Water in the bottom of the fridge: why, and how to fix it

A small hole, a few crumbs. Easy to fix.

The answer in 2 lines. In most fridges, frost on the back wall melts by itself and the water runs through a small drain hole at the bottom of that wall into a tray above the compressor, where it evaporates. If water pools under the salad drawer, that hole is usually blocked by crumbs or food. It is easy to clear with a cotton bud and a little warm water. If water reaches the floor, the fridge stops cooling or the leak comes from a water dispenser, have it checked.

The first 3 steps

Mop up the water and take out the salad drawer to see the channel at the back.
Find the small drain hole at the bottom of the back wall.
Check the door shuts properly and that no food is touching the back wall.

Stop: danger

Water on the floor around the plug or socket: do not touch the plug with wet hands or while standing in water. Switch off that circuit at the consumer unit first (only if it is dry).
Never poke the drain hole with a knife, skewer or screwdriver: the cooling pipes run behind the back wall and you could puncture them.
Burning smell, sparks or a hot plug: switch off at the consumer unit and do not use the fridge until it has been checked. Fire: get out and call 999.

How to clear the drain hole

Clean the channel and the hole with a cotton bud or a soft pipe cleaner, without forcing.
Gently pour in a little warm (not boiling) water with a turkey baster or a needle-free syringe, to check it drains away.
Some fridges come with a small plastic cleaning tool, sometimes stored in the drain hole itself: your manual says. Bosch, Electrolux and Hoover all publish step-by-step guides: Bosch, Electrolux, Hoover. For another brand, look up your model number (on the label inside the fridge) on the maker's website.
Water that drains away into the tray at the back, above the compressor, evaporates on its own: that is normal.

Possible causes

What you see	Common cause	What to do
Water at the bottom, under the salad drawer	Drain hole blocked by crumbs or dirt	Clear it with warm water
Water and thick frost on the back wall	Door not closing well, worn seal, food against the back wall	Check the seal, move food away from the wall
Water on the floor, under or behind the fridge	Drain pipe come loose, cracked drip tray	Have it checked
Water and the fridge no longer cold	Cooling or defrost fault	Have it checked by a repairer
Water near the water or ice dispenser	Leaking water supply pipe	Turn off the supply valve, have it checked

What not to do

Scraping or piercing the hole with anything sharp or metal.
Pouring boiling water or chemicals into the drain.
Leaving water sitting: it causes smells and mould.

What you can do yourself, and where to stop

Clear the hole and clean the channel.
Check the door seal and wash it with warm soapy water; a seal that does not grip all round lets warm, damp air in, which turns to frost and then water.
Keep a gap between food and the back wall.
Stop there: the drip tray and pipes at the back are checked with the fridge unplugged, and anything on the cooling circuit is a job for a repairer.

Your rights in England, and when to get it repaired

Call a repairer if the water comes back after clearing the hole, water runs onto the floor, or the fridge cools badly or frosts up heavily at the back. Ask for a written quote and check the call-out fee first.
Bought it recently from a business? Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 you can reject a faulty appliance for a refund within 30 days; within 6 months the retailer must repair or replace it. Contact the retailer first. See Citizens Advice: return faulty goods.
Register your fridge on Register My Appliance so you hear about any safety recall.
Water has leaked into the flat below: tell your neighbour and your home insurer, as for any escape of water.

Good to know

Clean the channel and the hole each time you give the fridge a proper clean.
Keep your fridge at 5°C or below, as the Food Standards Agency advises. A cheap fridge thermometer tells you the real temperature.
Wrap or cover food and wipe up spills straight away: they are what blocks the hole.

Every morning, Ellie in Leicester finds a small puddle under the salad drawer. She takes the drawer out, sees the drain hole at the back covered in crumbs, cleans it with a cotton bud and squirts in a little warm water with a turkey baster. The water drains away again, and the puddle does not come back.

A made-up story, for illustration.

Bobby

Sources, verification, confidence

Verified on 1 November 2026, for England. Confidence: high for how the drain hole works and how to clear it (manufacturer guides) and for the Consumer Rights Act rules in England; where the hole is and the cleaning tool depend on each model, so your manual comes first. We found no official statistics on this fault. This guide describes common cases, not a diagnosis.