Frigidaire Refrigerator defrost drain clogged

It can be a dirty job, but someone has to do it and that someone might as well be you. There may be some point in time where your fridge drain pan gets filled to overflowing or the drain itself becomes plugged for some reason.

When those situations arise, it is best to make sure you are prepared to handle them. There is no real technological skill or knowledge involve. Mostly it is just time that is required. To clean the defrost drain or pan just continue to read our article. It has the information to help you do a good job.

Unplugging and Cleaning the Defrost Drain

You may not realize it, but fridges need to send the excess moisture that has built up somewhere. Usually, that moisture goes down the defrost drain and into the drain pan located in the bottom of the fridge.

When that drain gets frozen shut or dirty, it needs to be thawed out and cleaned. Here are a few pointers to help you do this chore.

1. Frozen Drain – This can happen when the temperatures in the room or your fridge sink too low. Thawing the drain out is not that difficult. You can unplug or turn the fridge off for a while. The lack of cold air and water will let the warmer air handle the ice build-up.

Or you can take a hairdryer and melt the ice. You can use other heat source alternatives if you do not have a hairdryer handy. Then you can try a small screwdriver or thick, sturdy piece of wire to chip the ice away.

2. Clogged Drain – This can happen from time to time and when it does you need to be ready to clean the drain out. A good, sturdy wire is helpful to poke any blockage through the drain or to pull it back out.

Or you can use a slender screwdriver to force the clog out into the drain pan. Just be careful not to scratch the surface of the drain.

3. Dirty Drain – Everything gets dirty at some point in time and depending on the size of your drain the tool you use may vary. You can use a slender metal object and a wet cloth to get down into the hole.

Once inside you just twirl the metal to rotate the cloth and remove the dirt. You can repeat this process with a little soapy cloth as well to kill any germs. Or you can place some vinegar or soap on a toothbrush and scrub the drain until it is clean.

Cleaning the Defrost Drain Pan

The method you use will depend on the access point to the drain pan and where it is located on your model of Frigidaire fridge. Here are a few instructions to help[ you get the job done right and quickly.

Step 1 – Read your owner’s manual to find the drain’s location. Then unplug the fridge just to be on the safe side.

Step 2 – Slide the fridge out from its nook if you have to get to the back of the appliance to access the pan. Remove either the front grill or the rear access panel to get to the pan.

Step 3 – Carefully remove the pan as you do not want to spill any water. If you do, you just add the step of cleaning up that water spill. Once you have the pan over the sink, tilt it so the water runs into the sink’s drain.

Step 4 – Now fill the sink up with some warm soapy water and scrub the pan using a circular motion. Use a non-abrasive sponge, brush, or cloth to get all the film off the floor of the pan. For good measure, make sure to clean all sides of the pan before letting it dry.

Step 5 – After washing the pan, let it air dry or you can towel dry depending on the amount of time you have when you are finished washing it.

Step 6 – Return the pan to its original spot and put either the grill or the panel back on. Plugin your fridge and slide it back into place. Enjoy using your fridge again.

When you own appliances, there are always little jobs that need to be done. If it isn’t cleaning the interior to the handles, then it is cleaning the defrost drain and pan. But these tasks need to be done in order for your kitchen to remain healthy and clean. This particular task only takes a few minutes to do, and it will be over before you know it.