How Do I Check the Moisture Content in My Refrigerator?
- If your refrigerator door does not close completely, moisture seeps in. Remove anything in the refrigerator that keeps the door from closing completely. Check the refrigerator door gasket. If it's twisted or coming off, it won't form a tight enough seal to keep moisture out and should be replaced. Also, a gasket that's not clean will not seal tightly. Clean gasket surfaces with a mild liquid cleaner and warm water.
According to American Appliance and Mechanical Inc, you can test gasket seals with a dollar bill. Close the dollar bill in the refrigerator door. If you feel no resistance when you pull the dollar bill out, the gasket needs to be replaced. Test several places of the door with the dollar bill. To remove the gasket, peel it back until retainer strip screws are loosened. Put a new gasket in its place. - The refrigerator's door hinges may need readjustment. Loosen the hinge to reseat the door, and then re-tighten the hinge.
Little plastic spacers on the hinge or hinge pins can wear down, preventing the refrigerator door from fully closing. If worn, they should be replaced. - Placing warm, uncovered food in the refrigerator can cause moisture to accumulate. Cool food before putting it into the refrigerator, and cover the food with plastic wrap or lidded plastic containers.
- If you notice ice under the bottom basket in the freezer compartment of your side-by-side refrigerator, there is probably a clog in the defrost drain tube. Another sign of a clogged drain tube in this type of refrigerator is water running out the freezer door and puddling on the floor
Locate the defrost drain hole in the back wall of the freezer, where the floor slopes up to the back, in the center. In some models, the drain hole is behind a plastic panel held by a screw.
After removing the panel and screw, flush out the drain hole with a mixture of 1 tsp. of baking soda and 2 cups of hot tap water, using a meat or turkey baster. When the clog is cleared, you'll hear water running down into the drain pan below.
Don't flush the drain hole if you have built-in products such as an ice maker. Schedule a service appointment with a qualified service repair person.