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We're having issues with our Kenmore Fridge. It's not cooling very well in either compartment. I mean it does cool but has a really long recovery time (if at all).
What I've done
- Checked / cleaned the condensor coils. Fan is running like a champ. Airflow is fine
- Checked the evaporator fan. OK
- Checked evaporator. It was partly frosty near the top but a defrost cycle had recently run so not clear if it's freezing.
- Witnessed 2 defrost cycles happen on 2 seperate days. Looks like the timer and heater are fine.
- Compressor seems to be "working" as the coils are frosting up and I felt the lines when it was running. One was pretty hot and the other cool (cool, not cold).
Tonight I did disconnect the defrost heater element. Hoping to see if the coils frost up and it gets down to a reasonable temperature. I know it's not a fix (or even a good troubleshooting step) but hoping to at least keep the food cold for now.
We bought it in 2007 so it's not absurdly old but not under warranty anymore either.
Any known problems with this model? What next steps should I take before calling service? I'm pretty handy and have a nice volt meter. :)
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Does the compressor run continuously except when in a defrost cycle? If yes that tells you that the unit knows it is too warm but for some reason cannot get down to setpoint temperature re: the temperature control is OK. So the problem is either a defrost problem or a sealed system problem. Since the evaporator coils where not clogged solid with ice/frost it is not a defrost problem. [COLOR="Blue"]Checked evaporator. It was partly frosty near the top but a defrost cycle had recently run so not clear if it's freezing.[/COLOR] This sounds like s sealed system problem. The evaporator coils should have a faily even coating of frost on them after the compressor. has run for an hour or so continuously. A sealed system problem will be an expensive repair and it usually makes more sense to put the dollars towards a new unit. Since possibly scrapping the unit is involved below I have included a link. Take a look at the example pictures part way down the page. They may help you confirm a sealed system problem. http://www.applianceaid.com/ref...ator-not-cold-enough.php |
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Thanks for the reply denman!
So as an update, after running with no defrost heater it seems to have cooled down. At least it's reading as the set temperatures now. The pop I grabbed wasn't as cold as I think it should be though.
The condensor fan runs all the time. When I turn the unit on, I do hear the compressor start but after that it's hard to hear. Mostly just hear the fan but I do think the compressor is running as well. Maybe it's just wimpy...
I'll check the evaporator coils to see if they frosted up fully after the half day run. If not then there's definitely an issue (??). If so I guess the next test would be to let it defrost, let it run for an hour or so and see if the coils are fully frosty / cold?
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Rank: Member
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So checked the evaporator coils tonight. Top half or so is completly frozen to the point of almost being clogged. The bottom row is completely clean and basically room temperature.
So assuming a sealed system issue?
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Yes it sounds like a sealed system problem to me also.
One caveat is that you have to be sure that a defrost cycle did not start during or just before you checked the coils as this would have started melting off the frost on the bottom of the coils.
Unfortunately this does not sound like what happened when you checked the coils.
I would check the warranty on it, sometimes the sealed system has a longer warranty though you have to check what the terms are. |
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