Swan SR1120CN won’t drain

[pete999]

Hi,

We have the above Swan fridge freezer which has been filling up with water in the base of the fridge for some time.

Recently I have made a good effort at cleaning the drain hole. I purchase some pipe cleaning brushes, and have managed to run one down the drain hole for 60 or 70 cm, basically as far as it can go. At that point it hits something solid and won’t go any further. I have also tried to run a brush up from the bottom of the drain tube, but that only gets 10cm or so and can go no further.

I’ve also tried using a syringe to squirt a mixture of vinegar and bicarbonate of soda down the hole.

Neither of these things made any noticeable difference. I removed the veg tray, and dried the whole inside of the fridge with paper towels, but 10 minutes later there was a pool of water forming on the bottom of the fridge again. It’s almost as though there’s a design fault, and the water is simply falling in to the fridge, rather than trying to go down the drain.

The plastic tray at the bottom of the drain designed to catch the water is bone dry. It does contain some dried up gunk, which look like the remnants of historic drainage, so it appears to have been working in the past at some point.

I’m at a bit of a loss now. I had assumed that the pipe brush would have done the trick. I’m also a bit surprised that I can’t push the brush all the way out the bottom of the drain – I thought the drain would be straight-ish, but it feels Iike I hit a right angle at some point.

Is there anything else that I can try?

Thanks,
Pete.

[kwatt]

It can only really be something in there blocking that and the only way to fix it is to clear it.

K.

[pete999]

Hi K,

Thanks for that. I’ve run a pipe brush, and also a piece of garden wire, down the drain as far as they will go. Both items hit something solid after 60 or 70 cm and will go no further. Is it possible there is a right angle in the drain, or should it run straight-ish all the? i.e. should I be able to run a wire all the way down and out the bottom?

Is it worth trying to get some drain-unblocker fluid or similar down there to see if that helps?

Thanks,
Pete.

[kwatt]

There won’t be any bends in it or water would sit and smell etc.

K.

[HAZAH]

Hi Pete,

We have exactly the same problem with our Swan SR11020BLN purchased June 2020. After a few months it developed the fault. I searched online and followed advice to try a defrost which I did. Ice came out of the drain at the bottom of fridge. It worked fine for couple of weeks then was blocked again. Rang Swan and engineer came out replaced thermostat. He advised to defrost again, which I did, again ice coming out of drain pipe. Worked again couple of weeks then blocked again! Engineer out again – he doesn’t even look at it says someone else will now come out and re- gas the fridge.

Totally fed up now and am about to phone and demand replacement or refund. Everytime we have to defrost fridge chucking food away etc.. total pain, we shouldn’t be having to do this for a fridge under warranty – paid £600 for this fridge!!

This sounds like a common fault to me… is yours still under warranty?

George

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