Whirlpool ED5PHE side-by-side refrigerator's center panel is HOT (not warm). Do not think fan is blowing. Already cleaned out coils as best I could with a pointy bristle brush made for it (Still can't get to the parts toward the rear). Unit is cooling.

Hello,

When you were at the back behind the compressor did ya notice that the fan thier by the compressor was running, what will make that center divider bar very hot (it's normal to be warm) is due to the fan by the compressor not running or the coil also near the compressor being clogged with dust. So check that fan and replace if not running and also be sure to clean that coil free of all the dust ( the coil should be cleaned every 6 months as normal maintiance)


GENE

Hi,
First I would check the fan in the freezer. Listen to see if it is running
It moves air to the ref from the freezer
Then check to see if freezer control is turned WARMER, which makes the Ref. colder
Also this might be a common Defrost problem, Ice
is not being melted by the defrost system.The fan can't blow through the coils into the fridge.
Take out back panel of freezer to check for ice buildup. The coils should be clean.
There are three components to a defrost system- a heater,heater thermostat, and a timer unless you have a defrost electronic card.
Its best handled by a Technician but you could possibly do it by taking your model number to the nearest appliance parts store and asking for the parts. They are mostly located in freezer ,behind back panel on freezer coils.except the card which is usually located in ref The parts store will have info
Also check fan undernearh Ref in the rear
Clean condenser coils underneath
Check cold control (thats where you turn it colder)
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http://www.fixya.com/support/r5816737-fix_refrigerator_psychologically
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Leo Ponder
imufo2
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you need to fix the fan down by compressor as it cools the cond coils and causes proper orp of cmpressor . if it not running the comp runs too hot and does not pump the refergent and may be shutting of on overload . the high tempt between the doors will be less with fan working . but some warm tempt is normal .. mm

The center divider gets very hot , when the fan motor that cools the compressor stops or the coils at the front bottom , gets clogged with dust , lint , pet hair , etc . Check the coils to make sure they are clean . Next , pull the refrig out from the wall , and remove the bottom panel . Check that the fan is working and that nothing is blocking the fan blade , cooling the compressor and coils .

If by the center bar, you mean the divider between the freezer and fridge sections, then the heat you're feeling is the built-in condensation heaters designed to keep moisture from forming on the exterior of the unit. These heaters also help to keep moisture from freezing on the inside of the door edges and in between the sides of the unit as well.

It's a normal function of modern, frost-free refridgerators, Some brands/models have an "energy saver" switch inside the fridge section that you can use to turn off the extra edge heaters, if you aren't experiencing excessive condensation forming on the outside of the unit.

Not all the heaters can be turned off even with fridges that have an energy saver switch, as the manufacturers engineer/determine where and how many edge heaters are needed to get the best performance out of their products.

With an energy saver switch, you turn it "ON" to actually turn off the surface heaters, and turn it "OFF" to have the heaters run constantly. Thus having it "ON" saves the energy that would be used to keep the heaters very warm. Some manufacturers have added electronic sensors to regulate these heaters, but not all makers have done this.

You should also clean the coils to help the fridge run better. As far as getting to the coils to clean them, if you have a long narrow crevice tool with your vaccum, you can try to use that to get underneath the unit to carefully get the dust out. I found that if you move the unit out where you can get to all sides, makes it easier to remove any dust on the back and underside of the fridge. Don't foget that you might have to remove the lower, back access panel to get at the compressor/coil assembly.

Just unplug the fridge first to keep from ruining your spouse's vaccum tool in the cooling fan blade, like I did once and never he-ad the end of it! (Not to mention the noise it makes - brought her running to see what I was doing!)

If that isn't possible, you can always use the blower end of a vaccum to blow out the coils, but it's a messy proposition at best. I've used a swiffer taped with some duct tape onto a long, thin dowel to get quite a bit of the dust the vac couldn't $uck out - I prefer that to blowing dust out as it's less messy.

Provided your fridge and freezer are cooling properly, you shouldn't have any issues with the warm center compartment divider causing you any problems.

Hope you find this Very Helpful and best regards!

You need to clean the coils under the front of the refrig of dust , lint , pet hair , etc . Pull the refrig out and remove the back panel covering the compressor . Make sure the fan there , next to the compressor is working . Usually , if this fan is not working , the center strip gets very hot , and the compressor may cut off , from getting too hot . The compressor can burn out , if the fan doesn't work for a while .

When the center divider gets hot, it usually means that your condenser fan (the one that blows air across the coils under the fridge) is not working, or that the condenser coils are extremely dirty. Next time the fridge is running, see if there is any air blowing underneath. You probably need a new condenser fan.

it is suppose to be warm but you want to check you condensor fan in the back on bottom if it is running then clean your coils underneath with a brush or maybe air

When this area gets very hot, it's usually because of inadequate air flow across the condenser coils under the refrigerator. Check to see if the condenser fan has stopped blowing underneath. Remove any obstructions or replace the fan motor if it has stopped. Also clean any accumulation of dust from the coils. The refrigerant line runs down the divider at the front of the unit to warm it slightly and prevent condensation and/or frost there, but it should not be noticeably hot.

normally squeeling sounds from the freezer is evapurators fan motors... need to pull back panel off freezer and check out fan motor