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Fred Getchell Posted on Jan 31, 2015
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Top freezer not cold fan isn't always on either

Vacuumed around fan and compressor area

1 Answer

Peter Goodwin

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  • Refrigerators Master 744 Answers
  • Posted on Feb 01, 2015
Peter Goodwin
Refrigerators Master
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Joined: Oct 11, 2014
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Hello Fred;

My name is Peter. I am a retired field service refrigeration technician.

I have a top freezer because they are the most reliable and least expensive to repair.

It sounds like one of several problems:

Unplug your unit. Remove the back panel of your freezer. You may

1.) Frozen drain - Your unit will go through a defrost cycle every 8-10 hours. When this occurs, your unit will shut down for 20-30 minutes and your defrost heater will turn on. Everything will shut down except for your lights. Then your unit turns back on.

There is a drain hole behind your freezer back wall. This is easily unplugged with warm water. If the drain hole is plugged up with ice your cooling coil will become blocked up. This may also prevent your cooling coil fan from running.

2.) Cooling fan is starting to go - If your cooling coils are not plugged up and ice is not restricting your cooling coil fan, then perhaps your fan is starting to go. This is a easy replacement. Lets check - You need a multi-meter to do this. You can purchase one for about $25.00 at Lowes or Home Depot. This is a good thing to have. It will save you a lot of money with repair on all of your appliances.
Set the multi-meter to the lowest Ohms (Omega Symbol) With your unit unplugged, You have three wires to the motor. Disconnect them all. The small one is a ground wired, the other 2 are power wires. Put one meter lead on the one motor contactor and the other lead on the other contactor. You should get a reading of "0" Ohms if the motor is good. Anything else the motor the motor is bad.

There is a temperature sensor on the upper right hand side of your cooling coil. If the back of this round 3/8" diameter sensor has exploded, them you need a new sensor.

Give me a model number on your fresh food section side wall near the top and I can be more specific. Call be @ 443-306-1362 and we can take it from there.

Peter
Glen Burnie, Maryland, USA


















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Top freezer cold, lower part 40 -50 degrees, vacuumed condenser already, what part blows coldness too refrigerator area?

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Whirlpool 25.6 cu. ft. Side-by-Side Refrigerator (GS6SHXLQ): Freezer does not working at all.

Hi,

Compressor is one reason why your freezer may not get cold. The compressor which is usually found at the back of the freezer helps to pump out gas/ cold air and the fan circulates this cold air in the freezer. If this compressor is knocked/defective, the freezer won't cool. Also, gas in the compressor sometimes get's finished and needs to be refilled. So, the compressor needs to be checked in a situation like this.

Fan problem is one of the most common reasons for the freezer to start failing, this is called "frost free failure." Ice can build up on the evaporator coils over time, and this ice builds up until it starts blocking the fan. The fan is responsible for circulating cold air throughout the freezer, so if it is blocked the freezer will not be able to freeze any food. You can usually check this by removing an access panel in the back of the freezer to inspect the coils. If ice is built up on the coils, a hairdryer can assist in defrosting them.

It's also possible that the fan is not running at all. If the fan is burned out or the motor isn't running, cold air can't circulate through the freezer and everything will melt. You can normally hear the fan motor switch on and off from time to time. Listen for it and if you can't hear it coming on for an extended period of time, the motor may need repair or replacement. The wires connecting to the fan may be the problem, preventing the fan from receiving electricity.

Several other problems could be keeping your freezer from freezing:

There could be leaks in one or several of the hoses in the refrigerator, which results in the cold air being lost instead of circulating properly throughout the fridge and freezer.

If you have the freezer so full that the cold air can't circulate, your food will thaw even though the freezer isn't malfunctioning. Always leave some space open in the freezer and try to not store food right up against the cooling vents.

The thermostat might have shorted out, which means the freezer can't accurately determine how cold it is. If this is the case, the refrigerator would probably not be working, either.

If your defrost drain becomes clogged, the water in the line will just refreeze over and over again, which could damage the lines as well as the fan. Always check the drain and make sure no sludge is building up in it if you have a self-defrosting refrigerator.

Always try to keep the freezer door closed for long periods of time. The more the door is opened, the more warm air is let in and cold air is released. If the door is opened frequently, the freezer could be warming faster.

I hope the above helps.....

For further assistance, please let me know.

Good luck!
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Hello,

Compressor is one reason why your freezer may not get cold. The compressor which is usually found at the back of the freezer helps to pump out gas/ cold air and the fan circulates this cold air in the freezer. If this compressor is knocked/defective, the freezer won't cool. Also, gas in the compressor sometimes get's finished and needs to be refilled. So, the compressor needs to be checked in a situation like this.

Fan problem is one of the most common reasons for the freezer to start failing, this is called "frost free failure." Ice can build up on the evaporator coils over time, and this ice builds up until it starts blocking the fan. The fan is responsible for circulating cold air throughout the freezer, so if it is blocked the freezer will not be able to freeze any food. You can usually check this by removing an access panel in the back of the freezer to inspect the coils. If ice is built up on the coils, a hairdryer can assist in defrosting them.

It's also possible that the fan is not running at all. If the fan is burned out or the motor isn't running, cold air can't circulate through the freezer and everything will melt. You can normally hear the fan motor switch on and off from time to time. Listen for it and if you can't hear it coming on for an extended period of time, the motor may need repair or replacement. The wires connecting to the fan may be the problem, preventing the fan from receiving electricity.

