Kitchen Large Electric Appliances - Refrigerator is not cooling well, Freezer is just fine?
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cswake
05-29-06, 02:27 PM
It seems to me that the airflow to the refrigerator compartment is very poor. Would this be an indication that the evaporator coils have frozen up? (Kenmore Model #25358082899)
the_tow_guy
05-29-06, 03:00 PM
When you say the airflow is poor, do you mean it's not cooling properly, i.e. warm refrigerator compartment?
cswake
05-29-06, 03:23 PM
Yes, the refrigerator compartment is warm. I put my hand at the back of the fridge compartment and the air coming in was very weak, but cool. In comparison, I feel the airflow in the freezer section as soon as I open the door. I've already disassembled part of the freezer:
http://img249.imageshack.us/img249/8821/fridge013zv.jpg
Does that look okay? (I'm about to take apart the section behind the icemaker) I have a feeling something is impeding the airflow between the two compartments.
http://img249.imageshack.us/img249/8821/fridge013zv.jpg
Does that look okay? (I'm about to take apart the section behind the icemaker) I have a feeling something is impeding the airflow between the two compartments.
DaVeBoy
05-29-06, 06:34 PM
1. You need to use thermometers. Test the freezer temp for a while. Then the refrigerator compartment for a while.
2. Does the compressor run AND also the evaporator fan run (the later of which is located in the back wall of the freezer compartment)? They should be.
3. Do you see any water down in your drip pan that should be either located under your refrigerator (accessible by removing the grill at the bottom front of the refrigerator, which just snap off and back on), or ontop the compressor at the back? If there is no water at all, based on your symptoms, you could have a case of frozen defrost water at the cup that allows this drainage to go through the cup and then tube, back of the refrigerator and down a tube into the drip pan. Check for ice in and around that cup which is located at the top rear of the refrigerator compartment. If that is clogged, chances are ice has formed, blocking where freezer air gets into the refrigerator compartment at the upper rear of the refrigerator compartment.
If this is what has been going on, what I do is...first unplug the refrigerator...then take food out of the freezer and put it in the kitchen sink basins and blanket or towel over it to keep it froze. I also move out of the refrigerator compartment the food most likely to spoil quick... like the milk, and some other stuff, and to clear away stuff in the area of the defrost drain cup. Then I use a hair dryer to thaw for a bit back at that cup. Then when I can tell that the cup is thawed...then I pry off the flexible rubber or plastic cup and then use a piece of tubing I carry with me, and put the tubing (you can buy this at home centers, hardware stores and auto stores) and jamb it in the defrost drain tube hole and blow and see if you are able to blow out any gook (if your tube is a little ill-fitting you may have to wad a rag or toweling aroudn your inserted tube to get a better seal when you blow). When you know you are able to blow through the line and see evidence of it in the drip pan below, then you can replace the drain cup. You may also be able to do this job from reverse by simply removing the drain tube from below, where it sets in (just above, actually) the drip pan below, and then blow *up* the drain tube. After doing this, knowing the tube and cup are clear...Then place the hairdryer in the freezer compartment...shutting the door on the cord, and let it run inside to defrost the refrigerator. Then the thawing ice from the evaporator coils and maybe around the fan will thaw and run out into the cup and down the tube into the drip pan. Look to see, after you have been defrosting for say 15 minutes, to see if you are getting lots of water to now thaw and drain into the drip pan below. If you see such evidence, then you will know that this was what your trouble was all about.
I am a rental property maintenance man and do this very service work all the time.
2. Does the compressor run AND also the evaporator fan run (the later of which is located in the back wall of the freezer compartment)? They should be.
3. Do you see any water down in your drip pan that should be either located under your refrigerator (accessible by removing the grill at the bottom front of the refrigerator, which just snap off and back on), or ontop the compressor at the back? If there is no water at all, based on your symptoms, you could have a case of frozen defrost water at the cup that allows this drainage to go through the cup and then tube, back of the refrigerator and down a tube into the drip pan. Check for ice in and around that cup which is located at the top rear of the refrigerator compartment. If that is clogged, chances are ice has formed, blocking where freezer air gets into the refrigerator compartment at the upper rear of the refrigerator compartment.
If this is what has been going on, what I do is...first unplug the refrigerator...then take food out of the freezer and put it in the kitchen sink basins and blanket or towel over it to keep it froze. I also move out of the refrigerator compartment the food most likely to spoil quick... like the milk, and some other stuff, and to clear away stuff in the area of the defrost drain cup. Then I use a hair dryer to thaw for a bit back at that cup. Then when I can tell that the cup is thawed...then I pry off the flexible rubber or plastic cup and then use a piece of tubing I carry with me, and put the tubing (you can buy this at home centers, hardware stores and auto stores) and jamb it in the defrost drain tube hole and blow and see if you are able to blow out any gook (if your tube is a little ill-fitting you may have to wad a rag or toweling aroudn your inserted tube to get a better seal when you blow). When you know you are able to blow through the line and see evidence of it in the drip pan below, then you can replace the drain cup. You may also be able to do this job from reverse by simply removing the drain tube from below, where it sets in (just above, actually) the drip pan below, and then blow *up* the drain tube. After doing this, knowing the tube and cup are clear...Then place the hairdryer in the freezer compartment...shutting the door on the cord, and let it run inside to defrost the refrigerator. Then the thawing ice from the evaporator coils and maybe around the fan will thaw and run out into the cup and down the tube into the drip pan. Look to see, after you have been defrosting for say 15 minutes, to see if you are getting lots of water to now thaw and drain into the drip pan below. If you see such evidence, then you will know that this was what your trouble was all about.
I am a rental property maintenance man and do this very service work all the time.
cswake
05-29-06, 08:36 PM
Dave, thanks for the thorough explanation. At this point I have cleaned out the condenser coils and defrosted about 1/8" frost from the evaporator coils. Furthermore, I've confirmed that the water line is running properly and both the compressor and condesner fan are running as well. I ran up and purchased two thermometers and I'll leave them in overnight. (Then work from the results.)
cswake
05-30-06, 11:02 PM
Okay, after sitting in the fridge without opening the door for about 10 hours, the temperatures read -4 and 34 fahrenheit. So now the question is how long should it take the fridge to cool xxx degrees?
rentprop1
05-31-06, 10:13 PM
this same thing just happened to me, I moved everything out , un plugged to defrost and had some water in the pan and dirty coils, cleaned coils with compressed air, left to totally defrost coils and walla, no probs working just fine, kinds weird how it happened all of the sudden, no real changes, just weather out side getting warmer ?????