Whirlpool fridge air leak in water dispenser?

[Flyover]

My Whirlpool side-by-side fridge seems to have an air leak in the water dispenser, resulting in snow buildup around the inside of the freezer and a constant drip down the dispenser lever. I've reached in with a finger and tried to wipe around the hatch opening in there, but I don't really know what I'm feeling for and am not sure what else to do.

 

[Sparky617]

Does the flap for the ice dispenser close completely? Do you use mainly cubes or crushed ice through the dispenser? I've seen that on mine if the door didn't close completely.

I find many problems with ice makers can be corrected with a defrost and cleaning of the fridge/freezer.

 

[Flyover]

I can't tell if the flap is closing completely. Not sure how to test it.

We use it just for water. The only exception is maybe once every month or two one of the kids will try to get ice out of it (sometimes cubed, sometimes crushed) and we tell them not to because the ice goes everywhere but in their cup. (The auto ice maker is fine but the dispenser is such a pointless feature! Wish I could disable just that.) I figure any residual ice from that melts away and allows the flap to close but maybe it doesn't? Or maybe it's leaving behind some deposits that break whatever seal there was?

 

[Sparky617]

Any ice the is in the chute will probably melt away and drip out. If the flap isn't sealing it is letting humid air into your freezer compartment and that is forming the snow in your picture. So my take is excessive outside air is getting into your freezer compartment, most likely through the discharge chute for the ice maker. Since you don't use the dispenser, try closing it off with tape temporarily to see if the snow stops forming. My non-profession cheap troubleshooting idea.

 

[Flyover]

I like the tape idea.