[RESOLVED] Rust on a whirpool fridge ( same as GE / Westinghouse)

Hi,

It is relatively easy to check if the drain pipe is clogged.

Just remove the panel in front of the evap unit and find the drain hole then pour a small measured amount of water down the hole and then check that all of it ends up in the evap pan under the fridge.

Usually the drain pipe has a J curve piece at the end of the pipe above the evap pan and this is one of the places to check for blockages although the hole itself at the top may be blocked as well. You may want to check the pipe at the bottom first.

There have also been instances where the drain pipe has come adrift from the hole connection fitting and the water then travels down the back of the fridge and comes out wherever.

That is why it pays to know how much water you're pouring down to check if it all comes out or most of it anyway ;-)

Depending on where it leaks etc, if there are any electrical connections or sensors etc in the flow path then they "may" be affected but you would probably know about it already. Otherwise it if is only surface rust then there should be no major problems. If it is deep rust then maybe it will be a problem more so mechanical strength than anything else.

Hi,

Just saw your pictures and it certainly looks like a blocked drain hasn't allowed the water to get away, and then it has refrozen again etc etc.

Also check that the defrost action is working.

The auto defrost occurs once every 6-12 hours depending on maker and what happens is the compressor is switched off and the temp in the freezer is allowed to rise to 32 F (0 C) to allow the frost build up on the evap unit to melt and drain. The process is sped up by turning on the defrost heater as you don't want the food to begin to thaw.

This is a timed process controlled by the defrost thermostat or the control board.

Once the temp reaches 32 F the compressor is restarted and the fridge start to cool back down to 0 F (freezer) 36 F (fridge)

The whole process takes about 15-20 minutes (start to finish of defrost cycle) but it also takes a bit longer after this to get back down to the correct operating temps

The reason I'm mentioning this is perhaps the defrost heater which is mounted under (on?) the evap unit may be damaged by the rust but you can check it when you check the drain hole.

Good luck

Hi Jay, I disassembled the backplate and poured some water through the drain, went right through to the pan.

Both the fridge and freezer are working beautifully.

I added pics to a new answer (what it looks like behind the backplate) , do you see something odd?

If everything looks ok I was thinking of removing the backplate and treating it with anti-rust paint to prolong it's lifespan. Let me know what you think

Hi,

Given that it is a 20+ year old fridge (is this correct?) the rust is not too bad. The drain may have been blocked at some time in the past, who knows.

You have to remember that the area is basically a "wet" area and that the melt water might not all drain away before the compressor starts up and the freezer starts to get to well below freezing point again. Is ice "wet", I'm not sure?

Also the melt water drips off the evap unit so it won't have the same force flowing towards the drain hole as when you pour water from a container.

You may wish to check that the flow from the high end to the hole is OK if you just put a little bit of water at the high end, Basically a little puddle and see that it will start to flow. It may not all flow out but the next time that the defrost occurs there will be more water added so that may give it some impetus. Keeps it at a low level anyway.

They couldn't make it perfect otherwise there would be no need for a new fridge ;-)

Other than that the front panel looks the worse for wear but then again the new fridges have a plastic panel so there is no rust on the panel

With painting the panel try to get a low or no VOCpaint as most paints give off odours etc for a while, some longer than others and the panel is "trapped" in an enclosed space. Don't know if this is possible with rust prevention paint though

Final thing is if you ever need spare parts (hopefully not) just search online for "(insert make and model number of fridge) parts" to get results for suppliers. The good ones have parts diagrams and explanations of what parts are most likely to cause fault symptoms. Just a thought.

You're the man, thanks a lot for your help in this.