Hotpoint freezer not freeze

Refrigerator & Freezer Repair
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1

My Hotpoint side-by-side refrigerator is having problem( 3.5 years old). I searched all the post. my model HSM25GFTA SA only have 1 post related to no cold water, not related to my problem at all.

the Freezer is not freezing at all.
The fan, condenser works, as it is continuously blow air there. the condenser is warm.

I thought about two possiblities

  1. the motherboard is faulty
  2. low on freon

However, this is a new model, freon is supposed to be in a sealed system, I thought this probability is low.

Anybody can help me on this issue?

Thanks

2

Here your parts
Replacement parts for HSM25GFTA SA models | AppliancePartsPros.com

[COLOR=“Blue”]the Freezer is not freezing at all.
The fan, condenser works, as it is continuously blow air there. the condenser is warm.[/COLOR]
I am assuming that by condenser you also mean the compressor re: it is warm, you can hear that it is running and you can feel it vibrating.

[COLOR=“Blue”]I thought about two possiblities

  1. the motherboard is faulty[/COLOR]
    I doubt this as the compressor is running so the motherboard is controlling it and trying to lower the temperature in the freezer.

[COLOR=“Blue”]2. low on freon[/COLOR]
Could be this OR you are totally out of freon OR the compressor is toast OR there is contamination/plug in the sealed system
Remove the cover at the back of the freezer so you can see the evaporator coils.
If there is no cooling/frost then it is probably one of the above last 3.
If there is some frost ice but it is very patch or just where the freon enters the evaporator coils then you are probably low on freon.
Any of the above will require a pro to fix it and it will be expensive.
Often it makes more sense to put the dollars into a new unit.
Check your warranty, the sealed system usually has a longer warranty.
Be sure to check exactly what is covered under warranty.
Get a written quote.
Note: It makes no sense to just add freon as it will just leak out again, so the leak must be found first.

If the coils are heavily frosted/iced over you may have a defrost problem.
If the coils have just a light coating of frost then check that the evaporator fan is running. One thing to be aware of here is that if the unit has just completed a defrost cycle the coils will be clear.

3

[quote=denman;226377]Here your parts
Replacement parts for HSM25GFTA SA models | AppliancePartsPros.com

[COLOR=blue]the Freezer is not freezing at all.[/COLOR]
[COLOR=blue]The fan, condenser works, as it is continuously blow air there. the condenser is warm.[/COLOR]
I am assuming that by condenser you also mean the compressor re: it is warm, you can hear that it is running and you can feel it vibrating.

I can feel the compressor is warm.( this is the component that has the dome shape which has two pipes in/out for freon, beside this one, there is a fan with many grids which I think is used to cool the freon, accumulated some lints, but not too bad as I cleaned once several months ago) but not sure it is vibrating

[COLOR=blue]I thought about two possiblities[/COLOR]
[COLOR=blue]1. the motherboard is faulty[/COLOR]
I doubt this as the compressor is running so the motherboard is controlling it and trying to lower the temperature in the freezer.

[COLOR=blue]2. low on freon[/COLOR]
Could be this OR you are totally out of freon OR the compressor is toast OR there is contamination/plug in the sealed system
Remove the cover at the back of the freezer so you can see the evaporator coils.
If there is no cooling/frost then it is probably one of the above last 3.
If there is some frost ice but it is very patch or just where the freon enters the evaporator coils then you are probably low on freon.
Any of the above will require a pro to fix it and it will be expensive.
Often it makes more sense to put the dollars into a new unit.
Check your warranty, the sealed system usually has a longer warranty.
Be sure to check exactly what is covered under warranty.
Get a written quote.
Note: It makes no sense to just add freon as it will just leak out again, so the leak must be found first.

If the coils are heavily frosted/iced over you may have a defrost problem.
If the coils have just a light coating of frost then check that the evaporator fan is running. One thing to be aware of here is that if the unit has just completed a defrost cycle the coils will be clear.[/quote]

The evaporator fan is the one above the light? That always runs in the freezer, the machine has been on this for several days. Is it possilble that the thermo is faulty?, i,e, it reports the freezer is cold enough? however, if that is, then the compressor should stop.

GE product(including Hotpoint) only have 1 year warranty from my owner’s manual :frowning:

4

[COLOR=“Blue”]The evaporator fan is the one above the light?[/COLOR]
Yes, inside the freezer compartment.

[COLOR=“Blue”]That always runs in the freezer, the machine has been on this for several days. Is it possilble that the thermo is faulty?, i,e, it reports the freezer is cold enough? however, if that is, then the compressor should stop.[/COLOR]
Yes it should shut off the compressor as long as the compressor is running the unit is trying to cool down. I am not sure why it shows it is cold enough.

5

[quote=denman;226400][COLOR=blue]The evaporator fan is the one above the light?[/COLOR]
Yes, inside the freezer compartment.

