Common fault
Why is there water under my refrigerator?
Short answer
There are two sources, and they look different on the floor. A steady puddle of clean water toward the front points at the fill line, the shutoff or the inlet valve fitting behind the unit.
What is actually going on
Water that arrives in batches, cloudy, alongside a sheet of ice across the floor of the freezer, means the drain that carries defrost water away has frozen shut, so it backs up inside the cabinet and finds its way out under the door. Neither repair is large. In an Uptown condo or an older wood-framed house it is the flooring that turns this into a big number, and that clock starts the day the leak does.
What we check, and in what order
What we check, in order. Whether the water is clean or cloudy, and whether it appears after a defrost cycle or runs continuously. The drain path at the back of the freezer compartment, which is where the ice forms. The drain tray and the floor under the cabinet. Then the supply side: the shutoff, the line run, the inlet valve, and the filter housing, which often weeps at the head after a cartridge has been changed without being seated properly.
Of everything on this list, water is the one to call about today rather than on the weekend, and in a multi-unit building there is a second reason for that. Water leaving your kitchen does not stay in your kitchen. In the older houses around University Heights and Mission Hills it goes straight into subfloor beneath hardwood, where nobody sees it until the boards cup. The repair itself is usually a drain cleared or a fitting replaced, and it does not get larger by being dealt with quickly.
If that matches what yours is doing, say so when you call — it decides which parts come on the van.
Called about the undercounter drawers in our island frosting over and the little ice machine in the bar run making about half what it used to. He asked on the phone about the garage off the alley, which nobody ever does, and turned up with time to do both.
The technician arrived incredibly fast after my call late on a Saturday night. He was professional, fixed my built-in refrigerator's cooling issue immediately, and left the area spotless. The 24/7 availability saved all my food from spoiling!
Impressed by the deep knowledge of our older Sub-Zero PRO 48 model. The technician quickly identified the compressor issue, provided a clear quote, and completed the complex repair efficiently. True experts in high-end refrigeration.
Appliance down in Hillcrest?
Tell us the brand and what it is doing — we can usually name the likely repair before we arrive.
Questions
Answers before you call
Is anyone there at night, on a Sunday, or over a holiday?
Somebody picks up at any hour, any day, holidays included. Same-day depends on the state of the schedule and whether your part is already aboard, and you get a straight answer on both. A warm refrigerator on a Friday night in a condo with a full freezer is worth calling about straight away.
Which parts of Uptown do you actually cover?
Hillcrest Village first, then Mission Hills, University Heights, Bankers Hill, the west side of North Park and Old Town. In ZIPs, 92103 and the codes touching it: 92101, 92104, 92110 and 92108. The small area is deliberate: the same cabinet openings, panel doors and equipment generations keep turning up, the drive is short, and repetition is what makes a diagnosis fast.