Try this fix once. If you still have standing water in the fridge or freezer after clearing the drain, the defrost heater or control board may have failed. That’s a repair call.

Is Your Fridge Leaking Water? Here’s How to Unblock the Drain in 20 Minutes

The problem: dust, food debris, and freezer burn sludge turn into a thick, greenish-brown gunk that plugs the drain. Water has nowhere to go, so it backs up and leaks out the bottom of the fridge.

Wipe up any standing water. Pour half a cup of hot water into the fridge drain. If it disappears without pooling, you’ve won. If not, repeat step 4.

Most people forget the drain starts in the freezer. Look at the back wall of the freezer compartment. There’s a small channel or hole at the bottom center. That’s the top of the drain tube. If that’s frozen solid, your fridge will leak.

But for a simple leak on the floor? You just saved $150–$300. Go grab a coffee—you’ve earned it.

If the drain keeps clogging every few months, buy a 99-cent piece of copper wire. Strip it, coil one end around the freezer heater element (if accessible), and drop the other end into the drain channel. The copper conducts heat down the tube and prevents ice dams permanently.

Here’s the fix—no repairman needed, no expensive parts, and less time than watching a sitcom.