Why are the sides of my upright freezer hot and the compressor very hot

SOURCE: upright freezer

Three things could be the problem. Most likely would be the defrost thermostat which clips onto the evaporator behind the panel in the freezer. 2nd would be the timer or control board (will have one or the other). 3rd would be a bad defrost heater. Alot of times the def. therm. will show obvious sign of being bad by the cap on top popped open. You can check resistance on the heater. Any resistance at all on the heater means it is good. If it has a standard timer turn it clockwise until it clicks. This is putting it into defrost. If the heater comes on the timer is bad. If it has a control board you would unplug the unit then unplug the power supply to the board and jump line 1 to the wire going to the heater. While unplugged from the board and jumped, plug the freezer back in. If the heater comes on then the board is bad. If you are not sure how to test replace the def. thermostat, which is the cheapest part and see what happens. Note: When conducting the test for the timer or board the def. therm. must be freezing so don't defrost first! Hope this helps.

SOURCE: Relay clicks, compressor doesn't start

try replacing the relay/ overload you can buy a supco replacement there's 2 of them one covers 1/15 - 1/6 and the other covers1/3 - 1/4 its really easy to wire up and cost effective. any questions don't hesitate to contact by e-mail [email protected]

SOURCE: fan is squeaking all the time Kenmore frost free upright freezer

Yes you need to replace it,if dont will have bigger problems.

SOURCE: Evaporator coil in freezer red hot and water dripping on it.

This normal operation. Happens twice a day to defrost the freezer coils. Last about 20 minutes.

Charles T Nevin

• 4070 Answers
• Posted on Sep 19, 2009

SOURCE: My upright freezer won't self defrost. Frost builds up right awa

The evaporator coil behind the cover on the back wall inside the freezer will ice up under normal conditions. Every 8 to 10 hours for around 20 minutes the defrost timer (or in most newer models the electronic adaptive defrost control) will turn the defrost heater on to melt the built up ice. There is a defrost thermostat which prevents the heater from overheating the freezer by breaking the heater circuit when the temp reaches close to 32 degrees F. The entire cooling system shuts off during the defrost cycle and starts back when the timer advances through the cycle.

If this ice is not melted it will continue to build up until the air can’t flow over the coil to circulate the cold air through the freezer and into the fridge. The temperature change in the fridge is usually noticed first followed by the freezer.

If the defrost thermostat is bad it can prevent the heater from coming on OR it won’t turn the heater off when it gets too warm. It is clamped to the evaporator coil at the top to sense the temp. If it appears to be misshapen it is bad.
With an ohm meter it should show continuity when cold and none when warm.
You can also bypass the thermostat to see if the heater comes on then. If it does then you know the thermostat is bad and needs replaced.

The defrost heater is located on the evaporator. It is in a tube which is at the bottom and can also go up the sides of the evaporator. On some types you can see a burnt spot if it’s bad. With an ohm meter it should show continuity from end to end when disconnected from the wiring in the freezer. You can also test the wiring for voltage when it’s in the defrost mode.

If you have a defrost timer you can test it. It can be located under the fridge behind the kick panel on the front. Some are in the fridge with the controls at the top. You can turn the defrost timer till it clicks and everything shuts down. The heater should now come on. If it does, replace the timer because that means the timer is not running. If it doesn't, check the heater and defrost thermostat. Turn the timer again till everything starts back up to end the defrost cycle.

If you have an adaptive defrost control instead of a timer, replace it if the heater and thermostat test good. It is located in the fridge with the controls in some models and on the back in others.

If you need help finding your model number see here> http://www.appliancepartspros.com/modelnumber_locator.aspx

To locate your timer, motherboard, control or adaptive defrost control , enter your model number and search for the part or post back on Fixya.
http://www.searspartsdirect.com/partsdirect/index.action?psid=26129238&sid=PSx20071217x00001a