Refrigerator fix

[pineywoods]

Here's something to try if when you frige quits cooling but runs continuously. Don't go buy a new one just yet. This only applies to self-defrosting models, which most are. Take everything out of the fridge and put it in your beer cooler. Un-plug the power cord, open the door wide, and let it sit for 24 hours. Then plug back in and see if it cools. If it does, you probably have saved enough money to finance a trip to the piggy roast. Here's what happens....When cooling, a small fan blows air through a heat exchanger where cold refrigerant gas circulates. Frost and ice accumulates on the exchanger. During a time when no cooling is taking place, an electric heater attached to the heat exchanger is turned on to melt off the frost and ice. The melt runs down into a pan underneath the base, where it eventually evaporates. If the humidity inside the fridge is higher than normal (like you leave the door slightly open) the frost buildup will be quite heavy. The heater may not have time to melt it all off before more cooling is called for. Repeat the process a few times and there will be a cumulative buildup that eventually will block airflow through the exchanger. The compressor runs and runs, but your ice cream melts and the beer gets warm.
Being the impatient type, I take the enclosures off the heat exchanger and defrost it with a hair dryer.

[LeeB]

a failed defrost timer will do the same and are pretty cheap. If the first remedie dosn't work try changing the timer.

[jim king]

,

I take the enclosures off the heat exchanger and defrost it with a hair dryer.

I have had that problem a few times because I had the freezer full and no air movement against the back wall of the freezer,  now I leave an inch of space between the back wall where the air movemrnt is and no more problems.  That said our refrigerators are probably 20 years behind what you have.

[easymoney]

another thing that can affect some refrigerators is they have a fan and condenser under the fridge. if the condenser gets clogged with lint or cat hair it will not cool properly. a vacuum will clean the condenser if it is not really bad.  if it is really bad you might have to take it outside and use a water hose to clean it.

[D._Frederick]

All my refrigerators have gone bad and need replacement because of the defrost system failing. Age from 8 years to 15.

When it cost over 50% of the cost of new to repair, I buy new.

[DouginUtah]

Speaking of refrigerators...

Be careful when buying that you don't end up with one that requires a new $40 water filter every 6 months--such as my Frigidaire (Gallery Series). My older Frigidaire has gone seven years with the same filter. This new one shuts off the water after six months.  >:(

[WDH]

Piney,

I had a similar problem in that the heater coil that is part of the defrosting system burned up.  New coil did the trick.  So now, after paying the repair man, I am a little wiser and a little more broke.

[easymoney]

a forty dollar filter every six months? they knew how to keep making money after the sale. i would be trying to bypass that timer.
that is like a laser printer i had once they had a cartridge in it that would quit working after a predetermined amount of pages. it would not print after that unless you bought their overpriced cartridge. i now use a different brand printer.
next time it might be time to consider a different brand fridge.

[Don_Papenburg]

I put a whole house filter on the water line into my fridge. It has been two years now still working

[Jeff]

I was searching google for some ideas, and I came across this topic. When will I learn. I need to just search the Forestry Forum. :D

I have a major mess.   I've been busy working on a website for bluecreeper, baiting bear and working on this tamarack cut amd spending very little time doing anything else. So busy I forgot to eat yesterday, and finally just thought about doing so about 11 this morning.  I opened the freezer, and the fridge had quit fridging some time  since Sunday morning. Everything up there was completely thawed and beyond what I would care to risk, and much of it oozing onto the freezer bottom.  The fridge part had a bunch of bottled water in it, so it retained some cold, and the milk was still cool, so the stuff in the bottom seems to be okay Fan runs but the compressor wont.  The crap in the freezer made a mess of the whole works, so after cleaning up the mess, I ran in to Detour Village and got some block ice to try and at least keep the milk and mayo and some of the other stuff cold.  I have the fridge unplugged, and the freezer empty, and that door open, but the bottom is about the only thing I have I can put ice and food in other than an itty-bitty cooler.

The fan was running on the fridge, but I can't see any sign of the compressor running. As fast as the stuff thawed, that fan must have acted like a heater. I'm hoping that leaving it unplugged over night with the freezer door open might do the trick, but I have my serious doubts.  Looks like I eat potatoes and canned food for awhile as the bear bait pile just got a whole 5 gallon pail full of what WAS my bait pile. :-\  I hope they come in. Other than Saturday morning, not a bear since.

[Raider Bill]

Generally in the rentals it's either the defrost system or clogged condenser. Just replaced a defrost clock last month on one. $35.00 and a hours work including picking up the part.

[Chuck White]

We went through this about 1½ years ago.

The compressor was running, but not getting cold enough.

Cost $75.00 for the service company to come to the house.

The guy pulled the panel in the back of the freezer and it was absolutely packed with ice.

He said unplug it and leave the door open, I'll be back tomorrow afternoon.

Luckily, the first $75.00 covered the return trip too!

Well he replaced the thermal switch that turns the defrost fan on.

He said it had to defrost so there would be air flow through the coils.

Oh, the thermal switch was $23.00.

He told me that sometimes just getting the ice out of the coils will sometimes be all that needs to be done.