Fixing My Leaky Fridge, Or Why You Don't Need A Sears Master Protection Agreement

First, let me say right now that I am no conspiracy theorist.
I don't believe NASA faked the moon landing. Elvis is dead. The government is not controlling the weather. Celine Dion is not a malevolent cyborg from the planet Chronos sent to torture the human race.

Okay, maybe that last one....

But isn't it funny how a major appliance always seems to break down just after its warranty expires? It's as if somebody knew. Weird, right.
That's why I was hardly surprised to discover a pool of water beneath my Kenmore refridgerator less than a month after its warranty ran out. Shoulda got that Sears service contract for $99, eh?

Not so fast, Comet Boy.

Many credit cards already offer their users some form of extended warranty protection for FREE. Both Visa and Mastercard, for instance, add an additional year to the manufacturer's written warranty on almost any product  purchased with select cards.

Unfortunately, I didn't use a credit card to buy my fridge.

No prob, I say. I'm a grown man. I can fix things. Shoot, I once even managed to fix that runny old toilet. True, that repair involved little more than jiggling the chain, but still.
And how hard could fixing a leaky fridge be, anyway?
In my case not hard at all.

The first thing to do is source the leak. Generally, a leak can be tracked to one of four common issues:

1. Condensation problems due to a faulty gasket.
2. Clogged or broken defrost line.
3. Leaking ice maker.
4. Cracked or damaged drip pan.

Since I don't have an ice maker and the water was under the fridge, the drip pan seemed the likely culprit. Armed with only a flashlight and a festering loathing for Kenmore appliances I decided to have a look.

After UNPLUGGING!! the unit, I removed the grille from the from the front, bottom of the fridge. Snapped right out. A peek inside showed a plastic tray on the right-hand side, about the same size as an ice cube tray. I slid it out, being careful not to spill any water that might be inside. Didn't have to worry. It was empty.
A close inspection revealed, sure enough, a hairline crack.
I checked SEARSPARTSDIRECT.COM and found the same model drip pan, or evaporator tray, as it's officially known, selling for $30.00. But having made little use of a roll of waterproof tape I had laying around I decided to put it to the test. I sealed over the crack then filled the tray with water to check for leaks.
Worked like a charm.
I slid the tray back inside the fridge, snapped the grille back on and voila, leak fixed.

I'm sure a Sears Master Protection Agreement has been helpful for some people, but an unscientific look at Consumer Affairs website shows them to be in the minority. You might be better off just putting that $99.00 back in your pocket.
I was.
Net savings? $30.00 (the cost of replacement evaporator tray).
Not having to wait around all day for an appliance repairman? You do the math.