool built Refrigerators  Before installing the P-trap in the back of the refrigerator  you have to go to the freezer section drawer- the inside back freezer panel needs removed to defrost the coils before you can do the repair in the back of the fridge for the P-trap--if you have 2 extra fridge freezers to put your frozen food in—can you just unplug the fridge for a couple days and defrost then do the repair in the back of the refrigerator without opening the freezer and blow drying the coils?  Thank you  Vincent

[Samurai Appliance Repair Man]

2 hours ago, O’Scolai said:

-if you have 2 extra fridge freezers to put your frozen food in—can you just unplug the fridge for a couple days and defrost then do the repair in the back of the refrigerator without opening the freezer and blow drying the coils? 

Yes and no. Yes, this will melt the ice. But the cause of the ice plug in these units is the lips of the duckbill grommet getting gummed shut together and clogs the drain. So the frost melts off the evaporator coil during defrost, the water drips on the drip tray and can't drain. Refrigeration cycle starts back up and freezes all that water. 

The thawing you describe works fine on many other makes and models and we often advise our local customers of this no-cost option. If they don't have multiple fridges, they can still do this if it's winter by just setting their food outside or in the garage. 

With this model, though, the prospects of this working are slim. But, then again, it's free. So you have nothing to lose by trying except some time schlepping food around. 

[Budget Appliance Repair]

I think you would get much better results if you remove the old duck bill grommet on the back first, no need to replace it yet, (you will be replacing it with the new P-Trap drain after it all thaws out), leave the funnel in place and let it defrost - then the melted ice should be able to drain out OK once it has all thawed out in 2-3 days.

That should save you having to remove the freezer drawer and back panel.

[darren412]

Me personally , I will always when it comes to replacing that P trap , will pull the back panel off in the freezer section and not only defrost the evaporator but inspect and check the drain hole and evaporator drip pan also with a visual inspection to make sure that it is not only draining into the pan underneath,  after the new p trap is installed but also to make sure there is not anything obstructing the drain hole . You just never know .  I have found anything can happen in this appliance repair biz. To have an efficient repair,  I had to defrost the drain line and the evaporator drip pan anyway to speed up the repair issue so a little more time to check that also gives me a piece of mind  knowing I did the best I could for the customer and that the call will be completed and I will not need to go back there. Not that this is the only way to do things , I get it.   I tend to try and be as thorough as I can be to avoid a call back. I have found that in the past when I veered  away from what I actually always do in a repair ,  that was the one time I ended up having a problem and had to go back.  I hate going back.  I remember when I did my very first one of these and I pulled the drain trough off of the drain pan underneath and I didn't cautiously remove it.  I didn't know the best way of getting the drain trough out of where it was clipped into the lower pan and I ended up pulling it off the wrong way and cracked the pan at the brkt for the drain trough part. .   Water went everywhere.       I never did that again.     I siliconed the cracked area and also put some aluminum tape over the siliconed area for back up .  It worked fine and I never got a call back on water leaking when it went through the defrost process.  It all seems easy until something like that happens.  This was one of my moments in the early stages of appliance repair , that taught me to no matter what rushing and pulling and prying at plastic shit does not always have a positive out come when rushing and not doing  pre diagnosis of the call.