Frigidaire Ice Maker Overfills or Leaks Water

The signs vary. You might find a solid slab of ice stuck to the bottom of the bin, cubes welded together in a single mass, a puddle on the kitchen floor in front of the refrigerator, or a freestanding ice maker with water pooling around its base. In each case the machine has taken in more water than it turned into ice, or the water has found a way out before reaching the tray. Both Frigidaire refrigerator ice makers and freestanding units can do this, and the difference lies in where the water goes next.

Why a tray overfills

A refrigerator ice maker normally works in a loop. A water inlet valve opens briefly, the mold fills, the water freezes, a heater loosens the cubes and an arm or motor sweeps them into the bin. If the valve fails to close fully, a small flow continues and the mold overflows. The extra water freezes into misshapen cubes that fuse in the bin, and in time a frozen layer builds in the compartment. A weak water supply, a partly clogged filter or a dripping valve can cause the same result because the fill is timed rather than measured, so a poor flow gives you small, hollow cubes while a stuck valve gives you too much.

Why water ends up on the floor

If cubes look normal but water appears under the refrigerator, suspect the plumbing rather than the mold. The usual spots are the saddle valve or shutoff on the wall, the supply tubing along the back, the connection to the inlet valve and the filter housing. A kink in the tube behind a refrigerator that has been pushed back against the wall can cause a pinhole or a loose compression fitting. In a flat or condo where the refrigerator sits in a recess, the water can run along the floor for some distance before you see it. For a drip at the dispenser, a cracked tube or a frozen fill spout inside the door is more likely, and water can run down the door liner and appear in the dispenser well.

Freestanding ice makers

These have a reservoir, a pump and a drain. If the unit leaks, check whether it is level, whether the drain plug or hose is seated, and whether the reservoir cover closes. Melted ice normally drains to a reservoir; if that flow is blocked, water overflows the pan. In a closet or under-counter nook the unit also needs air around it, and warm air melts ice faster, which looks like a leak but is really the machine working too hard.

A jammed chute is not a leak

Ice trapped in the dispenser chute can produce meltwater around the opening. Some Frigidaire controls announce this with a tone and a message described as code DI SP, an ice jam in the dispenser chute. Clearing the visible ice from the chute opening with your hand, with the unit off, is often enough to resolve it.

Checks you can do

1. Switch the ice maker off at its control and remove the ice bin. Discard fused ice rather than chipping it out with a tool.
2. Look at the mold for a layer of frozen water above the fill line. Note it if present.
3. Pull the refrigerator forward only as far as the supply tube allows, and look at the tube and its fittings for dampness or a kink. Shut the supply valve first.
4. Dry the floor and place a folded paper towel under the connection to see where new moisture appears over a day.
5. Change a filter only if it is overdue and the housing is in good condition, and run a cup of water through the dispenser before refilling the bin.
6. Confirm the refrigerator is level, because an out-of-level unit can shift the water in the tray.

What to avoid

Never use a knife, screwdriver or ice pick to free the mold, since a jab can cut the wiring or puncture the tray. Do not pour hot water into the ice compartment, and do not keep the supply open if you see a steady drip. If water has reached the floor near an outlet or the power cord, unplug the unit only if the cord is dry and you can reach it without stepping into the water; otherwise switch off the breaker. A loose fill tube that rubs a wire is a good reason to stop using the ice maker until the machine is looked at.

When to call

If the ice maker repeatedly overfills, the leak returns after you dry it, or you cannot find any external fitting that is wet, an inside component such as the inlet valve or fill spout is likely at fault. Our Frigidaire ice maker repair visit begins with a diagnosis of the valve, tubing and mold, then a written estimate, and we repair nothing without your approval. Read the Frigidaire ice makers overview to see which kinds we service. If the water also appears inside the fresh-food side, compare it with water under the crisper drawers, and for a refrigerator with a built-in maker see how we describe FFTR2045VB or GRFC2353AF.

Frequently asked questions