help.. my frig or freezer is not cooling properly. it runs but not cooling or freezing…
A model number may be useful.
By running I am assuming that the compressor is running usually you can hear it also you should be able to feel it vibrating and it should be warm.
Check that the evaporator (freezer) fan is running.
If not that may be your problem.
If the fan is OK then remove the rear cover in the freezer so you can inspect the evaporator coils.
If they are heavily iced/frosted over you have a defrost problem.
If there is no frost or frost only in one area (usually where the freon enters the coils) then you have a sealed system problem and it will be an expensive repair as you need a pro.
Make sure to check it after the unit has run a couple hours because if you do it shortly after a defrost cycle there will also be no frost.
the part number is 363.50222000 it is a side by side.. there is frost in the freezer on back wall not alot but some. help i cant afford another on… and yes the fan in the back is running and i hear the motor running to caus it is hot…
First remove the evaporator cover in the freezer so you can see the evaporator coils.
Do not let them de-ice.
If they are heavily iced/frosted over you have a defrost problem.
If yes.
Manually force a defrost cycle by turning the defrost timer cam till the fans and compressor turn off.
I think it is in the fresh food section controls section. There is usually a hole to let you turn the timer cam.
Now check the defrost heater to see if it is on.
Be careful you do not want to burn your fingers.
If the heater is on then the timer needs replacing, re: it is probably stalling during it’s rotation so is never getting into a defrost cycle.
If not on.
Unplug the unit.
Remove the wire for one side of the heating element from the wiring and measure it for continuity, usually around 20 ohms or so.
If the heater is OK
Remove one wire to the defrost thermostat and measure it, should be 0 ohms when frozen. Note that it opens just above freezing so must be frozen to check it. Also inspect it, if it is bulged at all replace it even if it measures OK.
If both the above are OK then odds are the defrost timer contacts are toast.
Best way to test this is a live test to see if you have 120 volts across the heater/defrost thermostat combo.
i cleaned everything that you can but nothing has changed/.. what else is left to do or how do i fix this?? still not getting colder or freezing? what else can i do .. wires are fine and no ice on bottom of the firdge where i think coil is ? and i hear it running?
[COLOR=“DarkRed”]i cleaned everything that you can but nothing has changed/.. what else is left to do or how do i fix this??[/COLOR]
It does not sound like you removed the cover at the back of the freezer so you can inspect the evaporator coils so I cannot be of much help.
If you go to the Sears Parts site and search your model number they have a parts breakdown which will help you locate things.
Here is a site with good basic fridge repair info perhaps it will be useful.
http://www.applianceaid.com/frig.html
looks to be a defrost problem .. how do i find out what part is bad… it is one of the 3 parts.. right.. defrost timer or ??? can remember other names.. how do i fgure the problem on each one of these things?
ok i took back wall off in frezzer part.. cant see coil part or metal parts cause ice covered it.. so how do i figureout what is bad and or good??? help..
See my second post on how to check the defrost components.
The defrost timer is in the control console in the fresh food section.
There is usually a hole in the cover so that you can rotate the timer cam.
Here is the parts listing.
Replacement parts for KENMORE 36350222000 | AppliancePartsPros.com
If you go to the Sears parts website they have part breakdown pictures.
i reset it and turned t off and i didnt really hear anything but not sure hwere to check and see if it is running? what part do you check?
. and how do i check t see if motor is running can u hear it or ? very stressed… cause you can hear fridg running ..
I do not want to insult you but it may be best to get a pro in.
Your questions just are not in logical order.
I have no problem helping you but things must be done in a logical order or you will just go in circles.
Also it is important that you call the parts by the correct name or it will get very confusing.
For instance you say “motor” but the compressor has a motor and so do the two fans so I do not know what you are referring to.
First I thought that you had already checked and the compressor was running but the fridge was not cooling properly.
Usually you can hear the compressor running also it will be warm and you can feel it vibrating.
So if it is running but not cooling correctly in the freezer you could have 3 possible problems.
A problem in the sealed system OR the evaporator (freezer) fan is not running OR a defrost problem.
You said the evaporator coils were heavily iced/frosted over and this indicates that you have a defrost problem.