Several other problems could be keeping your freezer from freezing:

There could be leaks in one or several of the hoses in the refrigerator, which results in the cold air being lost instead of circulating properly throughout the fridge and freezer.

If you have the freezer so full that the cold air can't circulate, your food will thaw even though the freezer isn't malfunctioning. Always leave some space open in the freezer and try to not store food right up against the cooling vents.

The thermostat might have shorted out, which means the freezer can't accurately determine how cold it is. If this is the case, the refrigerator would probably not be working, either.

If your defrost drain becomes clogged, the water in the line will just refreeze over and over again, which could damage the lines as well as the fan. Always check the drain and make sure no sludge is building up in it if you have a self-defrosting refrigerator.

Always try to keep the freezer door closed for long periods of time. The more the door is opened, the more warm air is let in and cold air is released. If the door is opened frequently, the freezer could be warming faster.

I hope the above helps.....

For further assistance, please let me know.

Regards.
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Hello,

Compressor is one reason why your freezer may not get cold. The compressor which is usually found at the back of the freezer helps to pump out gas/ cold air and the fan circulates this cold air in the freezer. If this compressor is knocked/defective, the freezer won't cool. Also, gas in the compressor sometimes get's finished and needs to be refilled. So, the compressor needs to be checked in a situation like this.

Fan problem is one of the most common reasons for the freezer to start failing, this is called "frost free failure." Ice can build up on the evaporator coils over time, and this ice builds up until it starts blocking the fan. The fan is responsible for circulating cold air throughout the freezer, so if it is blocked the freezer will not be able to freeze any food. You can usually check this by removing an access panel in the back of the freezer to inspect the coils. If ice is built up on the coils, a hairdryer can assist in defrosting them.

It's also possible that the fan is not running at all. If the fan is burned out or the motor isn't running, cold air can't circulate through the freezer and everything will melt. You can normally hear the fan motor switch on and off from time to time. Listen for it and if you can't hear it coming on for an extended period of time, the motor may need repair or replacement. The wires connecting to the fan may be the problem, preventing the fan from receiving electricity.

Several other problems could be keeping your freezer from freezing:

There could be leaks in one or several of the hoses in the refrigerator, which results in the cold air being lost instead of circulating properly throughout the fridge and freezer.

If you have the freezer so full that the cold air can't circulate, your food will thaw even though the freezer isn't malfunctioning. Always leave some space open in the freezer and try to not store food right up against the cooling vents.

The thermostat might have shorted out, which means the freezer can't accurately determine how cold it is. If this is the case, the refrigerator would probably not be working, either.

If your defrost drain becomes clogged, the water in the line will just refreeze over and over again, which could damage the lines as well as the fan. Always check the drain and make sure no sludge is building up in it if you have a self-defrosting refrigerator.

Always try to keep the freezer door closed for long periods of time. The more the door is opened, the more warm air is let in and cold air is released. If the door is opened frequently, the freezer could be warming faster.

I hope the above helps.....

For further assistance, please let me know.

Regards.
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My freezer is no longer freezing

Hi,

Compressor is one reason why your freezer may not get cold. The compressor which is usually found at the back of the freezer helps to pump out gas/ cold air and the fan circulates this cold air in the freezer. If this compressor is knocked/defective, the freezer won't cool. Also, gas in the compressor sometimes get's finished and needs to be refilled. So, the compressor needs to be checked in a situation like this.

Fan problem is one of the most common reasons for the freezer to start failing, this is called "frost free failure." Ice can build up on the evaporator coils over time, and this ice builds up until it starts blocking the fan. The fan is responsible for circulating cold air throughout the freezer, so if it is blocked the freezer will not be able to freeze any food. You can usually check this by removing an access panel in the back of the freezer to inspect the coils. If ice is built up on the coils, a hairdryer can assist in defrosting them.

It's also possible that the fan is not running at all. If the fan is burned out or the motor isn't running, cold air can't circulate through the freezer and everything will melt. You can normally hear the fan motor switch on and off from time to time. Listen for it and if you can't hear it coming on for an extended period of time, the motor may need repair or replacement. The wires connecting to the fan may be the problem, preventing the fan from receiving electricity.

Several other problems could be keeping your freezer from freezing:

There could be leaks in one or several of the hoses in the refrigerator, which results in the cold air being lost instead of circulating properly throughout the fridge and freezer.

If you have the freezer so full that the cold air can't circulate, your food will thaw even though the freezer isn't malfunctioning. Always leave some space open in the freezer and try to not store food right up against the cooling vents.

The thermostat might have shorted out, which means the freezer can't accurately determine how cold it is. If this is the case, the refrigerator would probably not be working, either.

If your defrost drain becomes clogged, the water in the line will just refreeze over and over again, which could damage the lines as well as the fan. Always check the drain and make sure no sludge is building up in it if you have a self-defrosting refrigerator.

Always try to keep the freezer door closed for long periods of time. The more the door is opened, the more warm air is let in and cold air is released. If the door is opened frequently, the freezer could be warming faster.

Regards.
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Check out these tips that I wrote about that... it is a great place to starttrouble shooting your unit...and something that you can do rather then callinga repair person to do a simple thing for you...

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Refrigerator Compressor Start Capacitor and Start Relay
Refrigerator or Freezer not Cooling or Getting Cold

heatman101

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