How to replace fridge drain tube?

[Radio]

Discovered today the drain tube on my fridge has dry rotted to the point it crumbles like potato chips. Needless to say the condensation is not going overboard as it should. Better material would have been nice.



How can the drain tube be replaced? I'm looking up inside from the outside cover/vent and wonder can it be done from here or does the fridge need to be pulled out?

[jtstromsburg]

I think (don't know for sure) that you can get a piece of tubing from the hardware store, and using the old tube, gently pull in the new one. I'd start in the fridge and pull from outside.

[Radio]

Well, the answer is yes, you can, without pulling the fridge.

I tried tinkering with the little drain "cup" (for lack of a better word) but not having a manual I didn't know how to release it from the inside. I didn't want to break it. Now on my fridge, the drain tube is not visible from the inside of the fridge. YMMV. If so you might be in luck.

My tube was ribbed plastic and would crumble at a touch.

So I went to Lowes and got 3ft of 1/2 in inside dia. clear tubing. Stock #74222

You will now need

1. Darkness
2. Flashlight
3. A really long skinny flexible arm. (which I happen to have)
4. First aid cream

You can't do this outside in the day light. You just can't see up in there in the dark hole. Wait till dark, get a good flashlight and everything is now in plain sight.

Turn the fridge off and let it cool.

Reach in and crush/pull away the old, cheap, inferior, crappy, dry rotted tube. This will reveal the barbed drain outlet on the back of the fridge. Now just thread the new clear tube up in there in about the same route as the old one. You want to avoid getting close to the chimney. Shove the new tube on the barbed drain outlet. Extract your arm. Thread the tube through the cover and cut off the excess.

Done. Now go in the house and rub first aid cream all over your arm.