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Refrigerator not cooling, fan working, compressor hot but not running
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[COLOR="Blue"]The compressor has been running for a couple of days. Never actually did a complete defrost because it didn't appear to need it. Still a sealed system issue?[/COLOR]
The above seems to indicate that you do not quite understand how defrost works. It is a timed event the unit does not sense when it needs a defrost.
If the unit has a defrost timer then every 8 hours or so it does a defrost for about 30 minutes.
If the unit has an adaptive defrost board then often it monitors how often the doors open and from that decides when it should run the 30 minute defrost cycle.
One thing that can stop defrost is the defrost thermostat, it kills power to the defrost heater (wired in series). It opens just above freezing. But the unit still goes through the 30 minute defrost cycle but the heater does not come on.
Yes it still sounds like a sealed system problem to me.
[COLOR="Blue"]
Any idea why the water quit?[/COLOR]
Sorry I cannot say. |
THIS FORUM IS DEAD!!!!!!! |
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Ok, after speaking with a local repair shop it's been determined that it's not a sealed system issue but an evaporator fan issue. Now all I have to do is figure out how to get to it. Anybody have any ideas?
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Like others, door left open over night. Fan working, compressor seems to be running, but gets very hot. removed back panel of freezer and top right corner of coils is freezing over. Did a 24 hour defrost and plugged back in. same issues persist and air seems warmer now. Removed connections to compressor and tested 3 prongs each to each other. Readings were 10.7, 6.3, and 3.4. Also tested for continuity by scratching off paint chip and connecting one end to that spot and other to each prong and each reading was 0 using the "V" setting on the multitester (not sure if that is what i want). Also, not sure if it is relevant, but within minutes of plugging it back in after defrost, the coils in back of freezer compartment began to ice over. I'm not certain what to check next. Any direction would be appreciated.
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Originally Posted by: shasbrooke  Like others, door left open over night. Fan working, compressor seems to be running, but gets very hot. removed back panel of freezer and top right corner of coils is freezing over. Did a 24 hour defrost and plugged back in.
I never did a defrost. All was well within 24hrs of replacing evaporator fan. Compressor should be warm, not necessarily hot or too hot to touch. Also, which fan is running? There's a compressor fan and the evaporator fan which (on mine) is inside the rear freezer panel. If it's not running, it's not circulating air to the rest of the freezer, or the fridge side. This was my entire issue. I pulled the inner panel, pulled the fan, checked for voltage at the fan terminals(3 of them), and came to the conclusion that the fan was bad. 22 bucks on ********. Problem solved.
same issues persist and air seems warmer now. Removed connections to compressor and tested 3 prongs each to each other. Readings were 10.7, 6.3, and 3.4. Also tested for continuity by scratching off paint chip and connecting one end to that spot and other to each prong and each reading was 0 using the "V" setting on the multitester (not sure if that is what i want).
V would probably be volts. Continuity will be a different setting on your meter. Might look like an arrow/plus sign type of symbol. Those readings don't ring a bell but you should be able to look them up. I found youtube helpful
Also, not sure if it is relevant, but within minutes of plugging it back in after defrost, the coils in back of freezer compartment began to ice over. I'm not certain what to check next. Any direction would be appreciated. Let us know what you find out. It's always a pain in the ass til ya fix it.
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Thanks BFGOODMUDDER. Here are responses to your statements and questions: I was able to determine the continuity setting on the multitester and all the terminals tested out fine. So, that doesn't seem to be the issue. The fan I referred to in my earlier post was the evaporator fan located behind (attached to) the back panel inside the freezer. It is running just fine. I'm not certain if my unit has a condenser fan as I am unable to locate it and I cant find anything published about my model having one. Compressor is warm/hot to the touch, but not to the degree where i would not be able to continue holding my hand on it. What am I missing? What is most likely the next potential cause of the issue that I can test? Thermostat? Defroster? Defrost timer? Capacitor? I attached a couple pictures of what the freezer coils look like when frozen. Thanks again for your insight. shasbrooke attached the following image(s):
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Based on the pictures you provided, there is no defrost issue. You have a restriction or a low freon issue causing the problem with the unit. This will require an HVAC tech to repair the sealed system on the unit.
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If the evaporator fan is running I'm stumped on that one. That's about what my coils looked like. Evaporator fan replacement fixed the issue for me. I would make absolutely sure you've identified the evaporator fan and that it is running. I also called a local fridge repair shop when I was having issues. The guy immediately told me what my issue was and had no idea what I was talking about when I mentioned a sealed system issue. They only charge 10 bucks for a service call so maybe you can find somebody like that where you are.
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Based on the photos provided, this is not a fan motor issue. If it was a fan motor, the coils would still have frost all over them with some build up on the top. These coils are clean, except where the freon enters the coils. This appears to be a sealed system issue.
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Thanks for all the great words of wisdom. Assuming it is a sealed system issue caused by a restriction in the line, I have read that i am better off investing in a new fridge. Is that right? If that is the case (meaning i will be parting ways with this fridge), this is going to sound silly probably.... why cant i just tap (beat) on the line where the restriction seems to be present in hopes that I will dislodge whatever the restriction is? Is that even possible? What about removing just that section of aluminum and copper, cleaning it out, reconnecting and recharging? Please don't laugh too hard if that makes no sense. Thanks.
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