I have a compact refrigerator, the Frigidaire frt045gm, that is no longer cooling as well as it used to. For a few months, the fridge would stop cooling entirely, until I unplugged it, then plugged it back in (I assume the defrost timer was sticking). After that, I had to tweak the potentiometer a bit before it would come back on, as simply replugging it in didn't work. As soon as I adjusted the potentiometer, it would suddenly kick back on. Now, it no longer randomly stops cooling, but the temperature inside the fridge has dramatically increased since a few months ago, and things in the freezer are BARELY above 32 degrees F. I am unsure if it is the compressor, or possibly an issue from fiddling with the potentiometer so much (and continuously turning it further). Any help would be very appreciated!
Bonjour,
That's not a potentiometer you turned it's the defrost timer gear knob. What you were doing is aborting the defrost cycle and allowing frost or ice to build up on the freezer coils. It built up enough to clog the airflow and the temperature in the freezer started going up. The compressor seems to be operating normally.
Follow along through a defrost cycle
To start defrost the defrost timer stops the compressor and all fans. Next it turns on the defrost heater. This melts the ice/frost off the freezer coils. The water drips down the drain line to the drain pan under the unit. If the defrost heater raises the temperature too high the defrost termination thermostat turns the heaters off. When the defrost timer times out it turns off the heaters and turns the compressor and fans back on. If the drain line clogs with food the water does not drain out and when the compressor starts again the water freezes. If this keeps happening the ice gets higher and bigger until it clogs the coils and the freezer does not get cold. If the defrost termination thermostat turns off the defrost heaters too soon all the frost is not melted from the coils. And the coils soon clog and the freezer gets too warm. If the defrost heater is bad no frost gets melted off the coils and the airflow quickly gets clogged. No defrost usually means either a bad defrost timer, a clogged drain line, a bad defrost termination thermostat or bad defrost heater. You can take a chance and replace the defrost timer. If that's the only problem your back in business. OR
If the drain line is not stopped up you can try this.
Remove all food from freezer and refrigerator, open the doors and unplug the cord. Wait 24 hours for all the frost/ice to melt. Keep the doors wide open and the cord unplugged the whole time. If the drain pan fills with water that's a good sign that the drain line is not clogged. Empty the drain pan often to keep water off the floor. After 24 hours the drain line should have stopped dripping water. If it's still dripping wait until it stops. Plug the cord back in, close the doors and wait for 1/2 cup of water to turn to ice in the freezer. Then you can put the food back in. The problem will return if the unit is not defrosting. Changing a defrost timer is not too hard. Unplug the cord. Locate the defrost timer. Take out the mounting screws and remove the part. Unplug the wires, plug them into the new part and remount it. Don't forget the ground wire if it has one.
Plug the cord back in and see what happens. If you did not defrost the unit turn that timer knob very very very slowly until you hear the compressor stop. Then wait to see if the drain line is dripping water into the drain pan. If it is your in business. If not either the drain line is clogged, the defrost heater is burned out or the defrost termination thermostat is bad and has the defrost heater shut off.
OR Or you can call a service technician.
Unit has been defrosting since this morning; the drain pan is accumulating water and is continuing to drip. I'll wait until tomorrow morning and check it again to see if the dripping has stopped, if so, I'll plug it in and see if it cools and whether or not it defrosts. (I did temporarily plug it back in this morning - the freezer began to cool but the fridge section was not cooling whatsoever)
I have the same unit and the same problem. I replaced the defrost timer and it is working again properly. This unit seems to have a lot of failures with its cheap Chinese defrost timer.
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SOURCE: LG fridge suddenly stopped cooling.
If the fan inside the freezer is running and the compressor behind the fridge is running and is hot to touch, you have a gas problem or the compressor is inefficient. This can only be confirmed by connecting refrigeration gauges to the gas system and should only be performed by a fridge tech.
SOURCE: Frigidaire Freezer Buzzing
thats not a valid model number open the fridge door and look up at the top by the light bulb on a white sticker and ill try to help ok
SOURCE: Brand new refrigerator not cooling
ok what he was trying to say is that the freezer does all the cooling for both sides as nothing in the fride side cools and in order for the fridge to reach its proper temp the freezer should run any where between -0 to-10 then the fan in the freezer draw-es air from the fridge and cools it and circulates to the fridge now i need to know a few things is the compressor running is the freezer fan running do you see any frost on the back wall of the freezer section is the fan running in the back that's near the compressor to cool the condenser coils then i can better advise pleas hold my rating till we are done where did you purchase the unit
SOURCE: Fridge running but not cooling
Sounds like you're low on gas...assuming that the condenser coils are clean.
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If this is helpful, as I've read it in other places, the compressor is a bit warm to the touch (not burn your hand instantly warm, but definitely warm).
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