Freezer freezes fridge not cold model number 596.79272993 the compressors turns on and runs then shuts off properly no ice on back wall of freezer the fan does turn on and run properly. the thermostat or dial in the fridge does not seem to matter where it is set the fridge just always stays at around 52 degrees sometimes it gets down to 49 but not often. is this a problem with the thermostat in the fridge what else should i try checking

all the machine does is the evaporator coil in the freezer gets cold,there's a fan in the freezer that blows the cold air from the freezer up into the fridge section and that's it,so if your fridge is warm you either have a bad evap fan motor or you could have a defrost problem,check to see if there's any ice or like snow on the back inside wall of the freezer,if so you have a defrost problem and you'll have to see what part is bad,if it is a defrost problem,you can shut the machine down or unplug it,take the food out of the freezer and if you can remove the back inside wall so you can melt out all the ice on the coil and air ducts,this will give you like 10 to 12 days to fix it or call someone in to fix it before the coil freezes up again,you can use a hair dryer to do this,or there could be a damper inside the top of the center back wall,you'll see slots in the top of the tower on the back wall,if there's a damper the damper door might be closed not letting any air in,next time send the full model number off of the fridge so whoever answers you can see what you have,if the freezer is on the bottom usually if you open the fridge door or the right french door,look up on the right wall near the ceiling and you should see a tag,if not there look on the other wall or ceiling they used to be on the right wall but on some of the newer models they moved the tag, nice guys lol.so open the freezer door,listen for the fan,if you don't hear the fan that could be your problem,check the back wall for frost,you could have a defrost issue or if there's ice on the back wall and the ceiling the door could have been left open,common problem with bottom mounts,if so if you google the model number you can find how to manually put the fridge into defrost,this turns the heater on in the freezer to melt the ice off of the coil,you can then get in there with a hair dryer and help melt it out,when you don't see any water dripping down and you can see it through the slots that are cut in the back wall of freezer your all set.the problem is the air ducts are frozen up and the air can't blow from the freezer and into the fridge.hope this helps you out but without a model number this is the best i can tell you.

On your model your cntrl board has a relay that can stick causing the compressor to always run even when the unit is turned off or in defrost. turn the fridge off, move the temp of the freezer to it's warmest setting and it should display a line in the freezer and fridge temp display. listen to hear if the compressor is running in back of the unit. if it is you need part number: 12868513

the higher the number on a fridge the warmer it is so setting it to 1 is close to 0C
when working on a fridge or freezer always turn it off at the wall
if the fridge is keep cold but not cold enough set it back to say 3
if the compressor is running and the back fins / wall is hot then the fridge is working
use a piece of paper between the door seal and the fridge edge to ensure that it is sticking to the fridge and sealing off properly

this fan needs to run when the compressor runs,check fan blade for being jammed by ice if you have this much ice on back wall as ice will stall motor,if no fan there will be no cool air to refrige compartment also the defrost drain tray will fill with water then freeze over which in turn floods the freezer floor and refrige compartments cause it cannot drain to the pan in the bottom

you need to send the model number so i can see what fridge you have,is it a side by side freezer on top or bottom.check the back inside wall of the freezer to see if any ice or like snow is on the back inside wall of the freezer,if so you have a defrost problem,if it's a top freezer is there any water leaking into the fridge section,check under the crisper draws,if water is there you could have a blocked drain in the freezer,the water that's from the defrost mode leaks into the air ducts and freezes,or you could have a freon leak in the sealed system,remove the inside back wall of the freezer and check the frost pattern on the evap coil,if there's frost just on the top of the coil and nowhere else on the coil you have a freon leak,one more thing you could have a bad evap fan motor,open the freezer door,you should hear the fan blowing around,open the freezer door and push and hold the door or light switch in for a minute and then let it out,if the fan doesn't run it could be bad.the last thing is the compressor isn't running and you're hearing the condenser fan running and not the compressor,the start device on the compressor could be bad,feel the compressor,is it hot and feel it to make sure it's running.so bad start device,freon leak,defrost problem or bad evap fan motor or condenser motor.if you get back to me and let me know what you find and send the model number i can help you better.

next time send the model number,where is the freezer is it on top or bottom or side by side,anyway all the fridge does is get cold in the freezer and the evaporator fan blows cold air from the freezer into the fridge section and then it returns to the freezer just goes around until it gets cold enough and then the t-stat tells it to shut down so if the freezer is cold you either have a bad fan motor,open the freezer you should hear the fan blowng around in there if not the evap fan motor is bad,also touch the back inside wall of the freezer if there's any frost or ice on the back inside wall you have a defrost problem,bad timer or board,bad defrost thermostat or a bad defrost heater,the ice doesn't melt off of evap coil because one of the parts have failed,the air ducts get blocked with ice and the cold air can't blow into the fridge section,or if you see ice on the ceiling,side and back walls the door was left open and the air ducts blocked with ice,or one more thing if the freezer is on top and you have water dripping into the fridge section the drain in the freezer is blocked and the defrost water can't go down the drain hose,the water is freezing the air ducts up,the drain has to be cleared and all the ice has to be melted out,and yes there is one more thing it could be, some fridges have a damper in them,all it is is a door that opens and closes to let the cold air from the freezer blow into the fridge section so this is why you have to send the model number.but your problem is the cold air in the freezer isn't getting blown into the fridge section because the fan isn't working or the air ducts are blocked with ice.

Check the back (interior) lower half of the freezer wall. If you see a frost build up, you either have an issue with your defrost cicuit (timer, heater, thermostat) or the evaporator (freezer) fan is not running. If there is not a frost build up on the back wall you either have a sealed system (weak compressor, leak or restriction) problem....or the condensor fan motor is not working. This would cause the compressor to overheat and shut down until cooled, and prevent the deep freeze.

sounds like compressor might not be running. pull unit out and remove bottom panel to access compressor area. beware of electrical wiring!!!! touch compressor to see if it warm. make sure fan motor by compressor is running.

If there is frost on the back wall of the freezer, then the compressor is running. Another (maybe) good thing is the fan is running.

The problem could be -

1) Bad defrost heater
2) Failed defrost sensor
3) Failed defrost timer or refrigerator controller board.

There are diagnostic tests to determine the problem, but require skill at using a multimeter and possibly reading a schematic/wiring diagram.

You can temporarily make the refrigerator run again for awhile by unplugging, opening the doors, and defrosting for 6-8 hours (store food in coolers.). Then plug it back in. Note, water may come out of the freezer as a result of defrosted ice.

could be due to ice build up jamming the fan. take back panel off and check for ice. if ice present the defrost system has failed. also on some models, the fan stops when door is opened. check door switch is operating