Kitchen Large Electric Appliances - Magic Chef fridge
Doityourself.com community forum was created to provide answers to all questions related to home improvement and home repair. Doityourself community can help you find information about how-to topics on small fixes to large remodeling projects. With comprehensive how-to content and expertly moderated community forums DoItYourself.com makes it easy to tackle even the most complex home improvement projects.View Full Version : Magic Chef fridge
mark7
10-02-05, 07:57 AM
I need to check out the defrost components of my nieces Magic Chef fridge Model #RB17H-1A.The freezer is all frosted and iced up and the fresh food compartment is warm.The freezer fan is running and I also listened for the defrost timer to see if it was stuck,it is running.I suspect a bad defrost t-stat.I am not sure how to get the cover to get access to the coil and components.Do you get in from the fresh food box,or from the freezer.I dont want to break anything.I dont have a clue as to how old this unit is, or a serial number.The timer is installed on the back of the unit.I really appreciate any advice.Thanks.
Neilt
10-02-05, 08:49 AM
These fridges are no fun to work on!
The evaporator coil, heaters, and t-stat are mounted below the freezer floor. To get at them, you will need to loosen the metal divider between the freezer, and fresh food section. If you remove the doors, this will be even easier.
Once the metal piece is loosened or removed, you will be able to slide the plasic freezer floor out towards you. Work carefully. Impatience will end up in cracked plastic :)
You may need to leave the fridge off for 24hrs, to let it defrost, as it can be very difficult getting things apart if its all clogged up with ice.
The easiest way to diagnose would be when the freezer is down to normal temperature, with a flat head screw driver, advance the timer until it 'clicks', and the compressor turns off. This will be the defrost cycle. If you have the floor removed, you will see the heaters come on, and hear them heating. If they heat, you've got a bad timer. If they don't, then it's either the t-stat, or one of the heaters. In my experience, the t-stat is usually the least of the three to break.
Hope that helps
The evaporator coil, heaters, and t-stat are mounted below the freezer floor. To get at them, you will need to loosen the metal divider between the freezer, and fresh food section. If you remove the doors, this will be even easier.
Once the metal piece is loosened or removed, you will be able to slide the plasic freezer floor out towards you. Work carefully. Impatience will end up in cracked plastic :)
You may need to leave the fridge off for 24hrs, to let it defrost, as it can be very difficult getting things apart if its all clogged up with ice.
The easiest way to diagnose would be when the freezer is down to normal temperature, with a flat head screw driver, advance the timer until it 'clicks', and the compressor turns off. This will be the defrost cycle. If you have the floor removed, you will see the heaters come on, and hear them heating. If they heat, you've got a bad timer. If they don't, then it's either the t-stat, or one of the heaters. In my experience, the t-stat is usually the least of the three to break.
Hope that helps
mark7
10-02-05, 09:05 AM
I thank you for your reply.I was not sure how to access the coil and components,and didnt want to break anything.I am at work right now and not at where the fridge is, but are there any other fasteners holding down the freezer floor?I seem to remember some kind of fatener on something that at the time might have to come off but there again wasnt sure how to get it off.They just had a round head with no screwdriver slot or anything.Or was that for the cabinet side?Thanks so much.
Neilt
10-02-05, 04:42 PM
No fasteners. Not sure where that could be from.