Fridge/ Freezer Help

oldjones

CanBarelyRe Member
Aug 18, 2001
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Yes-- I had a fridge where the defrost went, after some googling it could have been one of several things, and all out of my skill set to fix. One thing that you can do if you don't want to wait the 2 days for the fridge to thaw (and your stuff to go bad) it to put your stuff in a cooler or plastic bins (to keep it cool and frozen), and then open up the back of the freezer portion of the refrigerator freezer. It's usually just a number of screws and plastic plugs. After it is open and unplugged you can then use a hair blowdrier or heat gun (rags and a bucket, maybe something in the way of a pick that you'll be vary careful with) to rapidly thaw the block of ice that is blocking the ducts and radiator bits. It's tedious but it will get the job done before your food thaws.

It's also not a 'permanent fix'.
If there's froxen water back there where it's supposed to be bone dry, then the cause is likely the same blocked drain that others have mentioned. Get it running freely (a straightened wire coat-hanger should be in every householders' toolkit) and keep it clean. Off-hand I'd bet the OP's original defrost unfroze the blockage, and allowed the machine to cycle for a few days until the died peas, or lint or whatever that no one had actually removed got sucked back to their evil place and ways.

No-auto defrost machines didn't have that customer-convenience stuff, never mind having to add it all in as cheaply as possible and keep it outta sight so they could claim they'd invented E-Z MagicFreez™ without actual frost ever occurring.

If you hafta write off your new fridge (and at least one repair call) inside of six years, buying second-hand, leasing or renting would seem more sensible.
 

The Options Menu

Slightly Swollen Member
Sep 13, 2005
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GTA
If there's froxen water back there where it's supposed to be bone dry, then the cause is likely the same blocked drain that others have mentioned.
When the 'frost free' part of the fridge fails it will literally eventually freeze onto a solid block of ice on the interior of the freezer portion of the fridge, just from the moisture in the environment. So, if it's an 'unclog it once and it's good for years' thing then you're probably spot on. If it's an 'unthaw it once that have it freeze solid again in weeks or months, model and humidity depending', thing than it is probably some component in the chain of things responsible for the 'frost free' billing of the freezer. In that case either wait, or use heat from a hair dryer or heat gun after you open it up, but you'll need a repair or a new fridge. In the latter case it's just not a drainage issue...
 

oldjones

CanBarelyRe Member
Aug 18, 2001
24,489
11
38
When the 'frost free' part of the fridge fails it will literally eventually freeze onto a solid block of ice on the interior of the freezer portion of the fridge, just from the moisture in the environment. So, if it's an 'unclog it once and it's good for years' thing then you're probably spot on. If it's an 'unthaw it once that have it freeze solid again in weeks or months, model and humidity depending', thing than it is probably some component in the chain of things responsible for the 'frost free' billing of the freezer. In that case either wait, or use heat from a hair dryer or heat gun after you open it up, but you'll need a repair or a new fridge. In the latter case it's just not a drainage issue...
'Frost-free' simply hides the ice, but it is there. Auto-defrost makes that ice/frost melt because the freeze cycle is automatically (and frequently) suspended for a short-time. There may or may not be an additional heat-element involved in the melting.

If we rule out pouring water onto the cooling coils, there is no moisture source to produce ice except environmental moisture, whether inside or outside the fridge. So the meltwater—which is now environmental moisture — must be removed to somewhere, and the drain-hole and tube leading from it take that water to a pan that's cleverly placed where the hot coils on the bottom/back of the fridge will speedily evaporate it. If that drainage fails, the same water just re-freezes in place as soon as the autodefrost cycle is over. And if that Ice Age continues and the glaciers expand, eventually safety overrides shut down the unit, possibly forever, and temperatures rise.

Until you know from actual testing that the drain is running free and from careful observation that there is nothing present that could clog it, the possibility of the same-old same-old can't be ruled out and the probability remains high.

—paraphrasing the sainted Steve Brennan, of Brennan's Appliance Repair and late of CBC's Radio Noon as best I can recall. He often went on to describe exposing innards and ice-floes to hair-dryers as you have, for the purpose of achieving and verifying those two Necessary Conditions.
 

The Options Menu

Slightly Swollen Member
Sep 13, 2005
4,533
262
83
GTA
Until you know from actual testing that the drain is running free and from careful observation that there is nothing present that could clog it, the possibility of the same-old same-old can't be ruled out and the probability remains high.
Makes sense-- Occam's razor and all that. (Edit: I just spent 2 hours debugging my network printer and it was disconnected from my home server box. So, umm, yeah, try the simple sensible things first.)
 

scorpio82

New member
Oct 26, 2014
33
0
0
Guys,
Help me out if you can.

I have one of those common side by side fridge/freezer combos and it is giving me heartache. It is about 6 years old and a few weeks ago it gave out (temp increased to the point of ice melting in freezer). The fridge also increased in temp.

I figured I would defrost. I cleared out all items and thawed for two days. Plugging back and it was subzero fridgid temps. I thought my worries were over.

A couple weeks later, the temps are rising again. Anyone know what it may be? Does it need a recharge?

Note, I know nothing about refrigeration.

Any thoughts out there? I would really appreciate the feedback.

Thanks,
BD
Clear all foods and drinks from the fridge/freezer. Pull out power from the wall for one day. Clean in and out. Pay attention to clean coils and vents at the floor and the back of fridge/freezer.
After all this plug in fridge/freezer. If problem persists scrap it and get a new one.
Keep all appliances from dust and dirt.
Quality and reliability is about 10 years compared some I have for 30 years. Don't buy the extra service plan. They will always fail after they expire.
 

oldjones

CanBarelyRe Member
Aug 18, 2001
24,489
11
38
Clear all foods and drinks from the fridge/freezer. Pull out power from the wall for one day. Clean in and out. Pay attention to clean coils and vents at the floor and the back of fridge/freezer.
After all this plug in fridge/freezer. If problem persists scrap it and get a new one.
Keep all appliances from dust and dirt.
Quality and reliability is about 10 years compared some I have for 30 years. Don't buy the extra service plan. They will always fail after they expire.
The only value in extended warranties is the expert-backed and empirically derived number they give you for expected repair-cost per year. Plus corporate profit to be paid by you to the warranty company of course. Budget a few bucks less and keep your own repair guy in business.

Your defrost advice needs that extra step that Options described: Get a look at the innards where the ice actually builds up because the melt-water isn't running off.
 
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