SOURCE: Freezer stays cool but bottom stays warm.
I agree with your analysis, and recommend that you replace that fan between the two sections.
SOURCE: Refrigerator warm, freezer cold
Totally Unreasonable if you don't mind me saying so. The person who told you that story was thinking of an absorption unit more than likely.
Your proble is related to the defrost system of your refrigerator. There is a timer that automatically starts the defrost. It energizes the heaters that defrost the cooling coil. After the coil reaches a preset temperature a defrost terminator turns the heater off for the remaining time on the timer cycle. You could have a bad timer (stalled) which would not start the defrost. Locate the timer and turn the clutch head screw clockwise very SLOWLY until you hear one audible click. The defrost should take place and will be indicated by water in the drain pan under the refrigerator. If after 25 minutes it does not restart in the cooling mode turn the screw once again to the second click and replace the timer.
If the refrigerator restarts after 18-22 minutes and defrost does not take place your problem is in the heater circuit. Open heater or thermostat (termination switch)
SOURCE: cold freezer/warm refrigerator
Same problem with Frigidaire Gallery model#GLRT182SAW5 (dated 2002 on back of case)
Vents were blocked with ice. Vents (from top compartment to lower) located behind light. You can check by poking a chopstick up the (2) holes; be careful not to hit fan blades.
Solution:
- took freezer coil cover off in back; checked that defrost heater element was working (marked and rotated the timer in the hole next to light); checked that fan working. Found ice in the vents and defrost drip area. Got it out with hair dryer.
- cleaned compressor coils in back (check fan is rotating; also tweaked some of the compressor tubing bends to make them more smooth - read somewhere about a manufacturing defect ...); blew out drip tube from defroster while down there.
- Set the freezer control to WARM and the refrig control to COLD (THIS SHOULD IMPROVE AIR FLOW FROM TOP TO BOTTOM).
- Put thermometers in top and bottom. Checked that refrigerator cycles (not running continuously). Checked that cold air is coming down from (2) vents behind light.
OK: so far, so good. Lower compartment is 40 or under. Top is under 18.
CONCLUSION: Suspect marginal design. Had problems with another similar model where defroster ice doesn't drain correctly, pools and refreezes. Leading to blocked vents as well as blocked defroster drain and similar problem including dripping water from top to bottom and warm bottom.
MAYBE KEEPING THE FREEZER CONTROL AT WARM GETS AROUND THE PROBLEM?? ANYWAY, ITS WORKING FOR ME FOR NOW !!
SOURCE: Bottom freezer on Amana refrigerator is too warm,
is there frost building up in the back of the freezer wall?mike
SOURCE: Freezer is cold but refrigerator is warm
Number one when you can always provide model number and make...it helps enormously in troubleshooting otherwise you get these long detailed threads...from an anal tech like myself.
Cold is a relative term....how cold...use a thermometer...and determine if the freezer...is at least..10-20 degrees or colder if not it is not cold enough...and here are some generic answers for that problem....I will list at the bottom of this thread...if it is
A. You will need to determine if you are getting air flow into the refrigerator side compartment..there is usually a baffle...that controls...the amount of air-flow into the frig side...it can be adjusted...if not it could be broken or have come loose...it is rare...
B. Is something blocking the baffle...as in food ...groceries...
C. The thermostat could be out of adjustment...and or going bad...(how old is the frig)..
D. Some newer units have a dual fan system..(but rare)..if the frig side fan is out...this could be the problem...
There are several reasons this can be happening...
1. The seal
on the door may have a tear or may not be seating properly...this
allows excess warm air into the freezer compartment and in its effort
to remove the same ...frost appears.
2. There is something call
a thermistor (which senses temp and ice build up) that is cycled on and off as needed to remove excess frost
accumulation and or ice buildup on the evaporator (freezer) coils...it
is a heat strip which actually defrost the frost/ice. If this is not
working frost will accumulate and eventually it will become
Ice......now the remarkable thing about Ice accumulation is that you
would think everything would remain cold or get colder ..however in
this case the opposite occurs...it insulates the coils and thereby
increasing the temperature...put a thermometer...one that is calibrated
properly...(calibration can be set by placing a thermometer into a
glass of ice water...the temp of a glass of ice water..after a few
minutes setting will be exactly 32 degrees)..if the temperature of your
refrigerator is gradually rising over the period of a week...you will
need to call a tech or replace the thermistor and or trouble shoot
other problems that may have occur such as..
3. The evaporator fan
may be going out although they usually make a high pitched whining
noise of a whirring noise before they go out...not always and if they
are intermittently cycling off then frost would build up...do you
always here a fan running when you open the freezer and hold the button in above the door..(fan switch)...if so that is
good...fan is working...but it may be cycling off at times when no one
is aware.
P.S.
the odds of it being due to overfilling are slim...I have been in the
industry for 35 years and that is what freezers do...which a lot of
people don't realize is that freezers don't actually cool anything
..they just remove heat and when you remove all the heat all that is
left is cold (like in space) and when heat is removed quickly frost can
appear like when you blow your breath on a freezing cold window..then
right your name....but I digress...any way..if there was an excess of
heat due to a lot of new food in the freezer it would correct itself by
one of the processes i mentioned above..and it would never result in
Ice..you probably have one or more of the problems I
mentioned...evaluate how long its been going on...
4. Thermostat could be out of adjustment..and or not functioning
properly..which
would delay or inhibit a defrost cycle..from occurring..unfortunately
almost all of these problems require a tech...or a good handyman.
This should lead you in the
right direction...if you need help in finding a reputable service
company in your area let us know..I hope this has been helpful..if so
PLEASE rate me....thank you... .......The Fang
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