Brown Liquid Leaking from Fridge | Learn What’s Wrong and How to Fix It

The refrigerator, a cornerstone of every household, plays a pivotal role in our daily lives. As someone who values the reliable performance of this essential appliance, you might have recently encountered a puzzling issue, the sight of brown liquid seeping from your fridge. Such a situation can be incredibly vexing. 

However, there’s no need to despair because you’ve landed in the right place. This article is tailored to address your concerns and provide solutions to the issue of brown liquid leakage. We’ll delve into the common causes, including food spillage, a dirty condenser, and compressor oil leaks, to help you understand and resolve this problem.

Causes of Brown Liquid Leakage

Brown liquid leakage problems could happen from food spillage, spoilt food, compressor oil leaking, or condensate water. Here is the reason that brown liquid is leaking from the fridge:

Reason-01: Food Spillage

The brown liquid leakage may come from the foods and drinks that are stored in your fridge and this is the first potential reason. And, it is very easy to find the problems. If the brown liquid is dripping down from the door then you must start checking for any unexpected food spillages.

Spices, curry, sausages, and brown-tinted beverages like pineapple juice or brown soups may have been not sealed properly or could have fallen, or maybe rotten vegetables that are stored for too long in the fridge.

You can check the bottom of the fridge or you can check the back of your crisper drawers for any rotten vegetables or salad products that have been left untouched.

Reason-02: Dirty Condenser Water

All fridges come with a drain at their back. If you are done with the checking of food spillage and found nothing. Then the next step is checking the drain.

One of the main causes of brown water leaking from your fridge is an obstructed drain. This is just a dirty condenser of water from the defrost pan. You can assume that the brown liquid is comes from the drain is simply dripped down from the fridge and frozen in a pan underneath the fridge.

At the time of your defrost cycle of your fridge, moisture falls to the defrost pan behind the fridge and gets condensed. During the time of normal operation process of the fridge, the water gets vaporized and there is no overflow beneath your fridge.

When the defrost pan becomes dirty and the water overflows, you will notice a brown liquid leakage beneath the fridge. Most of the time the debris from the fridge can pile up and when the debris is pile up. Water doesn’t evaporate as it is supposed to, which can lead to overflow.

Reason-03: Compressor Oil Leaking

The last reason that your fridge is leaking brown liquid is compressor oil leaking. This is a serious reason amongst all and it is rare also. Think a compressor is the heartbeat of the system. The compressor makes sure the refrigerant is throughout the fridge.

The compressor also pressurizes the refrigerant and produces heat to warm up the part of the circuit. For this to run effectively, it requires oil. Then how do you know that your brown liquid is leaking oil, not water?

If the leaking fluid is thicker than water and looks dark brown or even black (due to contact with the oxygen and air), then it is oil from the compressor. And, if your refrigerator has stopped before the leaking then you can it is oil.

Solutions for Brown Liquid Leakage

Solution for Food Spillage

You have got the problem, Right? Now, it’s time to kick off the debris and clean the compartment. If any other areas are affected just clean it with liquid cleaner with warm water. If you find a bad smell of rotting substance for too long then just a liquid wash with soapy water will be enough for this.

Clean your fridge with a soft sponge and warm water mixed with liquid soap. Soak your sponge and clean the trash gently. Finally, use a soft and clean cloth to wipe the fridge to dry and all the soap and water.

You can use a mixture of baking soda to remove the leaked brown liquid stains if you find them at the end of the cleaning. The procedure of mixing is so easy. Take enough baking soda and warm water and mix them together. After mixing you will get a paste to apply inside the fridge later.

You can apply this paste on the sections that are stinky and stained. Leave that paste on the place for 15 minutes (approx.). After that, wipe it off and make sure that no paste is left in your fridge.

Instead of baking soda mixture, you can use an all-purpose anti-bacterial solution like Method Peach Blossom Cleaner or Flash Ultra Power Spray and a damp cloth.

Solution for Dirty Condenser Water

The solution is very easy. Just find the drain pan, remove it, and clean it. Regular cleaning of the pan with any washing liquid to sure that all build-up is removed. Assure after cleaning that the pan has no holes in it, this may lead to leakage later.

If this solution doesn’t fix the issue, then you can check the drain tube that leads from the fridge’s interior into the pan. Also, make sure that the drain pan is not congested. If your drain is obstructed by junk, then the water goes beneath the fridge instead of going drain pan and leaking out.

If your drain pipe is congested, eliminate the blockage using a cleaning solution or a pipe cleaner. Another viable solution is to check the temperature setting in your fridge. As previously described the water in the pan will evaporate at the time of the normal process of freezing.

Nonetheless, if the fridge temperature is set too low, the condensation will be too much. The water will not evaporate as much as the fridge produces it. As a result, the water will overflow from your pan and pool at the bottom.

Still, if you are facing the issue then check if your fridge is running low in temperature That is meant to lead the cooling system.

Solution for Compressor Oil Leaking

If a compressor oil is leaking, it means that your fridge has a mechanical problem. In this situation, the best thing you need to do is unplug the fridge and contact an experienced professional mechanic to assess and repair the damage.

Failure to disconnect can be the cause of the compressor burning out, which will expand your problem. However, be careful about your children and pets away from the area until the leakage has been fixed. It can be dangerous if someone ingested the liquid.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How Can I Understand My Fridge is Leaking Freon?

Well, Freon has no smell. But if you smell a chemical fragrance inside or outside of your fridge. You should find out the possibility that your fridge is leaking freon. Freon is a colorless gas, so you won’t be able to see it and your fridge shouldn’t produce any smells during operation.

How Can I Understand That the Compressor of My fridge is leaking Oil?

Look around your fridge and look for residue. Maybe you can find an oily substance beneath your refrigerator on your floor. Do not touch it or swallow it. The liquid could be refrigerant and escape your fridge.

Conclusion

If you understand that a brown liquid is leaking from your fridge, do not worry. Maximum problems are fixable and will not block the working principle of the fridge. If you read this article you can easily find out the problems. To fix those problems, understanding the solution is potentially important. If you are not a skillful person then do not try to fix the compressor. Take the help of a professional mechanic. Maintain safety precautions.