Maytag (WP) SxS fridge water not evaporating

[askolover]

Hey all, my side by side fridge has suddenly started overflowing the drain pan. I figured it was stuffed with lint and cat hair so I vacuumed it out very well ( found a whole another car under it)and the airflow improved tremendously. The fan is working but I'm not sure it's blowing as fast as it used to. Twice it has overflowed about a month apart (just this morning). I just vacuumed the water out and got on here to confer with experts. I'm sure it is
defrost and not a water line or cracked filter. What next? Everything is cold or frozen appropriately. I think I bought it back around 2008 or so and zero problems. Made in Mexico.

 

[combo52]

As always, we need a model number, there certainly is a possibility Something is leaking from the water valve or filter or lines and filling the water pan under the refrigerator, you can try turning off the water to the refrigerator and see if the problem goes away as an interim test.

John

 

[askolover]

MSD2242VEB00 is the model

 

[rp2813]

The fan may not be running at full RPM due to dust and cat fur accumulation around its moving parts.  I have a bathroom exhaust fan that's placed near the shower, and it had slowed way down to a useless level due to caked-on dust and lint.  I vacuumed the enclosure, pulled the motor and vacuumed it, then gave it a drop or two of turbine oil and it roared back to life like it was brand new. 

 

Condenser fans on modern refrigerators are light duty and aren't built to the same standards as exhaust fans, but yours may respond to a similar operation.  Cat fur can prove deadly for refrigerators if not vacuumed regularly.  My sister had a fridge that burnt out because she was told no vacuuming of the condenser was required when she bought it.  That advice was given without the knowledge that she had four cats at the time.

 

[askolover]

When I cleaned it a month ago I pulled it out from it's cubby. I took the back panel off and cleaned the fan and all the coils I could get to from the front and back and I have a long reach nozzle that will get way back in there. I was able to check the water valve and it was dry as were the other water lines. We will be in new Orleans for five days and I will shut off the whole house water when we leave. The door seals are still good and making contact. Fan motors are cheap enough.. even name brand WP ones are made in China.

 

[combo52]

Maytag side-by-side

Hi Greg, this model does have the water filter and parts of the water valve, etc. above the pan so elite could be filling the pan.

Turning off the water for the house for five days would be a good test. Be sure to open the cold water faucet in the kitchen to relieve any pressure in your plumbing system otherwise there may be enough pressure for it to keep leaking.

It’s unlikely the fan motor is running too slowly. This is an electronic fan motor. They do die sometimes but we didn’t have much trouble with them. They’re extremely rugged they could run 24 hours a day for 20 years easily. They do not get encumbered with cat hair never seen that happen

If you get a replacement motor from whirlpool it’s over $100 although they’re probably cheaper replacements but it’s unlikely you’re gonna need this.

This refrigerator defrosts with a computer. It is possible that it’s going in to defrost cycles to infrequently and just putting down too much water at a time, but I’ve never seen this happen unless people thrown really big parties and been in and out of the refrigerator all night .

 

[kenwashesmonday]

Make sure the door gaskets are sealing.

 

[askolover]

As I was preparing things for our trip I looked under to see how much water is in the pan and I caught a drop as it fell from the filter housing itself. The lines are dry. So a new housing should get here about the time we get back and the water will be off so no worries there. Thanks for the consultation. Updates coming later.

 

[askolover]

Well after five days in New Orleans and leaving the water off to the house we came home yesterday and the drain pan was pretty much dry and the new genuine whirlpool filter housing was here waiting. I switched it out and will check it later to see if any more leaks.

 

[askolover]

Well I just looked and there is still a drip but in a different place. The o rings on the filter are leaking. I reused my filter that was just installed at the end of December. I may see if Lowe's has some o rings that size and replace them. Those filters are not cheap. Meanwhile I just pulled the filter back out and it's running on bypass. The fridge is connected to filtered water anyways. If I have to I will completely bypass the filter system since it's already filtered when it comes in.