Hotpoint Larder Fridge RLA21 Scratch-Your-Head Fault

Hi

I have a customer relay this fault to me asking if I could pinpoint the problem. I was not sure so here it is – can you help 😯 .

The fridge temp is set to 2 and runs normally – compressor switching on and off. But what occurs is that the drain hole quite quickly blocks with a build-up of ice and then gets bigger until water that is defrosting from the evaporator just runs over it and eventually leaks out of the door.

It is only in the area of the drain hole that it ices up, the rest of the evaporator operates like any normal fridge. It has been defrosted a number of times but this same fault always re-occurs. There is no blockage in the draining channel.

He has been monitoring the temp in the fridge with a thermometer he uses in his own fridge and gets a constant 5 degreesC. He is a retired motor engineer who I bought my cars from so I know he is a very savvy person.

The fridge belongs to his son who took it over in the house he bought about 2 weeks ago and the fridge is about 2 years old. It may have been like it ages, he does`nt know its history.

Thanks in anticipation

Laurence