The freezer compartment in my side-by-side refrigerator got warm enough to start thawing food and melting the ice in the icemaker. Freezer is warmer at the top of the compartment and cooler at the bottom; it did appear that cold was being produced. There was evidence of frozen water on the bottom of the compartment. The icemaker and water dispenser stopped working. The ice was draining out through the ice dispenser (and elsewhere?) About a day later I noticed that the refrigerator was also getting warmer.

I have done a bit of research through other threads; does this sound like the defrost timer? If so, is it underneath the refrigerator?

Any help is appreciated.

The back wall was not frosted over. The only frost was on the bottom of the freezer section by the door (although thinking about it that could have been from the ice melting in the ice bin). The bottom of the freezer felt cold when compared to the upper portion. I did not measure it with a thermometer.

If the fan stopped working, would that cause the fridge to warm up later?