Refrigerator Leaking?

A Leak Coming From the Bottom of the Fridge?

A leaky fridge can leave annoying puddles on the kitchen floor.
A leaky fridge can leave annoying puddles on the kitchen floor.
Leaks in the kitchen don't always come from the sink or dishwasher. A faulty refrigerator might be to blame, even if it doesn't have an ice maker or water dispenser. Fortunately, the leak is water, since the coolant used in refrigerators is a gas not a liquid. Unfortunately, a puddle of water underneath or inside the fridge means there's a problem that needs immediate attention.

Defrost Drain

A blocked defrost drain is one of the most common causes of water leaking from your refrigerator and is a good place to start troubleshooting. The small drain opening is easily blocked by food particles or ice, preventing water that accumulated during the defrost cycle from draining to the pan. When enough water builds up, it starts leaking out of the refrigerator and onto the floor. Clear the drain by flushing it with hot water. Use a short piece of stiff wire, such as a wire clothes hanger, if necessary to remove the blockage.
Drain Pan

It is not common, but occasionally the drain pan at the bottom of the refrigerator can develop a crack that allows water to leak. It is normal for a small amount of water to accumulate in the drain pan, but it is not normal for it to escape the pan. Water in the drain pan should evaporate long before it becomes a concern thanks to the condenser fan blowing warm air across the surface of the pan. Examine the drain pan for any cracks or damage, especially if the defrost drain is clear and there is sign of water on any other part of the refrigerator. The pan should be replaced if it is damaged.

Ice Maker

Water-line connections to the ice maker can come loose or the seals can age and crack, leading to leaks that end up as water pooled under and around the refrigerator. Plastic hoses can also crack or tear, or get kinked creating pressure that turns into a leak at the connection. Check the length of the water line leading to the ice maker, usually on the rear exterior of the fridge, as well as the connections, for any signs of moisture. If the ice maker supply line is the problem, there will typically be water running or dripping down the line and on to the floor. Tighten the connections or replace the water line. It may also be necessary to replace the connectors to get a good seal.
Water Filter

A poor connection between the water filter and the water supply can cause a leak in refrigerator models with a filtering system. The filter may be installed improperly, the wrong size or model for the refrigerator, or it may be so old that the housing or seals are cracked, allowing water to escape. Examine the filter and housing assembly carefully for any signs of dripping water, which can usually be seen running down the outside of the filter and into the refrigerator's interior if the filter is the problem. Remove and replace the filter, following the manufacturer's instructions. The filter must be the exact one specified for the refrigerator.

The WW8500 AddWash

An Extra Door On This Front-Loading Washer Lets You Add Last Minute Additions

An Extra Door On This Front-Loading Washer Lets You Add Last Minute Additions

They’re more eco-friendly than top-loading machines, but front-loading washers don’t let you add forgotten garments once the wash cycle has started. With the addition of a second smaller door, though, Samsung’s new WW8500 AddWash lets you toss in that missing sock you just found.

The extra door, located at the top of the washer’s main door, can be unlocked by simply pushing a pause button mid-cycle. The water doesn’t drain from the machine, but it does stop sloshing around so you can slip in additional garments—even as large as sweaters or jeans—without any soapy water spilling out. It can also be used for adding extra detergent or even fabric softener halfway through a wash.

There’s no pricing info available just yet, but if you need any more convincing that this is the next washing machine for your laundry room, the WW8500 AddWash also has smartphone notifications. If you’ve got an iOS or Android mobile device handy, you can monitor the progress of a wash. But if you want to add more delicate items closer to the end of a cycle, or fabric softener, you can set up notifications that will let you know when it’s the best time to do so.

The new LG Twin wash

 The LG Twin Wash 

Washers from LG, Samsung, and Staber with interesting innovations and stunning prices.

 Manufacturers continue to up capacities and add features to win you over and to boost the price. On the other hand, some manufacturers skip the fancy extras and and still raise the price. Here’s a look inside three washers with new innovations recently tested by Consumer Reports, including LG’s Twin Wash.


Here’s a smart use of space, if only it weren’t so expensive. LG’s Twin Wash pairs a front-loader with a mini-washer where a pedestal might be. LG has turned a storage drawer into a 1-cubic-foot mini-washer that can be used at the same time the front-loader is running. Together they’re known as Twin Wash and rely on the same water supply. The $700 mini-washer can be paired with any LG front-loader made from 2009 on. It has six cycles, allows warm and cold wash temperatures, and an extra rinse. The mini-washer doesn’t deliver the cleaning power of a front-loader, based on our tests of 2- and 4-pound loads, but took only 40 minutes using the normal cycle. It’s meant for lightly soiled clothes.

The LG WM9000HVA front-loader is $1,800 and of the dozens of washers we tested, only the $1,900 Speed Queen AFNE9BSP113TW01 costs more. Sure, the high-scoring  LG did an excellent job getting laundry clean, was water- and energy-efficient, and has a jumbo capacity that fit about 26 pounds of laundry. Claimed capacity is 5.1 cubic feet. This washer was gentle on fabrics, relatively quiet, and vibration wasn’t an issue. But $1,800? And the normal wash time, using the heavy-soil setting, was 105 minutes—and that’s using the time-saving TurboWash. They're available at Best Buy starting in mid-October, and then widely available after December 20.

 The Samsung WA52J8700AP washer with Activewash.

Another smart use of space. Inside some new Samsung high-efficiency top-loaders you’ll see a water jet and built-in sink with ridges, a feature known as Activewash. You can use the sink’s ridges as if it were a washboard. Rub a stained shirt for a minute or two against the ridges, working detergent or pretreatment solution into the stain. No need to work up a sweat—the shirt then goes straight into the washer. The high-scoring Samsung WA52J8700AP has Activewash and is $1,000.

 Insert in the Staber HXW2404 washer.
Staber Stays Small
Bucking the trend of 28-pound capacities, Staber continues to use its unique tub design—just 2-cubic feet—on high-efficiency top-loaders. “The tub held 12 pounds of our laundry and it was a tight fit,” says Emilio Gonzalez, the engineer who oversees Consumer Reports’ tests of washers and dryers. Even though this is a top-loader, the small metal tub rotates in one direction, pauses, rotates in the other direction, just like a front-loader does. We tested the Staber HXW2404. It’s $1,700 and ended up near the bottom of our washer Ratings. Cleaning and water efficiency was impressive, but capacity was not, and this washer was noisy and vibrated.