Frigidare Model Number: FFHS2611PFAA Main Symptom: Frost buildup, clicking sound What happens & when: Frost buildup occurs mainly at the ice chute (see photo) resulting in a slow water drip into and below the dispenser drip tray. After cleaning it out it begins to reappear the next day. After closing the freezer door a sporadic / occasional clicking sound can be heard.
Parts or tests already tried: I’ve replaced the seal and plastic ‘frame’ of the ice dispenser door. We checked the door seal using the dollar bill test which pulls out with noticeable friction. I’ve read that a plugged grommet (where?) or a defective defrost system could be the issue. To remove the back panel does the ice maker need to be removed? Any suggestions?
Based on the images, it looks like there’s an air leak at the ice door chute seal. This could be caused by a weak spring, misalignment, or even a small crimp lifting the chute seal slightly and allowing warm air to seep in, leading to frost buildup.
A good place to start would be closely inspecting the ice door chute area to see if the seal is sitting flush and fully closing. Check for anything that might be preventing a tight seal. The clicking could be a byproduct of this ice.
Here’s a helpful link showing the spring that controls the chute door—it’s a good reference if you want to inspect or replace it:
I already replaced the spring when I did the Bracket, seal and spring. Sorry I didn’t mention the spring. I’ll check the seal area for any issues and look for light leaking through anywhere. I’ll post the results. Thanks for the info!
I put a flashlight inside the freezer over the ice chute. A small dot of light can be seen looking up into the dispenser chute of the outside. If I reach up and press on the top of the stopper where the light emanates from the light disappears. Any thoughts?
Additional symptoms - Wife kept hearing a “whooshing” sound after closing the freezer door. I put plastic bags into the outer ice chute to ‘close’ the hole and block air infiltration which stopped the frost at the ice chute and eliminated the noise. The door was also much harder to open.
The refrigerator side then began beeping and displaying an “H” indicating it was getting too warm.
We had emptied the freezer so I took out the bottom drawer and saw a ‘puddle’ of ice beneath it and ice filling the vents behind it. I shut off the refrigerator at the breaker and took off the panel with the help of a hair dryer and saw the entire drain area filled with a solid block of ice rising to the bottom of the coils. I removed the ice using the hairdryer and time, dried the freezer interior and have turned the unit back on.
Could this have been the result of the air leak? Any ideas on what to look at and/or parts you carry to fix the problem?
The air leak can definitely allow excess moisture into the freezer, which contributes to frost and ice buildup on the evaporator. However, if ice is collecting in the evaporator drip tray specifically, that usually points to a clogged defrost drain. It’s possible both issues are happening at the same time.
Clearing the defrost drain tube from the freezer compartment down to the compressor section should eliminate the ice buildup in the tray. Allow the freezer to defrost with the door open for as close to a full day as possible to eliminate the ice in the vents.
As for the air leak, you might try increasing tension on the ice chute door spring by tightening one side. If that doesn’t close the gap and stop air from leaking in, the door seal itself may be the issue. The link below provides the seal information along with a video guide for replacement:
The spring tightening closed the hole down to a ‘pin-hole’. There is no longer any frost (or vent ice) forming, however, there is still a water drip down the ice chute which accumulates under the drip tray (where it rusted one panel screw to the point the head snapped off when I tried to remove it).
My wife also hears a whooshing sound when the freezer door is closed (my hearing aids don’t work well enough for me to hear it).
The unit is now holding temps and seems to be working normally other than the issue mentioned.
It appears that the ‘pin-hole’ is in the upper-most area near the hinge center-point. Perhaps the ‘Big-A’ stopper wasn’t quite made to the right size leaving the pin-hole that the part you pointed out would fix???
Any idea what would cause the whooshing sound when closing the freezer door???
The whooshing sound is from air displacement, likely passing through the pinhole. That same pinhole is also likely causing the dripping, as it allows cold air to mix with warm air and create condensation. Replacing the ice door seal might be the corrective action necessary to fix this.
I replaced the seal but the gap remains. With the outer panel removed I can clearly see that putting finger pressure on the seal in the area of the hinge (top as mounted) closes the hole (light disappears). Tightening the ‘long’ side of the spring doesn’t help. I couldn’t get the ‘short’ side to tighten as it was too tight to position it. I tried stripping the coating off a piece of 12 gauge wire and sliding it over the spring arms for additional pressure but it did nothing. Any further suggestions would be appreciated.
The only other thing I can think of is either there is an issue with the dispenser module frame where it is not allowing the seal to seat properly, or the bracket that the seal attaches to. Both parts would need to be checked as something is not allowing the door chute to seal properly.
I removed the ice bin and turned off the maker after another round of coil icing. There has been no frost or ice formation in the weeks since doing so (still off with bin removed). Could there have been some sort of leakage from the ice maker itself?
If there was an ice slab forming in the bottom of the ice bin, it could have been leaking. However, warm air passing through onto ice could have caused the water as well. Since ice in the bin has been eliminated, it is likely that the warm air was getting through to the ice and creating the moisture.
OK… The saga continues. Today it looks like ice is forming in the tray below the coils. Clogged drain? I’ll take a photo after moving food to ice chest and removing the back panel.
Here are the photos with the panel removed. Couldn’t leave it off as we have nowhere to put the food right now. Had it temporarily in a couple ice chests. Any good/best way to clear the drain (if you think that is the problem)? again, thanks for your help.
It is possible that the frost builds up at the bottom of the evaporator and causes the freezer to run warm and allowing the ice to slightly melt then freeze back up after it defrosts. The defrost drain can be cleared using a turkey baster and hot tap water. Push hot water through until it no longer sits in the drip tray.
Starting to think I need to find a sale on a replacement for this beast. The refrigerator side is now too warm (High temp warning 54 degrees. How does the flow go from the freezer to the damper assembly? When clearing the ice I thought the right side near the drip tray may have been a port/opening but was filled with ice??? The freezer side is -32 degrees so I guess either the pathway is blocked or I now need a new damper assembly?