So the next step is to check the defrost system as I posted earlier.
The link I posted earlier has a pretty good description of how a fridge works you may want to read that section.
understand that part of it ok… what im saying is when you do the automatic defrost. u turn it off and then click back on. when off i hear nothing running but when turn further to on again everything clicks on again and the frigs clicks on a few sec after. so not sure which defrost problem it would be. i paid someone to come here and tell me that there was a dfrost problem it could be 3 things for defrost problem.. but he wanted 300 dollars to go about and diagnosis it without fixin it… so i choose not to pay him 300 for nothing…
At 300 bucks they were trying to rip you off.
Perhaps a friend can help you out as two heads are better than one.
I did not understand that you were talking about the defrost timer when you said you were turning it off.
You are not turning the unit off you are turning defrost on.
I think we just have a communication problem.
So lets go through it.
Turn the defrost timer cam until the fans and compressor shut off, you are now in defrost.
Leave it there.
Now check if the defrost heater heats up.
Note: The evaporator coils must still be covered in ice/frost for this to work because the defrost thermostat opens just above freezing and this kills power to the defrost heater.
If the heating element does not heat up then
Unplug the refrigerator.
Remove the wire for one side of the heating element from the wiring and measure it for continuity, usually around 20 ohms or so.
If the heater is OK
Remove one wire to the defrost thermostat and measure it, should be 0 ohms when frozen. Note that it opens just above freezing so must be frozen to check it. Also inspect it, if it is bulged at all replace it even if it measures OK.
If both the above are OK then odds are the defrost timer contacts are toast.
Best way to test this is a live test to see if you have 120 volts across the heater/defrost thermostat combo.
If you do not own a meter, I would suggest you purchase a one. You can get a decent digital multimeter for under $20.00. You do not need fancy though it is nice if the leads are a couple feet long.
If it saves ordering one unnecessary part it has paid for itself and you end up owning a useful tool.
Most places will not let you return electrical parts so if you order it, you own it.
A couple things to watch when measuring ohms and continuity
- Always remove power from the machine otherwise you could blow your meter.
- Always disconnect at least one side of any device you are checking. This eliminates the possibility of measuring an alternate/parallel circuit path.
- When checking for closed contacts and continuity use the lowest scale (Usually 200 ohms). Then try higher scales. This scale is 0 to 200 ohms so if the device you are measuring is 300 ohms this scale would show an open circuit which it is not, you are just measuring outside the scale’s dynamic range.
- When you start always short the meter leads together. This will tell you that the meter is working and if there is any 0 offset.
There is a good STICKY at the start of this forum about it’s use.
ok trying to find parts is there another name for the defrost heater .. looking at diagrams and that name is not coming up.. i see a harness in middle of freezer that hooks to something.. could it be called a heater harne???
ok trying to find parts is there another name for the defrost heater .. looking at diagrams and that name is not coming up.. i see a harness in middle of freezer that hooks to something.. could it be called a heater harne???
ok so i put my hand on everything in freezer and nothing was hot so now im defrosting it to see what is wrong … hopfully it is the defrost thermostat it is the cheapest.. and i hope it is easy to install..
Yes that is what it is.
The second one is a direct replacement. It includes a defrost thermostat.
The first on is a dual element heater assembly. It does not include a defrost thermostat but supposedly improves defrosting.
Click on the pictures and more info will come up about the part.
ya i think i seen metal part at bottom of the freezer.. and it is not hot. . so winting for defrost and maybe i just might replace whole thing if cheap enough might be easier.. probably wouldnt hurt it . ty question are the red and black wire suppose to be hooked to something they dont look to be hooked to anything they are looped and frozen to sides.. but dont looked hooked./
It is manufactured by GE so I cannot get a wiring diagram.
GE likes to keep everything a secret.
So I cannot say what those wires are for.
Does the heater connect to a defrost thermostat?
It should be clipped onto the evaporator coils.
AP2071262
Can you see where the wires start and end?
yes heyhook didnt see atfirst.. still unthawing but i dot see the thermostat could it be somewhere else in freezer? cause im looking at heater and no thermostat?? it is not sameas diagram in sears parts.. cause heater is at bottom of frig not middle.. this thing is confusing diagram..