What purpose does the rubber nipple (grommet) have on refrigerator condensation drains?

[summit3030]

I just DIY fixed a leaky freezer and found the condensation line frozen, etc...

If these stupid little nipples are always clogging up and causing issues, why don't we just take them off and not use them?

The only purpose I can think of is that the grommet somehow diffuses heat near the compressor so it doesn't travel up the condensate line?

[Budget Appliance Repair]

@summit3030 The duct bill grommet is suppose to keep warm moisture laden air from migrating up to evaporator and causing extra frost build up on evaporator.

If this was a Whirlpool built bottom freezer model, they have designed a P-Trap drain tube kit to replace the failure prone grommet.  (NOTE: if this is what you have, post your model number and I or someone else will give you the part number for the P-Trap drain tube kit to fix this problem correctly).

Before this update kit came out a trick that was used was to clean the old grommet good, (they get sticky from the heat), and nip a little "V" cut out of the middle of the duck bill on the grommet so that even if it sticks together again water can still drain out the little "V" cut.

 

Edited April 21, 2020 by Budget Appliance Repair

[summit3030]

Thanks for the response. It's a Summit so the P-trap doesn't seem to be an option.

Mine never even got clogged. I think it came from the manufacturer sitting in the drain pain and it was simply never installed. So this makes sense as to why the freezer started leaking water. But I will give it a tiny little V just to keep it from getting clogged.