[tbmello]

36 hours ago we noticed our fridge food was warm & fridge would not turn on...Back of fridge & coils were very dirty so we cleaned thoroughly. It's now spotless & started running right away. Fridge is maintaining temp of 55 F; Freezer is maintaining temp of 37F with both temp settings on mid-setting (5 on dial). There is frost on the back wall inside the freezer, when it is a frost-free model. It continues to make ice. Husband says:
"Unplugged and replugged power, few seconds later compressor tube builds visible frost. About 1 min later visible frost melts away. Sounds like compressor still running. I put voltmeter on output of "Overload" cut-off switch (using chassis as reference ground) attached to compressor relay and am measuring 120VAC, so electrical path to compressor seems to be okay. Tube on compress still cold/cool but not frosty."

Does it seem like the compressor is running correctly?
Is this a faulty defrost system?
Any ideas on diagnose & what parts to order would be great.

[applianceman]

Remove cover off the back of the freezer. If thick frost is covering the entire coils there is a problem with the defrost system. Locate the defrost timer #257 on parts breakdown (behind the control cover). Turn the timer clockwise slowly until the refrigerator cuts off. If after you do so the defrost heaters come on and glow red replace the timer. If not more that likely the defrost heaters are bad.

If thick frost is not covering the entire coils post back and we will go from there.
Refrigerator repair guide

[tbmello]

Thanks. It's not timer. Appears to be heater. Have heater & thermostat on order, since replacing both at same time seems like an easy preventative to reduce the chanes of the other going out at a later date.

[hey,ck]

my GE is doing the same thing! barely freezing in the freezer, ice cream melted, fridge seems a bit warm it's frost free. i defrosted the freezer last night. it had a ton of ice...BUT only the right-hand side had frozen up, the coils (?) other side had NO frost at all. what does this mean?
p.s. i am so glad to have found this forum! i took apart my dryer AND fridge last night, i'm gonna need you all! ; )

[applianceman]

Are you talking about a top-freezer, side-by-side, bottom-freezer? Also post a model number.

If this is a top freezer what you are describing is a bad sealed system problem. If this is the case defrosting may make it work better but you are only buying time.

[hey,ck]

sorry! it's a GE with a top freezer. it was running constantly before i defrosted it. now it's shutting off but the freezer is still barely freezing ice cubes. so sounds like it's maybe losing coolant, is that what you mean? sorry i am at work and do not have my model # w/me.

thanks very much!

[applianceman]

If half of the coils have thick ice and the other has not ice, frost or anything the sealed system is bad. This could mean it is low on gas, capillary tube stopped up or the compressor is bad.


Now if you have thick ice on half of the coils and thin layer of frost on the other half the icemaker may be leaking on the coils or the door may have been left open.

Is the icemaker on the right or left?

[hey,ck]

crud. there wasn't even a CRYSTAL of ice on the left side - it's wasn't even cold! off to read re capillaries and compressors! thank you...

: )