Water on the kitchen floor in front of the fridge is a common fridge complaint, and one of the most fixable. Often, it isn't the fridge breaking down at all. It's the small channel that carries melt water from the cooling plate to a tray at the back, blocked with crumbs, ice or a bit of food, so the water spills out instead.
Other faults are more serious: a fridge that runs but doesn't cool, a freezer that thaws, or a fridge that trips the power. Whatever yours is doing, the technician comes to you, tests it where it stands, and tells you what's wrong and what the repair will cost before any work starts.
For safe checks before you book, see our guide to a fridge not cooling.
Suburbs we cover in Alberton
Kitchens with a leaking fridge, garages with a second one, and the larger fridges in Meyersdal's estates: the technician comes to all of them. We cover these Alberton suburbs:
- New Redruth
- Brackenhurst
- Meyersdal
- Randhart
- Brackendowns
- Alberante
- Raceview
Fridge faults we fix in Alberton
Water pooling under the salad drawers
The defrost drain at the back of the fridge section is blocked. The melt water collects at the bottom and eventually overflows onto the floor.
Water on the floor behind the fridge
The drip tray on top of the compressor has cracked or slipped, or on a fridge with a dispenser, the water line has split.
Ice blocking the drain
In some fridges, the drain hole freezes over. The ice grows each defrost cycle until water backs up. A faulty defrost heater or a drain heater can be the cause.
Warm in the afternoon
In a hot kitchen, a fridge with dusty coils, no room to breathe or a weak condenser fan falls behind as the day heats up.
Running but not cold
A stopped fan, an iced-over evaporator, a failed thermostat or a compressor that won't start. These need a technician.
Tripping the earth leakage
Water reaching a defrost heater or the wiring, or a compressor fault. Leave the fridge unplugged and keep the doors closed until it's checked.
Smell inside the fridge
Water sitting in a blocked drain channel turns stale. Clearing the drain and cleaning the channel gets rid of it.
Clearing a blocked defrost drain
If water is collecting inside the fridge, try this first:
- Switch the fridge off at the wall.
- Find the drain hole, usually a small opening in a channel at the bottom of the back wall in the fridge section.
- Clear it gently with warm water and a pipe cleaner or a cotton bud. Never use a sharp object.
- Pour a little warm water in to check it runs through to the tray at the back.
- Dry the inside and switch the fridge on again.
If the water comes back within days, or it's coming from behind or under the fridge, book a technician.
Hot kitchens in summer
A fridge works by moving heat from inside the cabinet into the kitchen. In summer, especially in a kitchen with a stove nearby or afternoon sun on the window, that gets harder. Leave a gap at the back and the sides, keep the coils clean, and don't stand the fridge next to the oven if you can avoid it.
Don't put hot pots straight into the fridge. Let food cool first, and the fridge won't have to work as hard to bring the temperature down.
Fridges with water dispensers
A fridge with a water or ice dispenser is plumbed into a tap behind it with a thin plastic line. If that line is kinked when the fridge is pushed back, or splits with age, water collects behind or under the fridge and can spread under kitchen units before you see it. If you find water behind the fridge, close the tap that feeds it and book. The line, the inlet valve and the filter housing can all be replaced.
After you book
Once you've booked, we confirm the visit with you. Typically at your door within 60 minutes for same-day bookings. Track your technician live: when they leave, you get a live tracking link on your phone.
The technician traces the water or the fault, explains what's wrong and tells you the price before any work starts.
No call-out fee when we repair it.If no repair is done, a R500 call-out applies. The technician finds the fault and explains the repair before any work starts, so you decide whether to go ahead.
Book a repairFridge repairs in Alberton: your questions
Why is my fridge leaking water onto the floor?
Most often a blocked defrost drain inside the fridge, or a cracked drip tray behind it. On a fridge with a water dispenser, a split water line is the other common cause.
Can a leaking fridge be fixed?
Yes. Blocked drains, cracked trays, split water lines and faulty defrost heaters are all standard repairs.
How do I unblock a fridge defrost drain?
Switch the fridge off, find the small drain hole at the bottom of the back wall in the fridge section, and clear it gently with warm water and a pipe cleaner. Pour a little warm water in to check it runs through. Never use anything sharp.
Why is my fridge warm in the afternoon but fine in the morning?
It's probably struggling to get rid of heat as the kitchen warms up. Clean the coils, give it space at the back and sides, and keep it away from the oven. If it still struggles, the condenser fan or the gas charge may be the problem.
Why does my fridge leak more in summer?
More melt water runs through the defrost drain when the kitchen is hot and the door opens often, so a part-blocked drain overflows. Clear the drain with warm water. If it keeps happening, the drain or the drip tray needs a technician.
What does a fridge repair cost in Alberton?
Clearing a drain or replacing a cracked drip tray is a small job. A defrost heater or a water valve costs more, and a compressor most of all. The technician traces the fault first and prices the repair before any work starts.