Why is there water under my refrigerator on the floor?

Finding a puddle or standing water underneath your residential refrigerator is a common household issue typically triggered by a blocked defrost drain or a plumbing failure. The most frequent culprit is a frozen or debris-choked defrost drain line inside the freezer; when melting auto-defrost water cannot flow down into the bottom drip pan, it overflows inside the cabinet and spills out onto your kitchen floor. Other common causes include a cracked plastic evaporation pan sitting near the compressor, a loose water supply line connection for refrigerators equipped with ice makers, or a loose water filter housing. You can troubleshoot by inspecting where the water originates. You can verify that your corrective action is successful when clearing drain clogs or tightening water lines keeps the floor completely dry.