Samsung Side by Side

Refrigerator & Freezer Repair
1

New here. Daughters big side by side Samsung has freezer section that is room temp. Bottom of the freezer side is frosted, with the top frreezers I am familiar with, defrost tube would be suspect. This damned thing, the back bottom wall is frosted, the shell is one piece, I can’t believe you got to pull that thing to check or replace a heater. No schematic, do I have an option to pull something off the back of the unit to replace the heater or at least to check it out? Hell of it is, the refrig side seems to be working. Samsung gives you just the install manual as download. No fix it manual. Thanks, George

2

Please post the model number off the refrigerator.
If this refrigerator is less than a year old, just call Samsung and have them send a tech out to repair it, so you don’t void the warranty.
Nat

3

liberty,

I’m sorry, I don’t know how that “less than 1 year old” got in the header. It’s probably 5 years old.

I haven’t pulled it away from the wall yet to see if there is an access.

My kid says there is a 150 base house call charge from whoever she called. Needless to say she can’t afford that, plus actual work and parts. I’d rather not pay that myself.

I have repaired my own and family member’s top freezers, when I had to, but I am NOT an app repairman. Metalworking machine repairman in my working life.

Thanks,

George
edit: Model No. RS2577BB

4

I believe you are correct in the fact of it being a defrost problem. They don’t have a parts breakdown here but you can see the breakdown on searspartsdirect.
If you look at the freezer compartment you can see how it comes apart. You will want to check the defrost thermostat, control boards, evaporator fan. If I can locate one I will post a service manual.
$150??? for a service call, man I live in the wrong area!!
Nat

5

liberty,

I found a manual for a RS257B*** on another forum.

I only looked inside her freezer for a moment, and don’t really remember, but the inside looked way different than the pics in the manual. Have to look at it again tomorrow.

66 pages and over half of it is a series of flow charts and electronics measurements.

Reset and test procedures might help, after thawing the freezer evaporator.

Hope I can report that it is working. Read that you can “carefully” remove the heater from a new evap to replace the old without desoldering and replacing that, although the new evap is about 85 bucks.

Thanks,

George

6

The evaporator itself is part of the sealed system which requires a certified tech to repair… I found the manual for you model but everytime I tried to view it, the dang thing would shut down.

Nat

7

A couple things you should know about that refer.

  1. The evap fan has a switch at lower door frame. Open door clothes switch listen for fan.
  2. No defrost t-stat. It uses a thermistor (fz sensor on diagram). It has two yellow wires. This is a common issue. I can’t remember the resistance but I think it is <37000 (or it could be <78000?)
  3. The refer is cooling ok because that refer has two evaps, one compressor controls both evaps with a deverter valve.
  4. there is a main board in the compressor compartment. You can ohm out everything there. The board components are well marked.
  5. Its best to defrost freezer if possible before removing back wall. There is styrofoam behind the plastic that likes to break when frozen.
  6. It is easy to remove the heater from the new evap (if thats the problem. It should read open resistance) and use the heater w/o the new evap. Use gloves I swear they sharpen that metal.

Don’t quote me on that sensor resistance (my memory causes as many problems as it solves). If the heater reads closed and the fan is working replaced that sensor.

I hope this helps. I haven’t worked on one of those since Maytag went under. Wow, almost 2yrs gone by!

8

lib and fixtec,

Thanks to both of you. I will try what you have mentioned as well as what the download of the 257 manual suggests, the sequence with the computer controller, reset and the like, and hair dryer to thaw.

I hope I can get this thing back into op without major expense.

It is why I WISH my kids would buy such simple things as “traditional” reefers.

I would LIKE to one day replace mine, if it should ever die, with one of them bottom chest freezer types.

If that sumbitch should have a computer, I won’t buy it.

I like computers. Have built probably 200 of them for friends and family. They don’t belong in what should be simple appliances. It does not require a computer to hold a freezer at 0, nor a fridge compartment at 38.

Cheers,

George

Oh, yes, my youngest has 2 sons 5 and 3 and they have this BEAUTIFUL SS fridge, skinny goddamned thing of a freezer side, totally worthless for anything larger than a carton of ice cream.
Magnets don’t stick to it. My grands draw a pic, poor old Jedo has to take them home to stick them to HIS plain old steel fridge.

Still got my 16 year old gd’s scribblings there. Love them. Makes that big almond box look so much better.

9

fixtec,

Thanks for your reply. Got time this evening to go look at it.

Found the freezer evap and the inside of the compartment totally frozen up.

