Kitchen Aid bottom freezer has frost/ice buildup

The problem is most likely to be the defrost heater Check the back of the freezer compartment for frost If you have frost on the back wall of the freezer compartment you will need to unplug the unit and remove everything from.it next get several towels to place on the bottom of the freezer to catch the water from the melting frost Using a hairdryer heat the frosted area to defrost remove the back panel of the freezer under it you will see a frosted up mess after defrosting you will see one or 2 heaters mounted on metal brackets they unplug and can be tested using a ohmmeter or continuity tester also check the defrost thermostat an replace defective items.put it together you should be all set

Anytime there is ice buildup it will not cool. Was the door left open? If so that would cause ice buildup. If it wasn't left open and it is a frost free model you have a problem with the defrost circuit. Unplug it and Manually defrost it with items removed by using a hairdryer and towels to absorb water from defrosting Afterwards it will cool again .If the defrost circuit needs service the unit will continue to frost up. Usually in frost free models there is a heater that goes bad.

Replace the "defrost thermostat" located on the coils in the freezer. Here is the part to order.

If everything is cooling fine and the frost is not on the back wall but just the floor at the bottom then your defrost drain is stopped up. Remove the bottom basket and clean up the ice on the floor of the freezer. Look on the back wall and you will see some more ice up a littler higher at the back. This is where the drain is. Clean all the ice out from this area too using hot water or a hair dryer. Once you find the drain hole make sure you get all this ice out of it as well. You can take a screw driver once you have melted the ice and gently push it through the drain hole. Once the hole is cleared you should be able to pour hot water freely through the hole. (It is best to turn the refrigerator off while you do this)

I had this problem with our 2 door frost-free LG fridge (model GR-B207EC). Perhaps you also notice a regular ice buildup in the bottom of the freezer compartment?

My solution was to switch off the fridge and unplug it from the wall, unload the freezer compartment and remove the white plastic back panel inside the freezer compartment. The panel has arrows marked around the edges where the catches are that hold it in place. Carefully flex out the panel at the catches using a large flat blade screwdriver if necessary. Ice buildup can make removal of this panel more difficult.

Behind this back panel is a condenser, under which is a silver tray, which is designed to catch the drops which fall from the condensor (this is the 'frost-free' part of the fridge). I found mine solidly frozen with ice and used a low-heat setting on a heat gun to melt the ice. In the absence of a heat gun a hair dryer will work fine, but don't melt the plastic components of the fridge. (It is also unadvisable to chip away ice with a knife of other sharp implement as you can easily slip and damage yourself or the fridge).

After fully defrosting the tray (this will take some time), including the drain hole in the base of the tray (pour a small amount of warm water in the tray and make sure it drains readily), reassemble the fridge components and restock your fridge. Remember to plug it back in and switch it on.

No more water leaks.

As an alternative to this fix ... if you have the luxury of being able to transfer the contents of your fridge to another fridge and not have to use the leaky one for a while ... empty the fridge and freezer, unplug it from the wall, leave the doors open for a week in a warm location. I didn't use this method but I reckon a week would be long enough to defrost the ice buildup behind the back panel of the freezer and allow the water to drain, yielding the same result.

This can be caused by the drain hole below freezer coil being blocked by ice. You MUST remove all ice in drain under freezer coil. Use turkey baster to squirt hot water into hole and use hairdryer to defrost. Possible defrost thermostat is defective. Unit never goes into defrost, ice forms on coil and in floor of freezer. After defrosting may work OK for a week or two but gradually gets warmer because ice is blocking ports where cool air gets to refrig. May also have water in refrig box. Can also be caused by defective defrost timer.

if one of the panels in the freezer has frost on it, the evaporator coils may be iced up. this restricts the cold air flow. to defrost: empty the fridge and freezer, turn it off, remove the panel in the freezer that has the frost, use a hairdryer and defrost the ice buildup, sop up excess water, dry it up, replace the panel, turn it on (while it's empty), set the temp halfway, and close the doors. when the compressor turns off, fill the fridge. if the panels are frostless and the coils are warm, you may be out of refrigerant from a freon leak somewhere. it might be cheaper to replace the fridge.

During the defrost cycle heaters in the wall of the freezer are turned on to melt the frost build up. This melted frost "water" is supposed to run out a drain in the bottom of the freezer and collect in a pan under the refrigerator/freezer where it will eventually evaporate. If this drain is blocked it will cause a lot of water to collect in the bottom of the freezer and that water will eventually turn back into ice. I recommend defrosting the freezer manually, removing all the ice/water buildup in the bottom, and trying to unplug the drain line to the pan underneath. Also check the seal on the freezer door. If it's not sealing well it could be letting a lot of moisture enter the freezer which would lead to more frost buildup and more water during the defrost cycle.

The freezer will defrost itself periodically depending on the run times of the compressor. This is determined by the defrost timer and will shut the unit off and turn on a heater to thaw the frost buildup. The resulting water is then channeled to the defrost pan which rests on top of the condensor coil under the freezer section or on top of the compressor, (depending on manufacturer design). The tubing to the defrost pan could be plugged or kinked off. You may also need a modification kit installed to keep the defrost drain trough from freezing over. I would suggest you consult a local technician for advice in this area. Also, make sure all doors are sealing properly as an air leak will cause excessive frost build up and will have a tendency to freeze before it can all drain out, then any successive defrost cycles will overflow the trough and run out the front.

defrost drain is blocked probably with ice
remove back panel inside freezer and drain is at bottom. melt of any ice with a hairdryer and follow up with hot water till water flows away freely. needs patience