<Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> This article needs additional citations for verification . Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources . Unsourced material may be challenged and removed . (May 2017) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) </Td> </Tr> <P> Auto - defrost, automatic defrost or self - defrosting is a technique which regularly defrosts the evaporator in a refrigerator or freezer . Appliances using this technique are often called frost free, frostless or no - frost . </P> <P> The defrost mechanism in a refrigerator heats the cooling element (evaporator coil) for a short period of time and melts the frost that has formed on it . The resulting water drains through a duct at the back of the unit . Defrosting is controlled by an electric or electronic timer: For every 6, 8, 10, 12 or 24 hours of compressor operation it turns on a defrost heater for 15 minutes to half an hour . The defrost heater, having a typical power rating of 350 W to 600 W, is mounted just below the evaporator in top - and bottom - freezer models and below and sometimes also in the middle of the evaporator in side - by - side models . It may be protected from short circuits by means of fusible links . In older refrigerators the timer ran continuously . In newer designs the timer only runs while the compressor runs, so the more the refrigerator door is closed, the less the heater will be on and the more energy will be saved . A defrost thermostat opens the heater circuit when the evaporator temperature rises above a preset temperature, 40 ° F (5 ° C) or more, thereby preventing excessive heating of the freezer compartment . The defrost timer is such that either the compressor or the defrost heater is on, but not both at the same time . </P> <P> Inside the freezer, air is circulated by means of one or more fans . In a typical design cold air from the freezer compartment is ducted to the fresh food compartment and circulated back into the freezer compartment . Air circulation helps sublimate any ice or frost that may form on frozen items in the freezer compartment . </P>

Where does the water go when a refrigerator defrost
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