[HarryH]

The area where the drain hole is in the freezer keeps freezing up which ultimately leads to water coming out the bottom of the freezer door compartment and dripping on the kitchen floor. I shut the frig off for 2 days so everything melted and then I tried forcing water down the drian hole. Most of it would go in the hole to the drip pan I suppose and then it would backup the hole and overflow into the lip inside the bottom of the freezer compartment near the drain hole. I don't know if that is normal or not.

I turned the frig back on and slowly but surely, the entire area around the drain hole is freezing up and now the hole itself is starting to freeze. I know other people on this forum had a similar issue. Unfortunately, I cannot find a diagram to figure out what to do - I assume I should disconnect something in the back or maybe a panel inside the freezer. I see a plastic tube that runs from the top of the freezer (on the outside back) to the bottom in the area where I assume the drain hole is.

Can anyone shed some light on this? By the way, I am reasonably handy but I don't want to blindly disconnect things and make a worse situation.

Thanks in advance.

[woodchuck]

Your drain tube must be stopped up with ice at the upper end because it drains too slow because it's stopped up at the lower end in the evaporator pan under the unit at the floor. It can get dust and mold in it. Once you get the ice out at the top a little air pressure will usually clear it out. If you have a turkey baster or compressed air, try that. Flush it out with hot water and clorox may help. Make sure it drains quick enough. The drain should be located below the evaporator coils on the lower back of the freezer.
I have heard of one case where the tube was kinked preventing it from draining fast enough. You may can pull some slack out of it from the bottom of the tube under the fridge at the pan.
You shouldn't have to disconnect anything. You may have to remove the cardboard backing to reach the pan. Use a hair dryer instead of waiting two days.

[cibolosylvia]

Would I still have to disconnect to use the hair dryer and defrost? I have never defrosted a freezer before. Never had problems before.

[woodchuck]

Just remove the back cover on the inside of the freezer. The water will drain out the drain tube at the bottom and go to the pan underneath.

If it's not defrosting check the defrost heater, defrost thermostat and defrost timer.
Refrigerator Repair Guide: How To Fix a Refrigerator - ACME HOW TO.com

[HarryH]

I know the defrost heater is on because I just saw it. However, it is either not meltin everything or possibly teh timer is off.

When you say the back cover on the inside, do you mean the cover the covers up the heater and some other parts?

Do I need to look at the evaporator pan first or also?

Also, are you saying that any water that is put into the drain hole should immediately drain and that it should never back up? If so, I will try teh compressed air idea - I hadn't thought of that (after I defrost it again with the hair dryer).

[woodchuck]

When you say the back cover on the inside, do you mean the cover the covers up the heater and some other parts? YES

Do I need to look at the evaporator pan first or also?Only if you can't get it to flow quick enough.

Also, are you saying that any water that is put into the drain hole should immediately drain and that it should never back up? Yes
If so, I will try teh compressed air idea - I hadn't thought of that (after I defrost it again with the hair dryer).

[HarryH]

OK, I tried the hairdryer and to make sure it worked, I was able to stick a screwdriver 6 inches down before it hit something solid and I don't think it was ice. I then used compressed air. Unfortunately, when I poured water down the hole, it overflowed the hole as before.

I don't think I can get to teh drain pan - the directions above don't seem top fit my model so I called GE and they said the drain pan is fixed in my model and is under the compressor. Of course, they recommended a technician.

Any other ideas?

What about a snake or will that damage the tube or the pan beneath?

[woodchuck]

This diagram shows your pan part number 260. tfx22zrxa Parts List You may can reach it from the front. A snake won't damage the pan. If it's not too big for the tube it might work.