[COLOR=blue]That always runs in the freezer, the machine has been on this for several days. Is it possilble that the thermo is faulty?, i,e, it reports the freezer is cold enough? however, if that is, then the compressor should stop.[/COLOR]
Yes it should shut off the compressor as long as the compressor is running the unit is trying to cool down. I am not sure why it shows it is cold enough.[/quote]

Thank you very much for the information

[LEFT][COLOR=#000000]I can feel the compressor is warm.( this is the component that has the dome shape which has two pipes in/out for freon, beside this one, there is a fan with many grids which I think is used to cool the freon, accumulated some lints, but not too bad as I cleaned once several months ago) but not sure it is vibrating

The bottom part of my freezer on the back wall(in side the freezer) does have lots of “snow” – I have not take part of the back wall, afraid that I will break it?[/COLOR]
[COLOR=#000000] [/COLOR]
[COLOR=#000000]Does this sound like a defrost problem? if it is, what should I do with this model?[/COLOR]
[COLOR=#000000] [/COLOR]
[COLOR=#000000]if it is not a defrost problem, does my situation look like the bad case-- the sealed system problem which I will need to buy new refrigerator?[/COLOR]
[COLOR=#000000] [/COLOR]
[COLOR=#000000]Thanks!
[/COLOR][/LEFT]

6

You have got lots of frost so things are looking up, the frost does indicate that it is actually cooling (no cooling=no frost)
If it was a sealed system problem you probably would not have a build up of frost depending on how long the unit has been like this.

You have to remove the covers in the freezer so you can see the evaporator coils and confirm whether or not it is a defrost problem.

7

[quote=denman;226474]You have got lots of frost so things are looking up, the frost does indicate that it is actually cooling (no cooling=no frost)
If it was a sealed system problem you probably would not have a build up of frost depending on how long the unit has been like this.

You have to remove the covers in the freezer so you can see the evaporator coils and confirm whether or not it is a defrost problem.[/quote]

Hi, Denman
Thank you very much!

I removed the back wall from the freezer, the coils is covered with lots of snow even after I unpluged the refrigerator for 16 hours and lots of melted water.

Now it seems like a defrost problem, I removed the defrost heater( which is glass tube heater). Inside the tube, it looks black, I can barely see the meta coil( does that indicate problem?). I ohm it and find it to be infinity – that should mean the heater is bad

Now do I also need to check the thermo defrost? I dryed all water and measured the thermo defrost ohm to be inifinity too. — when it is cold, it should not be infinity, am I right? now it looks like I am not able to get it to be cold to measure it now :frowning:

Thanks !

8

[COLOR=“Blue”]Now it seems like a defrost problem, I removed the defrost heater( which is glass tube heater). Inside the tube, it looks black, I can barely see the meta coil( does that indicate problem?). I ohm it and find it to be infinity – that should mean the heater is bad[/COLOR]
You are correct. The heater sounds like it is toast. They usually measure about 20 ohms.

[COLOR=“Blue”]Now do I also need to check the thermo defrost?[/COLOR]
Yes.

[COLOR=“Blue”] I dryed all water and measured the thermo defrost ohm to be inifinity too. — when it is cold, it should not be infinity, am I right?[/COLOR]
You are correct.
At room temperature it should be infinity.
When frozen/cold it should be 0 ohms.
Stick it in a neighbors or friends freezer and then check it,
Also you could just hold it onto an ice cube. Get good contact between the metal face and the ice cube and do not touch the metal face with your fingers.
One thing to note about these is that if they look bulged out replace them even it they check out OK.

9

[quote=denman;226759][COLOR=blue]Now it seems like a defrost problem, I removed the defrost heater( which is glass tube heater). Inside the tube, it looks black, I can barely see the meta coil( does that indicate problem?). I ohm it and find it to be infinity – that should mean the heater is bad[/COLOR]
You are correct. The heater sounds like it is toast. They usually measure about 20 ohms.

[COLOR=blue]Now do I also need to check the thermo defrost?[/COLOR]
Yes.

[COLOR=blue]I dryed all water and measured the thermo defrost ohm to be inifinity too. — when it is cold, it should not be infinity, am I right?[/COLOR]
You are correct.
At room temperature it should be infinity.
When frozen/cold it should be 0 ohms.
Stick it in a neighbors or friends freezer and then check it,
Also you could just hold it onto an ice cube. Get good contact between the metal face and the ice cube and do not touch the metal face with your fingers.
One thing to note about these is that if they look bulged out replace them even it they check out OK.[/quote]

Denman, you are the expert. I wish I had contacted you before I place the order of the mother board. based on what we know, do you think the mother board is OK?

thanks

10

Cannot say if the main board is OK.

Odds are it is but then again this is a GE and they are infamous for blowing boards.

I can tell you that a board cannot blow a heater but a heater can blow a board depending on how it fails.

11

[quote=denman;226909]Cannot say if the main board is OK.

Odds are it is but then again this is a GE and they are infamous for blowing boards.

I can tell you that a board cannot blow a heater but a heater can blow a board depending on how it fails.[/quote]

Hi Denman
Many many thanks!

Since I did not consult you in the beginning, I did 3 orders, one for main board, one for the defrost heater and one for the thermo def.  paid 3 shipping fee.   I should wait until today to order the parts and save 2 shipping fee.

One more question is:  how do I determine if the board is OK or not.  The only sure way is to put the new def heater and thermo def on, let it run for two days to see if the board OK or there is any other way to determine that?

Can not express how much I appreciate your help...
12

Yes that is pretty well the only way GE’s are a pain to try and force a defrost.

If you hear the unit shut off (compressor and fans) and then come back on in about 20 to 30 minutes it has gone through a defrost cycle