[Dremert]

I have a problem with my refrigerator. It works great until frost comes up on the back panel of the freezer and then it slowly stops working. First the icemaker stops making ice and then the fridge part of it stops getting cool and then I have to unplug it and let it defrost and usually within 24 hours I can plug it back up and it will work for a few days until the cycle starts all over again with the frost on the back panel. I took the back off of the refridgerator and everything seems to be working ok. I took the drain tube off and made sure nothing was clogging it up and it looks fine so I am not sure what to do. It doesn't look like there are too many things back there that can be replaced so it's probably easy to repair but I don't know where to start. Any suggestions?

[abadfish66]

You have a defrost problem, your heater is not coming on to defrost the evap. Do you have a meter to test for continuity of the heater?

[abadfish66]

You will need to remove the back panel of the freezer section, once removed, you will see the heater at the bottom of the evap. Take the 2 screw out that hold the heater on, remove the wires, and check if heater is good. if not you will need to order a new heater, if heater is good we'll procede to the next steps. here is the part# to order the heater if it's bad AP4355467

[Dremert]

Thanks for the suggestion. I don't have a tester to see if the heater is working. Where can I get one?

[Dremert]

I took the back panel off of the refrigerator but all I see are a few parts and nothing that looks like the part you described as the heater. I am think it might be behind the coil <--not sure if thats the right name of it, but it looks like a round radiator that has a fan blowing on it. I can't remove that because it has welded parts in front that would have to be broken in order to get it out.

[Dremert]

Are you talking about the panel where the board is at?

[abadfish66]

It is in the freezer section, remove all shelves, remove back panel, 2 screws up top and 2 at the bottom, and there is your evaperator. now at the bottom of the aluminum evap is your heater.