Freezer is fine, refrigerator is too warm.

Refrigerator & Freezer Repair
1

In this post we will talk about one of the most common problems with your kitchen refrigerator – the freezer looks fine but the refrigerator part is warm.

Before we go further let me explain the basic performance of the refrigerator.

Your refrigerator could be made by Whirlpool, GE, Frigidaire or Maytag – it does not matter.

The cooling coil (aka evaporator coil) is located in the freezer behind the back panel.

The evaporator fan is distributing the cold air through the cooling coil into the freezer and, through the damper control, into the refrigerator, causing the refrigerator to cool down as well.

If anything goes wrong with the cooling coil in the freezer, wrong temperature in the refrigerator is more visible and gets your attention first due to a very big temperature difference in the freezer (normally -5°F to 6°F) and refrigerator (36°F to 40°F).

So the problem as it looks to you is: the freezer is fine but the refrigerator is warm.

Well, the cause of this problem could be very different and now we will go over the first one – a faulty defrost system.

As the evaporator coil cools down, the frost builds up on the coil.
If it does not defrost periodically then the excess frost will block the air flow though the cooling coil, affecting proper distribution of the cold air and causing an increase in the temperature (the fresh food compartment first).

The classic defrost system (we are not talking now about refrigerators operated by electronic devices) consists of three parts: the defrost timer which calls for defrost on certain time intervals, the defrost heater which should melt the frost and the defrost thermostat which senses the cooling coil temperature and operates with the electric current to the defrost heater.

The first and most important sign of a faulty defrost system is a frost build up on the back panel in the freezer.

How to find out which part of the defrost system is bad?

Based on my own experience, I would recommend the following procedure:

1). Locate the name plate with the model number of the refrigerator.

2). Type the model number in the search box, click the “search” button and you will be directed to the break down diagrams.

3). Using the break down diagrams, locate the defrost timer.

4). Using a flat screwdriver, slowly turn the shaft in the middle of the defrost timer clock wise until it clicks to switch from the cooling cycle to the defrost cycle.

5). Wait about 10 to 15 minutes, open the freezer door and see if you can hear a sizzling noise. If you can, then the problem is the defrost timer which has to be replaced.

If there is no such noise, go to the next step…

DO NOT FORGET TO UNPLUG THE REFRIGERATOR!

6). Remove the back panel in the freezer, unplug at least one wire on the defrost heater (you can locate it using the break down diagram) and check continuity across the defrost heater wires.

If it’s open, the defrost heater is bad and has to be replaced.

If it has some resistance, then the problem is the defrost thermostat.

You can check the defrost thermostat continuity only if it’s frozen because if it’s warm, it should be normally open.

Best regards.
Gene.

2

[QUOTE=Gene;11069]In this post we will talk about one of the most common problems with your kitchen refrigerator – the freezer looks fine but the refrigerator part is warm.

Before we go further let me explain the basic performance of the refrigerator.

Your refrigerator could be made by Whirlpool, GE, Frigidaire or Maytag – it does not matter.

The cooling coil (aka evaporator coil) is located in the freezer behind the back panel.

The evaporator fan is distributing the cold air through the cooling coil into the freezer and, through the damper control, into the refrigerator, causing the refrigerator to cool down as well.

If anything goes wrong with the cooling coil in the freezer, wrong temperature in the refrigerator is more visible and gets your attention first due to a very big temperature difference in the freezer (normally -5°F to 6°F) and refrigerator (36°F to 40°F).

So the problem as it looks to you is: the freezer is fine but the refrigerator is warm.

Well, the cause of this problem could be very different and now we will go over the first one – a faulty defrost system.

As the evaporator coil cools down, the frost builds up on the coil.
If it does not defrost periodically then the excess frost will block the air flow though the cooling coil, affecting proper distribution of the cold air and causing an increase in the temperature (the fresh food compartment first).

The classic defrost system (we are not talking now about refrigerators operated by electronic devices) consists of three parts: the defrost timer which calls for defrost on certain time intervals, the defrost heater which should melt the frost and the defrost thermostat which senses the cooling coil temperature and operates with the electric current to the defrost heater.

The first and most important sign of a faulty defrost system is a frost build up on the back panel in the freezer.

How to find out which part of the defrost system is bad?

Based on my own experience, I would recommend the following procedure:

1). Locate the name plate with the model number of the refrigerator.

2). Type in the model number in the search box, click the “search” button and you will be directed to the break down diagrams.

3). Using the break down diagrams, locate the defrost timer.

