The manual for your refrigerator doesn't mention anything about water leaks onto the floor being normal, even in the section specifically regarding power outages. Have you called Viking? When you say the ice melted, are you talking about the ice that was stored in the ice bucket, or ice that was in the process of being made, or what?

I have no direct knowledge of this issue but it sure sounds like BS to me. Either the appliance store is trying to avoid responsibility or the Viking is even crappier than I thought it was.

If that is true -- which is insane -- where is the fridge spec that it needs to be installed on a drainage pan the way a washing machine would be? Or that it must be installed with a water bug sensor? Because that's the only safe/reasonable thing to do if that were true.

This may not be helpful but I have an older V fridge. During hurricane Irene our backup generator went out and the fridge had no power for 3 days. Not a drop of water. The ice cream softened and a bit pooled on the freezer floor. That's it.

Thanks for your reply. I haven't even seen the manuals because we are not living in the house. the appliances were delivered one day. But I will verify. They said it is from the ice melting - meaning, the ice was made, power went off, ice started to melt - and release point takes the water and dumps on floor - like I said - it sounds ridiculous but store is saying that is just the way it is for viking fridge and others. I haven't elevated past sales person because I wanted to do some research first. I will also call viking tomorrow.

If you call anyone, I suggest calling Middleby Corporation, Elgin Illinois, owner of Viking Corporation and ask for CEO Selim Bassoul . I was considering a Viking Pro and wanted to ask some questions. Viking Corporation Customer Service was hard to reach, knew less than I, and unsatisfied as a prospective customer, I called Middleby Corp, asked for the CEO, and they got a tech person to call me to address my questions. But, I did not proceed given their corporate turmoil.

You can get the spec install manual for your Viking Pro 48" off ajmadison.com using your model number. I read the Viking Pro 36" specs, customer help and install a couple of times and do not recall any special wording regarding your issue. I don't know if that is good or bad (the absence of wording), but I agree with the others, responsibility of this situation is being passed onto you, the new owner inappropriately.

Middleby should step up to the plate if Viking Corporation doesn't or will not. If they don't, file a consumer complaint with BBB and let them investigate the matter.

In the last two months, I spoke with two different well regarded appliance dealers regarding the Viking purchase. Neither of them felt any caution was warranted on purchases of the Viking Pro line. I took this with a large grain of salt. I truly feel for you, so good luck.

We've had several long term power outages. One for >10 hours.
Not a drop did our 2006 48" built in Jenn-air, drip upon our hardwood floor in kitchen and we didn't even bother to empty the ice maker, as we did not anticipate such a long power outage.

The freezer never got above 14F during that >10 hour power shortage, alto we were careful not to open the doors on fridge or freezer portion of it.

I fear you are being fed, "Pure PoppyCock" well, maybe not even that pure!!!!

Lotsa luck on getting the problem resolved!

Gary

Thank you, I sincerely appreciate it. So do you all think my issue is directly with Viking or through the appliance store that delivered and has been my point of contact. or both.

I think your issue is with all of the above ... the store that sold it, the distributor, and Viking. My recent experience in dealing with Viking customer service has not been good, so you are probably better off trying to work it out with the store first. Bypass that clueless salesman and deal with the store manager. Ask him/her to deal with the Viking distributor on your behalf in resolving the issue. If it is true that Viking refrigerators are designed to spill water onto the floor during a power outage, I would respectfully request a different refrigerator! If you don't mind my asking, how long has the refrigerator been installed? You may have recourse though your credit card company if you paid that way.

I own a 36" BI KA unit. In Jan. 2012 we were without power for a few days during back-to-back ginormous snow and then ice storms. I didn't open the freezer during those days. The fridge never released water or anything else onto my hardwood floors. I did have to empty the ice container afterwards as the ice melted a bit and refroze in a huge lump.

It seems utterly ridiculous to me, even for a Viking, that a fridge should release water onto your floor. If true, I would be looking for a different unit.

I had a thought, which I'll throw out to you to be helpful/not. When we first got the fridge (years ago so this is hazy), the freezer was dripping from the bottom left corner and I was getting liquid around the door. It wasn't acting right. It required a service call. Turns out, there was some type of freezer condenser ring that needed to be installed/connected to make the freezer work properly but they were shipping the fridges without connecting them -- and never telling the owners. Very Viking.

If that's the case in your fridge (again mine is much older and a single compressor), what you described would make a bit more sense, at least to me.

Being a detractor here ... seems to me that it is possible for a fully-loaded ice storage bin to leak water if all the ice in it melts ... on units that have ice dispensing. The ice storage bin has an opening in the bottom by necessity of dispensing ice, thus water can potentially leak out of it. The bin opening is positioned over the dispensing chute in the freezer door, which may be largely air-tight but I doubt the chute seals water-tight.

The flow of water into the icemaker must use a solenoid valve. The valve will be normally closed (with no power) and opens only when power is applied.

Therefore, when the power is out the valve will be closed.

The ice maker cannot 'dispense' anything if the power is off.

However, it might be possible that it could fill the ice bucket with more ice than it could contain as water. then it would overflow. As D stated, the dispensing ice maker buckets have a 'hole' in them, but it is in the front. My parent's machine has a lower capacity compared to my non-dispensing unit, I guess for this reason.

This unit has a defrost pan. This is a pan underneath that catches defrost water from the coils. Under normal circumstances, airflow evaporates this water before the pan can fill up. Maybe it could have overflowed, but I doubt it.

Why was the machine left running if no one was there to use it? It and the water supply should have been turned off to start with, at least after it was known that the unit would turn on and run.

the manual does state that if the unit is not going to be used that the ice maker should be turned off and water shut off as well.

pdsgator, I am interested in hearing how this issue was resolved. Did you have any luck?