water damage under refridgerator

[HNTNBUX]

I put in a laminate floor a couple years ago and everything was fine for monthes until it started warping near the fridge. My wife cleaned under the fridge and the bottom and I replaced the damaged floor. That was good for several monthes again and then the floor was warped and starting to bubble. There is never any standing water or anything like that but there is high humidity near the back corner on the floor. Is this likely the fridge or maybe a water pipe from the back wall/bathroom. We also had the ice maker line replaced after the first incident. Any suggestions before I replace the floor again and buy a new fridge I am tired of replacing the floor.

[Archerysniper]

If the bathroom is on the other side of the wall make sure the toilet is not leaking by the flange or that the tub is sealed and not leaking onto the floor.

[Neighbor_guy]

Have you ruled out a condensate or defrost leak from the fridge itself?

[Archerysniper]

Sorry to post about something else but Nieghbor-guy I just spit my beer out on the computer your pic took me a minute but that is too funny

[Neighbor_guy]

Sorry to post about something else but Nieghbor-guy I just spit my beer out on the computer your pic took me a minute but that is too funny

Posted just as I changed it....

A chyrsler town and country + a glock 23 = freezer-o-meat as of last night.

[Archerysniper]

You Gotta stay away from county road 56 after dark must be new to the area.

[HNTNBUX]

I put in tile floor in the bathroom in March or April so the toilet flange has been replaced since the first time it warped. I am not sure about the bathtub. It is sealed around the floor where the tile is but unsure about the overflow part or where that goes.

Not sure what you are talking about NG. The fridge never has any water or condensation visible inside or around the seal or underneath. Home projects drive me crazy.

By the way I tried calling you the other day to go fishing. Same area we went on Rush a few years ago did pretty well.

[Neighbor_guy]

Most refrigerators self defrost a few times a day. (Short version, refrigeration process creates cold temps that frosts up the coils and stops working properly, it self defrosts so the evap coils work as designed) The liquid drains from the defrosting process threw a drain in the fridge, that liquid collects in a drain pan under the fridge. In some cases there is a small heater under the pan to aid in evaporation, sometimes it is just a pan. If that pan (usualy plastic) becomes damaged or is not level the the water will not evaporate, it will just dump out on the floor.

In the past, carpet or vinyl floors, you would not notice the water under the fridge. But with laminate, it will swell, warp, and come apart when exposed to that amount of water. If is only a cup or so a day, but when it comes down to it, on a laminate floor, it is a lot.

Having seen this a few times.... I would look there first. It is the much easier first step before thinking bad things about the plumbing.....

[GotOne]

If the surface/top edges of the laminate are rippled/distorted/noticeable swelling, it's topical moisture. If the planks are warped and/or have concave bowing, it's moisture from below.

Is the subfloor wood or concrete? If wood, was the subfloor dry when you installed the new flooring? If concrete, was a vapor barrier used?

[HNTNBUX]

The surface is what appears to be swelling and rippling. I did put the plastic sheeting in and it is on a wood subfloor second level.

I do not know anything about a drip pan in the fridge I will have to look for it and see what is going on.

[deerminator]

If you do determine its water damage from the fridge being defective in some way, make sure you contact the manufacturer and ask to file a claim. Our Maytag dishwasher that has had just about every problem it could have from day one developed a slow leak from a warped basin and buckled the hardwood on the other side of the kitchen counter. All I had to do was fill out a few forms, take pictures of the floor with a level on it to show the damage and they sent me a check for a $1,000 covering the cost of stripping out the damaged section of floor and replacing it with new wood. Many of these companies will pay up if you can prove it was a defect in their product that was to blame.

[HNTNBUX]

I did not see a drip pan under the fridge. Could that be the problem to begin with?

Thanks for the responses.

[Neighbor_guy]

I would go this route....

Wait until your wife is not home. Then take a cookie tray/pan and slide it under your fridge. Then check back several times over the coarse of a day to see if you get any liquids.

Look for anything that looks like it could be a drain or drain hose. Some have a hose, some just a hole in the frame someplace.

The more I think about this the more I lean in this direction.

What is the make and model of the fridge? Some further research may be in order to find out the peticulars. Like should there be a drip pan? Is there a condensate drain and where is it?

Definately an issue.... Unless you rip up the wood and put in peel and stick tiles.

[GotOne]

What type of flooring do you have in the bathroom that butts up to the problem area? Oops, went back and read that it was tile, is it ceramic or vinyl tiles? If vinyl tile, did you use separate adhesive or is it "peal and stick"? Any swelling of the tile joints behind or around the stool?

[Neighbor_guy]

So... what did you figure out J?