4). Using a flat screwdriver, slowly turn the shaft in the middle of the defrost timer clock wise until it clicks to switch from the cooling cycle to the defrost cycle.

5). Wait about 10 to 15 minutes, open the freezer door and see if you can hear a sizzling noise. If you can, then the problem is the defrost timer which has to be replaced.

If there is no such noise, go to the next step…

DO NOT FORGET TO UNPLUG THE REFRIGERATOR!

6). Remove the back panel in the freezer, unplug at least one wire on the defrost heater (you can locate it using the break down diagram) and check continuity across the defrost heater wires.

If it’s open, the defrost heater is bad and has to be replaced.

If it has some resistance, then the problem is the defrost thermostat.

You can check the defrost thermostat continuity only if it’s frozen because if it’s warm, it should be normally open.

Best regards.
Gene.[/QUOTE]
If the fan only blows cool air into the frig when freezer door is open but just about stops when you close the freezer door, would that be related to what you listed?

3

Does the evaporator fan stop or just the air is not circulating with the freezer door closed?

Gene.

4

The evaporator fan does keep running, the air is just not circulating with the freezer door closed.

5

Check the air return vent from the fresh food compartment into the freezer compartment, located to the left of the fresh produce drawer, for any blockage.

Gene.

6

Looking at the return air vent from inside the fridge, there is no visible blockage. Is there another way to check for blockage?

7

One of possibilities: too much food in the freezer in the air vent area.

Gene.

8

We made sure there is no food blocking air vent area in the freezer. Most items were moved to our chest freezer. If we block the freezer air vents or open the freezer door, then we get cool air circulating in the refrigerator section. Could it have something to do with the damper control in the refrigerator air vent?

9

Before we go further I need the complete model number of the fridge.

Gene.

10

Its’s a Kenmore Model # 59679142990

11

I hope this isn’t showing twice but I didn’t see my reply when I came back to this thread. It’s a Kenmore model # 59679142990

12

What was the original problem with your fridge?

Gene.

13

The original problem was that the refrigerator section was not getting cool.
Freezer section was fine. We replaced the defrost timer, hoping to solve the problem. But the cooled air still isn’t blowing through air vents in frig section, in fact just about no air, cooled or otherwise, comes out of the air vent in fridge section unless freezer air vent is covered or freezer door is opened.

14

Did you see frost on the back panel in the freezer?

If you did, then the problem is a faulty defrost system. Go to the first post for the troubleshooting instructions.

If there is no frost, then most likely the problem is a bad damper control.

  • The part number for the damper control is AP100860

Gene.

15

Thank you very much. That’s what my husband thought it might be but since he doesn’t have an owners manual since it’s actually my daughters fridg which came with her house, he wasn’t sure. Appreciate all your help. Let you know how it turns out. Thanks again.

16

The evaporator fan DRAWS warm air from the return vents at the top of the fridge section through the evaporator coils from the bottom section of the fridge[warm air rising]. Then the air is cooled going through the evaporator and then blown down to the bottom section through the cold air vent[cold air sinks] this is how the air cycles in a refrigerator.

17

Was the fan ever changed?If so maybe the fan is turning in the wrong direction or the blade was broken and replaced with the wrong one.[different type fins]..

18

[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3][COLOR=#000000]I have a Maytag refrigerator model MSD2756DEW and it is about 5 years old. It is not cooling very well on the frig side but cold on the freezer side. I looked and it is froze (ice) on the back wall. I looked for the screw to trip the defrost cycle but ended up turning the screw on the temp control assy. I tried to turn it back about where I thought it was. Is there a way to trip the defrost cycle?[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3][COLOR=#000000]Also if I check the defrost wire and it seems fine would a safe bet be the adaptive defrost part # 13?[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]

Model MSD2756DEW

[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3][COLOR=#000000]Thanks for any help[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3][COLOR=#000000]Nelson[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3][COLOR=#000000][/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]

19

Hi Nelson,

A faulty adaptive defrost control is one of the most common problem with all Maytag refrigerators.

In your situation, the first thing I would do is replace the adaptive defrost control. Also you have to defrost whatever already has been built up. Just unplug the fridge for at least 12 hours with the freezer door kept open. Otherwise it will take a few days to automatically defrost it.

Gene.

20

Thanks Gene for making this wonderful guide. Last week my GE profile fringe had this exact problem. I followed the troubleshooting steps and sure enough I found out that my defrost heater had burned out. I ordered the replacement part and it arrived overnight even using the cheap shipping because the part was shipped from Pennsylvania and I live close by in DC. I replaced the part that same evening and now the problem is fixed! Everyone in the house is impressed with my skillz!