Bosch fridge freezer – Info needed on plastic pipe and pan at back

[trooper56]

Just taken delivery of Bosch frost free fridge freezer KGN34NLEAG Series 2 which is being installed by my kitchen fitters. At the back of the unit at the base and on the left as you look at it, next to the electric lead, there is a clear plastic concertina pipe which comes down and then loops up into the base of a plastic pan. The open end of this pipe is covered with a piece of clear plastic, like clingfilm, and seems to be wedged in place. Can’t see any reason for this being there since it would allow nothing in or out of the pipe? Should it be removed? Why is it even there?
Any assistance much appreciated because I can get no assistance from Bosch help lines.

[tubafan]

A photo would help, but it sounds like it’s the drain for the freezer. If the plastic pan you refer to sits on top of the compressor then that is almost certainly what it is. It should be open to allow defrost water to drain into the pan and be evaporated off by the heat from the compressor.

[trooper56]

Thanks for your reply tubafan. Got the fitters to pull the fridge freezer forward this morning and the pan definitely sits on top of the compressor so I pulled the plastic off. It was only held in place by a rubber washer and I can only assume it’s put there to stop debris getting into the condensate pipe during shipping. Very remiss of Bosch to not give any reference to this needing to be removed in their installation instructions!

[tubafan]

Very odd that the pipe was blocked-off as it’ll quickly lead to failure if the defrost water can’t escape. The purpose of the pipe and the pan is referred to in the instructions where it tells you what to do if the freezer door has been left open for too long:

Freezer compartment door was open for a long time; temperature is no longer reached.
The evaporator (refrigeration generator) in the NoFrost system is covered in thick ice and can no longer be defrosted fully automatically.
To defrost the evaporator, remove the frozen food with the compartments, insulate well and store in a cool location. Switch off the appliance and move it away from the wall. Leave the appliance door open. After approx. 20 min. the condensation begins to run into the evaporation pan, at the rear of the appliance. To prevent the evaporation pan from overflowing in this case, mop up the condensation with a sponge. The evaporator is defrosted when the water stops running into the evaporation pan. Clean the interior. Switch the appliance back on again.

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