Your refrigerator is the secret to your perishable items lasting as long as they do. That’s why it’s very troubling when your refrigerator is unable to function properly. There are many potential problems a refrigerator can face. One of these problems is a clogged drain tube. Luckily, there are ways to troubleshoot this issue and return your refrigerator to regular operation. Keep reading this guide to troubleshooting a refrigerator with a clogged drain tube so you can easily resolve this issue yourself. 

What Exactly Is A Refrigerator Drain Tube? 

Before diving into the process of troubleshooting a refrigerator with a clogged drain tube, it’s important to understand what a drain tube is and what it does for a refrigerator. Also known as the defrost drain tube, this part keeps out excess water that melts, preventing excessive water from flooding the fridge. As you can imagine, a clogged drain tube can lead to problems like leaks. By troubleshooting a clogged drain tube, you’ll be able to avoid the potential mess. 

Troubleshooting A Refrigerator With A Clogged Drain Tube 

Now that you understand what a drain tube does and why unclogging it is important, check out the following tips for troubleshooting a refrigerator with a clogged drain tube. 

1. Obtain The Right Supplies 

Before you can start unclogging a clogged defrost drain tube, you need to obtain the right supplies for the job. To keep anything from getting wet, gather some towels to spread on the floor. For the unclogging process, be sure you have a hairdryer, a turkey baster with hot water and bleach, and a screwdriver or a plumber’s snake. If possible, make sure you have gloves so your hands are protected throughout the process. 

2. Remove Food And Disconnect From The Power Source

After gathering the appropriate supplies, remove all food from your refrigerator before turning it off and disconnecting it from the power source. By disconnecting your fridge from the power, you’ll be able to avoid any problems that could arise from keeping it on during this troubleshooting process. You never know how long this process will take, so either have a cooler to store your food or ask a friend or family member to store it for you. 

3. Locate The Drain Tube With The User Manual 

Every refrigerator is built differently. That’s why it’s important to utilize the information in your refrigerator’s user manual to locate the defrost drain tube. If you don’t have access to a physical copy of the user manual, you should be able to find one online for the specific make and model of your refrigerator. 

4. Melt Any Ice

One reason you might be finding yourself troubleshooting a refrigerator with a clogged drain tube could be due to excessive ice. If that’s the case, set your hairdryer to the lowest setting possible, keep it at a reasonable distance from the drain tube, and use it to melt away all the ice. Even if ice buildup is only part of the problem, melting it will make it easier to unclog the drain tube. 

5. Unclog The Drain Tube

Now, you can use either a small screwdriver or a plumber’s snake to unclog the inside of the drain tube. When unclogging it, the debris should land in the drip pan. After thoroughly clearing out the drain tube, you’ll be ready to move on to the next step. 

6. Clean The Drain Tube 

Using a turkey baster with hot water and bleach, you will thoroughly clean the inside of the drain tube. If you don’t have a turkey baster, you can also use a small cleaning syringe. After cleaning the tube, remove the drip pan and empty it before putting it back into your refrigerator. All the grime and debris blocking your defrost drain tube is officially gone. 

7. Restock And Reconnect 

Finally, you can restock your refrigerator and reconnect it to the power source. Before doing so, put your drain tube back in its original position and make sure everything is in proper order. Once that’s done, your refrigerator will be ready to go back to work. 

Call Appliance Repair Kingwood For Help With Your Refrigerator!

We hope this guide to troubleshooting a refrigerator with a clogged drain tube makes a world of difference in keeping your kitchen appliances in shape. However, we understand if you’d prefer to leave this kind of task to the professionals. The good news is that all you need to do is contact us at Appliance Repair Kingwood to get the necessary help with your refrigerator.