Pressed Freezer/Fridge buttons to do test and shows bottom segment right digit lit. Book says fan not operating. Press and hold door switch, no fan sound.

Thawed the unit as best I could with hair dryer. Still no fan. Went to appliance parts store, attendant is also tech, asked his advice, he thinks also that fan is problem so ordered one for 56 bucks, not really all that much.

He also says icing could have stopped the fan, but if it did, low voltage so may not have damaged fan or anything else.

I know, g’kids again, who left my basement upright freezer door ajar, it was packed full of frost overnight. I don’t think that happened here. Has a dinger for door ajar, and in the kitchen, would have annoyed them enough to hunt that dinging down.

Friday fan is supposed to be here, will tear it down and check voltages and resistances before I replace the fan.

Thanks for your interest and participation.

Cheers,

George

10

If it is only frosted around the fan I would agree. However, if you think the whole evap is frosted you’ll have a defrost issue. I agree that once the ice is cleared the fan will likely be undamaged. The computer is reading too high of resistance at the fan. If it does appear to be the fan make sure it’s not the switch before opening that fan’s box. You’re on the right track. Let us know how it goes.

11

Fix,

Gimme more than that. About 2 feet of the backwall, most, I think, evap, and fan atop it. At least halfway up the intake, including the intake and exhaust vents were solidly frozen.

I don’t KNOW if the frost reached the fan. I am hoping, although this costs me money, that the fan failed, and that caused the freezeup.

I gotta tell you, I am not at all confident that I can take my VOM and diagnose this thing, if the fan is not the problem.

I would hate to shitcan this humongous thing if it can be fixed, but think a fridge/freezer should be a simple thing, cost 500 or so.
Cheers,
George

12

You own a meter that’s great! You CAN do this. I think you will be more comfy diagnosing through the evap section. So once the evap and foam covers are removed do the following in this order:

  1. Ohm evap fan. You only looking for open or closed. If open replace. If closed go to step 2

  2. Ohm heater. You only looking for open or closed. If open replace. If closed go to step 3.

  3. Ohm out door/fan switch. It should be closed when button is pressed.

  4. If the above all checks out replace fz sensor (thermistor). It is that little thing clipped to the top of the evap (suction line). The part costs around $6.00.

  5. If you still have a problem (I highly doubt you will) the main board is the problem. I don’t know what they get for a board. You can bet it isn’t cheap though.

I looked for my the manual so I could give you exact info for steps 4 & 5. No luck, it’s in my van. I did the best I could to find it. It’s tough being a one armed bandit (shoulder surgery not slot machine).

If you follow the above exactly the most money you stand to waste is the $6.00 for that sensor.

I will be offline from this evening until Monday morning (moving tomorrow). I will check for questions before I shutdown tonight and again when I’m back online.

Oh yeah, make sure it’s fully defrosted before you patch it up. It does sound like fan or switch.

13

Thanks, guys.

Thursday, took at least an hour and a half with my industrial heat gun to get the back panel thawed enough to get it off. Fan and motor totally encased in solid ice, not frost, and the cavity it sat in the same.

Checked door switch first, open, 2 contacts continuity, light, other 2 cont, fan, OK.

Defrosted fan assembly ( forget whether 500 or 1000 degree element in the heat gun, melted edges of plastic clamshell that holds the motor, no damage, tho’) plugged motor in, ran slow and noisy. Replaced with new fan motor, fast and quiet, reassembled, plugged in, temp dropped about 6 degrees so went home. Last night, called daughter, freezer at -4. GREAT.

Went over this afternoon, fridge side not cooling, checked manual, forced defrost in fridge side. Compartment went up about 6 degrees before the “beep—beep—beep” drove me out of the house. Went back about 4 hours later, everybody home, no beeping, asked if they shut it off, No. Still about 60 degrees. Don’t know if it has thawed itself and working its way down or not.

Pretty sure the manual says it will keep defrosting till you cancel it. Pretty sure, too (manual’s in the car) that high limit is 150, low is something like -48. Would have been funny to find it at 150 and package of kohlbasi cooked in the vac pack.

Hope the kid gives me good news tomorrow. (She needs some luck. Her boy hit a deer with her car last night. Insured, but without her car till it’s fixed. He can take her to work, I take the g’daughter to soccer, anyway, she needs a ride home from work and soccer away games get me home after her work hours are over.

This retired old fart of a grand pap has plenty to keep himself busy, anyhow. No vegetating, here.

Cheers,

George