Kenmore elite refrigerator. both compartments (bottom freezer and top refrigerator)are not keeping with the temperature setting. the food is cool but not cold as it should be. how can I test to see if there is something not working properly? both settings are now at 5

I have a 6 year old Kenmore Elite top freezer.. I have been dissapointed from day one with this fridge.. the fridge has air vents all over the inside of the fridge. We find that if one of these vents have anything in front of it that something somewhere else in the fridge will freeze. Its very frustrating.. I find that I loose allot of fridge space because I am always juggling space to make sure that these vents are always open... very bad design.. sounded like a good idea at the time.. but never again..

If the temperature is the problem this could be the solution

Problems with Temperature
If the refrigerator or freezer is not cooling properly, check temperature settings and air vents and ensure there is adequate room for proper airflow. Factory-recommended temperature settings are 0 degrees Fahrenheit (-18 degrees Celsius) for the refrigerator; and 37 degrees Fahrenheit (3 degrees Celsius) for the freezer.
If you need to adjust the temperature, do it one degree at a time and wait 24 hours before making additional adjustments. Check the air vents and make sure nothing is blocking them. Finally, if your refrigerator or freezer is too full, there will not be adequate room for air to circulate and cool properly. If these all check out, the problem could be with one or more compressor components and will require professional repair.

Hope this will help you.

Thanks for using FixYa : )

You mean "How to Fix a Kenmore Refrigerator That Is Not Cold But the Freezer Is Good?"

Well this what i say,
Kenmore combination refrigerator and freezers combine the short- and long-term food storage options in a single unit. There are some occasions when the refrigerator compartment might appear to be malfunctioning while the freezer box stays cool. Ruling out these occasions ensures you have done everything you can to correct the problem before calling for a technician if necessary.

1.Verify that the temperature controls for the refrigerator compartment are properly configured. Tap the "^" or "v" buttons beside the refrigerator's LCD temperature display until "38," the ideal temperature, appears. The compartment could have been set too warm. Allow 24 hours for the the appliance to reach 38 degrees Fahrenheit.

2 Check that the refrigerator compartment door closes completely, objects inside the appliance could be holding the door ajar. When cool air is allowed to escape, the internal temperature rises. Cracked, holed or corroded door seals may also raise the refrigerator temperature.

3 Change how you use the refrigerator compartment; storing hot or warm food strains the appliance and causes a rise in internal temperatures. Do not prop open the door or leave it ajar for more than a few seconds at a time for the reasons outlined in Step 2.

4 Contact Kenmore if the refrigerator compartment remains too warm for your food. There may be a problem with the motor or any one of the other parts that regulate the temperature

If this was helpfu.l please let me know.
Thanks for using FixYa

Kenmore Elite refrigerators come in several styles, including units with a freezer at the top and units with freezers at the bottom. The top and bottom of the fridge work on different systems. Sometimes the freezer may function perfectly, while the fridge performs poorly. Most issues with the fridge cooling are due to incorrect settings or poor cleaning practices. Checking common problems with the refrigerator will help you diagnose the situation and keep expensive repairs to a minimum
1. Check that the Kenmore Elite refrigerator is plugged in. Inspect the circuit breaker of the home if the refrigerator is plugged in but not running.
2. Pull the unit out from the wall and vacuum the condenser coils at the back of the unit.
3. Turn the temperature control in the Kenmore Elite refrigerator to the "On" position.
4. Turn up the temperature on the temperature control, located inside the unit on the wall.
5. Check the seal along the door for signs of cracks or dryness. If it is damaged, lift up on the seal to expose the screws that hold it in place. Loosen the screws and pull the seal off. Place a new seal on the unit, starting in the corners and working your way around to insert the tabs into the Kenmore Elite fridge door.
6. Check the seal along the door for signs of cracks or dryness. If it is damaged, lift up on the seal to expose the screws that hold it in place. Loosen the screws and pull the seal off. Place a new seal on the unit, starting in the corners and working your way around to insert the tabs into the fridge door.
7. Move food away from the vents inside the Kenmore Elite refrigerator.

I hope i solve you problem.
Have a nice day : )

The compressor is cycled on/off by the fresh food temperature setting. The freezer setting controls a panel, or door if you will, that allows cold air to be blown into the freezer.

Since both compartments are getting too cold, the most likely culprit is the fresh food thermostat control, since it controls the compressor cycle. Try setting it to a higher setting, even if it's above normal. Use a manual thermometer to check the temperature of the fresh food compartment and compare it to the control setting. The readings should be the same or very nearly the same.

I assume your refrigerator is controlled by a solid state controller (i.e. a printed circuit board). Some of these allow for calibration of the thermostat to coincide with the actual temperature of the fresh food compartment. That would most likely have to be done by a service technician unless you have expertise in the field.

If calibration is not an option, if you can live with the thermostat setting not reflecting the actual temperature, a free fix is to simply set it higher than you actually want it to be, recognizing that the actual temperature is 'X' degrees lower than the thermostat setting.

The freezer compartment temperature will be similarly affected, and can be controlled by the freezer temp setting, which is actually nothing more than setting the position of the panel which allows or restricts air from being blown into the fresh food compartment from the freezer. Again, the compressor is cycled on and off by the thermostat in the FRESH FOOD compartment which gets its cold air from the freezer compartment.

Replace your thermostat and will work like new again

If warmer settings for both are not helping then thermostat needs to be replaced. Thanks, please leave feedback or contact me again for more info if you need it.

This could be that it is out of balance. Set the temperature settings to midway. This control can easily get the fridge temp out out of balance if over adjusted. If you already have the tmp control at midway then you need to make sure there are no obstructions to the duct that carries the cold air from the freezer to the fresh food section to cool it. Check for ice buildup or any kind of blockage. Let me know what you find.

i would check to see if you hear a an blowing in the freezer sect when the door is opened, if you cant hear the fan blowing then there is yout issue, not circulating air up to refrig compartment