Pipes behind fridge question. or two.

[TheMitchells]

While the ashp was installed at parents place, the warm water pipes dropped down behind the fridge to the under counter kickboard heaters.  (It is a tiny kitchen so we were restricted on what could go where.)  Then this week, Dad reported problems with ice at the bottom of the fridge. On checking, the condensation drain was solid ice so all the moisture was running to the bottom of the fridge and freezing. 

After defrosting and cleaning the drain, i checked and water was draining away well. 

My question is whether it is the warm pipes at the back that is causing the ice to form?  Or was it just coincidence that we noticed it now (several weeks after the install).

 

Should I cover the pipes with insulation? 

Thanks.

 

Edited December 23 by TheMitchells

[JohnMo]

Your fridge is trying to move heat from the inside to the outside.  The back of the fridge will already be a warm(ish) area so have warm pipes there also may be making the fridge work harder that is designed?

 

Or maybe it all the fridge magnets messing with things?

[Andehh]

Wouldn't hurt to stick some thin insulation like Armaflex into the pipes behind the fridge!

[Nickfromwales]

Or maybe just some Talon trunking?

 

Link

[Alan Ambrose]

If you asked me to guess, I’d say it was just a fault with the fridge. Sometimes those drains get blocked with general fridge gunk.

[Iceverge]

I would say that unless the pipes are very warm, say 50deg+ then it's unlikely that they caused an issue. 

 

Vacuum the cobwebs out of the rear of the fridge radiator and make sure the drains are clear . 

 

Don't push it quite so close to the wall either and I bet it'll be fine. 

[TheMitchells]

17 hours ago, Alan Ambrose said:

If you asked me to guess, I’d say it was just a fault with the fridge. Sometimes those drains get blocked with general fridge gunk.

it was full of fridge gunk!  I doubt it had been cleaned out for ages.

 

Thanks for all the comments, will move it further away from the wall and will get that trunking on the pipes. I need to do that to all the new radiators in whole house as all of the pipes come down from the ceiling/attic. But thats a job for the New Year!  Too much choc to eat and bottles of wine to drink for the next week!😄

Merry Christmas everyone!🎄🎅

[SteamyTea]

Some fridges use one side, rather than the rear, as the heat emitter.

I found that out the hard way.

 

Probably the magnets though. Take the donkey one off.