Amana SD/SDX 22/25 Freezer problems (coils frosted over)

[malibu434343]

Hi all,

We have an Amana side by side fridge/freezer in the house we just bought. It lists 4 models inside the door, but I'm not sure which one it is (SD22, SDX22, SD25, SDX25). It came with the house, so I don't know how old it is.

A couple weeks ago (I think) we left the door cracked a little and a lot of stuff thawed/melted. Closed the door and everything seemed to work fine. Fast forward to tonight, and everything is completely thawed in the top half of the freezer, and the bottom half of the fridge has some frozen stuff.

I researched online and pulled the back panel off the freezer. The coils and the wiring up by the fan were completely frosted over. I thawed them out with a hair dryer and tried to get things dried out as much as I could. Cranked the temp down and closed the door and the fan kicked on.

So, my next question is where to go from here. Based on what I've read on this site, it sounds like the thermostat is the most likely culprit. Should I go ahead and get one and install it, or should I give the freezer some time and see how it goes?

Thanks in advance!

Gregg