Refrigerators require regular maintenance to work efficiently. The most common issue that homeowners usually get is a clogged defrost that can significantly affect the performance of your appliance.
The refrigerator won’t be able to keep a cool temperature resulting in premature food decaying. Furthermore, you will also notice a pool of water in the vegetable drawer or at the bottom of your fridge.
We know it is a nuisance, and you might be wondering how to get things working normally again.
If you are a KitchenAid refrigerator user, unclogging the defrost is pretty easy, and before you think of calling an expert, following some DIY steps will do the job:
- Unplug the fridge and remove all the food and sliding drawers.
- Use a screwdriver or a syringe to clear out the accumulated debris.
If you are at your wit’s end, read further to learn solutions for unclogging the defrost on your KitchenAid refrigerator.
How Does the Defrosting Work on KitchenAid Refrigerator?
Before we dig into the details of unclogging, it is essential to know how a KitchenAid refrigerator defrosting works. It mainly has three key components:
- Drain Heater
- Drain Pipe
- Drain Strap
All modern refrigerators have a defrost heater placed at the top of the evaporator coil (cooling element). The heater liquefies the frost developed on the cooling element, and the water drips down into a trough.
The tray has a hole that helps the water travel down using a drain pipe to a drain pan located at the bottom of the refrigerator. If one of the critical components of the defrosting system is clogged, you will face the problems of excessive water accumulating around the fridge along with its poor performance.
How To Unclog the Defrost on KitchenAid Refrigerator
KitchenAid is a reliable American home appliance company delivering high-quality products since 1919. If you are a refrigerator owner from KitchenAid, here are a few steps to help you unclog the defrost without much hassle.
The first step to unclog your KitchenAid defrost is to examine the hole in the drain pipe. If the hole is clogged, the water won’t be able to drip down, resulting in water accumulation at the bottom. Here’s how to do it:
- Unplug the freezer/refrigerator.
- Remove food items and sliding drawers for easy access to the drain hole. You will find the drain hole at the bottom of KitchenAid refrigerators.
- Use a screwdriver or a thin piece of wire to clear it out.
- Once you have cleared out the drain pipe, fill a syringe with warm water and squirt it into the hole to clear the remaining debris from the drain.
- Please remove the drain pan, empty it, wash it with soapy water, and rinse it.
- Place everything back, and plug in your refrigerator back.
If you thoroughly want to unclog the defrost of your fridge, here is another way:
- Unplug your freezer/refrigerator.
- Remove food and sliding drawers from the fridge.
- Leave the fridge door open and let the ice melt on its own.
- Clean out the water coming out of the fridge.
- Once you notice the water has stopped dripping, replace all the things and turn the fridge back on.
It is a more straightforward way to defrost your fridge. However, it is time-consuming and requires you to clean the defrosted water repeatedly.
It is advisable to check your fridge defrosting system every 6 months to avoid clogging or a drop in the fridge’s performance.
Reasons for Defrost Clogging
If you have cleared out the defrost drain, still your fridge is not cooling the food enough and rereleasing water; chances are it has some other malfunction related to its defrosting system.
Here are a few more reasons why your fridge is not defrosting properly:
1. Inspect the Defrost Heater
As mentioned earlier, a defrost heater helps melt frosting over the evaporator coil. If your fridge is not defrosting effectively, chances are your heater has malfunctioned and needs a replacement.
2. Examine the Defrost Strap
A defrost strap is a small piece of copper or aluminum that connects the defrost heater to the drain. When the heater turns on, heat transfers from the drain strap and helps defrost ice from other fridge parts.
If your fridge is not defrosting correctly, chances are your defrost strap is broken or worn out and needs a replacement.
Takeaway
KitchenAid refrigerators are one of the finest ones on the market. If you notice a drop in the performance of your appliance, check its defrosting system before calling an expert. It is easy to unclog the defrost and make things smooth again.
Empty the fridge and use a screwdriver or a wire to clear the drain pipes. Once they are clean, your fridge will start working normally, providing fresh food just as you require.
