I have a samsung cool n cool fridge freezer. The freezer has an electrical smell and certain items are are defrosting??? Temp. Has dropped a degree and is now at17 deg.

Be sure the drain is clear these are well known for drain blockage. the area behind the shelves is where you would find the evaporator and drain hole.

"Always disconnect power before trying to repair any appliance."

Control board has gone bad....

What happens is the defrost is controlled electronically from a circuit board, when this goes bad, the freezer quits defrosting, and freezes the fans that circulate air through the fridge side of things.

To check this, unplug the entire fridge, leave the freezer open, wait for it to defrost a bit, if this causes the fridge to start cooling again when you plug it back in, then its the defrost. You should also see ice crystals on the back of the freezer just under the icemaker.

http://forums.partselect.com/refrigerator-freezer-repair/rerifgerator-side-not-below-54-degrees-6699.html

Hi,

Let's start by diagnosing the freezer;

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 than the fridge can cool it, which will thaw your food

As for the fridge, the same solution but for more details. If refrigerator is not cooling properly can be due to a defrost timer, which is causing the fridge to go into defrost cycle. Usually it takes 45-60 minutes for refrigerator to come out of defrost cycle. If the timer goes bad then it will not come out of defrost cycle and can result in this kind of issues. It can also occur due to defrost thermostat, it allows current to pass through it at temperatures of 20 to 30 degrees Fahrenheit and prevents current from passing through it at 40 to 60 degrees. This is difficult to test, though, because it takes a prolonged, very-cold temperature to turn it on. The defrost thermostat is snapped onto the top portion of the evaporator. The thermostat sends temperature information to the processor. The defrost heater must be replaced when replacing the thermostat.

1. Remove the lower fan duct work from the evaporator cover.
2. Remove the 1/4-in. evaporator cover screws and remove the evaporator cover.
3. Disconnect the defrost thermostat wiring connector.
4. Remove the defrost thermostat from the evaporator.

I hope the above helps.......

Regards.

Check for ice build-up in and around the freezer fan where the blades are, if you can see ice in there (some times it may look like white foam but dont be fooled, it will be ice), the fan will be hitting it, defrost the freezer and check defrost element, (you will have to dismantle freezer section to get to it but reletively simple job) disconect from mains first. Good luck

Hi,
There are a few reasons why the refrigerator part will not cool...here are a couple of tips that will help you to figure out why the refrigerantor is not cooling...

Refrigerator not Cooling or Fridge not Cooling
http://www.fixya.com/support/r3662945-refrigerator_not_cooling_or_fridge_not

How to Defrost Refrigerator Defrost Timer Problem
http://www.fixya.com/support/r3771673-defrost_refrigerator_defrost_timer

heatman101

mabey staying to long in defrost mabey cold control

check your door seals. warm air leaking in can keep it from reaching it's temp. also, the condensation will collect on the evaporator coils causing them to freeze up. when they do, there is no air flow to cool the rest of the fridge, so the compressor will run constantly trying to reach the set temp. empty it out, thaw out the coils, and check your door seals for leaks. if it still happens, you might have a slow freon leak.

Make it a habit to defrost it every week. You see, when ice forms around the evaporator tubes (which runs around the walls of fridge and freezer), heat exchange reduces (that means heat is no longer absorbed from the things inside the refrigerator) and cooling stops. See whether freezer walls or fridge walls are damaged. Do not use knives or any other sharp tools to remove ice. Do not forcefully remove items that are difficult to take out from the freezer. Defrost and remove them.

The ice builds up in the freezer compartment because the defrost cycle is not working. Check the timer , the defrost elements the defrost thermodise.
God Bless.

Hi dgh1,
The freezer should stay within 5 degrees of 0 while in operation. While in defrost the freezer may reach as high as 20 to 25 degrees. If any higher temperatures are reached your food will spoil as they are defrosted and refroze everyday. If you find that the temperature is allowing your food to defrost you may want to replace your defrost thermostat. This device is located on top of the evaperator coil inside the back of the freezer. It is made to turn the heater off when a temperature of 55 degrees is reached. One other possible problem could be your defrost timer is taking to long to restart the cooling cycle after defrosting. I hope this will help you and please send any other questions you may have, I am happy to help. and dont forget to rate me.
Mike Anderson
Anderson Appliance
(865)945-3808