At Fixya.com, our trusted experts are meticulously vetted and possess extensive experience in their respective fields. Backed by a community of knowledgeable professionals, our platform ensures that the solutions provided are thoroughly researched and validated.
Can't find drip pan and have a really bad smell from both refrigerator and freezer have cleaned the shelves top and bottom and thrown away all possibly suspicious food. The smell got stronger after cleaning smells like fish/shrimp/ maybe mouse? Was hoping a drip pan held the problem. Also cleaned out under refrigerator and found nothing but dusty dog biscuits.
- If you need clarification, ask it in the comment box above.
- Better answers use proper spelling and grammar.
- Provide details, support with references or personal experience.
Tell us some more! Your answer needs to include more details to help people.You can't post answers that contain an email address.Please enter a valid email address.The email address entered is already associated to an account.Login to postPlease use English characters only.
Tip: The max point reward for answering a question is 15.
There is a pan under the refrigerator that condensation drips into. Pull that pan out and clean it out. You access the pan by removing the front lower grill but some you have to pull the fridge away from the wall to access it from the rear
Some of them do have a drip pan under them ,at the bottom of the frig there is a cover that will come off may be screwed on may snap off when you pull on it.Take a flashlight and shine under it after you get plate off you should see it .You can put a cap full of bleach in it should take care of your problem.
the drip pan is usually on top of the compressor or has a draw underneath with a coil to create heat for evaporation of water from the drip pan. Some time a rodent can drown in this location.
Hi and Welcome to FixYa I am Kelly,
A bad smell from under the refrigerator is a result of either a dead rodent or.. dirt and lint accumulation in the plastic drip pan / catch basin and then the defrost cycle water wets it 2 to 3 times a day intensifying the smell.
Unplug the unit
Remove the rear fiberboard cover that covers the compressor area
Use a shop vac and rags to clean out the drip pan / catch basin. (These can be VERY foul if they have never been cleaned!) Make sure to clean the condenser coils and condenser fan area also. Inspect for varmits / rodents (deceased) with a flashlight. You can wash the drip pan using a rag with vinegar and water then soap and water.
Lastly... make sure the END of the drain tube that terminates in the drip pan is clean. If there was lint build up that caused a muck pool in your drip pan the muck often clogs the end of the drain line.
You never know what your going to find under a refrigerator! I could expound but it is not pleasant and only you will be able to discover the secrets of your refrigerators' "underside life." All I will say is.. it is always a... revealing experience.
Tim, Clean the refrigerator completely with clorox and water. Unplug and remove the rear panel in the back of refrigerator and wash the evaporator coil with this solution. Check the amount of flow to the condensate pan below. The drain line has the gel and this contaminated smell from top to bottom and you will need to insure that all the smell remaining in the drain is draining freely and decontaminated with the clorox. Do these things and wash the remaining pan below the best you can and you will be set to go.
I believe the problem is with the drain line when the frig goes into defrost mode
see if you can trace the drain line that oes into the evaporator pan at the bottom of the frig
facing the frig remove the bottom panel that goes across the front and pull out the evaporator tray to see if it is dry
take a flashlight and see if you can see a plastic tube that the water should be dripping into the pan
try to trace the tube up into the frig ther is some type of catch basin inside the frig on the back panel usually around middle area
If you are not able to find it you can call whrlpol customer service 1-800-253-1301 or call an appliance service enter and as them f they can walk you through the problem
usually the smell is the water dripping into the pan under unit place cleaners and use charcoal inside unit to remove odars that collect on evaporator and get concentrated then go to drip pan
Sounds like you need to clean the drain again.. if Im understanding right you fixed it once already and lasted 3 weeks.. sound like it plugged up again.. make sure drip pan under evapurator is clean
Thank willie for helping with one:
"Well, it looks like the pan is a seperate plastic pan and not the compressor mounting pan like some of the newer ones are.
It appears that you have to remove the condensor fan motor and mounting bracket then maybe the pan will left up and over the compressor, or maybe there is enough room to lift the pan up and out the front over the condensor coils"
×