A Maytag bottom freezer ice maker leaking water, or leaving a sheet of ice on the freezer floor, almost always comes from one of four things: an ice jam that sends water outside the mold, a water inlet valve that does not shut off fully, a damaged or frozen water supply line, or humid room air getting in past a door that does not seal. Work from the simplest cause: stop the ice maker, clear the ice, let it thaw with the door open, check the door and the supply line, then restart it and watch.
Why would a bottom freezer ice maker leak?
An ice maker fills a mold with a measured amount of water, freezes it and drops the cubes into the bin. Anything that sends water somewhere else produces a leak. Our Maytag ice maker problems guide lists three causes for a leak around the ice maker: overfilling, because the water inlet valve is not shutting off completely, a cracked water line and ice buildup, where ice jams redirect water outside the mold. The same three apply to the ice maker in a bottom-freezer refrigerator. Our model page lists the MFT2772HEZ as a French-door refrigerator of about 27 cubic feet, but it does not say where its ice maker sits, so check your owner’s manual for where yours is and how it is reached.
Water that escapes inside the freezer freezes on contact with cold surfaces, which is why a leak shows up as ice on the edge of a tray, on the floor of the compartment or around the ice maker, rather than as a puddle.
How do you stop the leak and clear the ice?
- Turn the ice maker off, with its switch or arm as your manual shows, and close the water supply valve to the refrigerator.
- Take out the ice bin and any loose ice. Move food you want to keep to a cooler.
- Leave the freezer door open and let the ice melt. Our guide says an ice jam can be cleared by turning the ice maker off for a few hours and defrosting the area. Put towels down for the meltwater.
- Never chip at ice with a knife or screwdriver. Our freezer maintenance guide warns that a sharp tool can puncture the evaporator.
- When everything is clear and dry, put the bin back and switch the ice maker on.
Our guide to maintaining and defrosting your Maytag freezer has more on safe defrosting.
Could the water inlet valve be the cause?
Yes. The valve at the back of the refrigerator opens electrically to fill the mold, and it should close fully afterward. If it does not, water keeps seeping into the mold, which overflows, drips and freezes into a block. Signs are ice that returns soon after you clear it, a mold that is always full or ice that forms as a solid lump. A valve that does not close is not an owner’s repair, because it sits behind a panel at the back of the refrigerator and is wired to the control. Turn the ice maker off and close the water valve until a technician has looked at it.
What about the supply line and the filter?
A puddle on the kitchen floor, in front of or under the refrigerator, points away from the ice maker mold and toward the supply line, the fittings or the water filter. Pull the refrigerator out only as far as the water line allows and look at the line for splits, kinks or damp patches, and check the fitting at the wall valve. Look at the filter, too: our guide on how to replace the Maytag refrigerator water filter explains how to seat it properly, because a filter that is loose or not fully turned in is a common cause of drips.
If you find water near an outlet or the cord, switch off the breaker at the panel while standing on a dry floor and never pull a plug from a wet outlet.
Is the freezer door sealing?
A door that does not close tightly lets warm, humid air in. That moisture condenses and freezes as frost on the ice maker, the walls and the floor, and the frost melts and refreezes in a pattern that looks like a leak. Check the gasket for tears, dirt or gaps, and make sure nothing sticks out of the drawer or a basket that stops it closing. Check that the refrigerator is level, so the doors close properly. Our Maytag freezer not freezing guide covers the cold side of the same problem.
Frost and ice that return soon after you clear them, with a gasket that looks fine, may be a defrost problem, which a technician should check.
What should you not do?
Do not use a hair dryer, a heat gun or boiling water to clear ice. Do not pry or hammer at the ice maker. Do not take off the freezer’s inner panels or the back panel, because the evaporator, heater and wiring are behind them. Do not keep using an ice maker that is leaking onto the floor, because water on the floor can damage flooring and is a slip hazard. Keep the supply valve closed until the cause is found.
When should you call a technician?
Call if the leak or ice comes back after you have cleared it and checked the line, the filter and the door, if the inlet valve seems not to close, if you find a cracked line you cannot reach or if the refrigerator is not keeping food cold. Tell the technician your model number and where the water or ice appears. Our Maytag refrigerator repair page explains how a visit works.
