Kenmore elite fridge/freezer,fridge stopped working but freezer is fine ?

SOURCE: kenore elite bottom freezer, top fridge stopped cooling

first check that you can hear a fan in the freezer..if the fan is running you have a defrost problem or a plugged drain... to get it to work temporary defrost the freezer. Unplug the refrigerator, open the door and get a blow dryer and warm up the freezer. wait until the water stop dripping out or about 12 to 24 hours and then you can plug it back in . it will work for 2 to 3 weeks. To unplug the drain.defrost the freezer .remove the back cover. Use a pipe cleaner to clear the drain. pour a few cups of hot water down the drain. The defrost systems is:
HEATER-DEFROST
THERMOSTAT-DEFROST
TIMER-DEFROST
Start with the timer. It is just under the front kick plate. there is a knob you can turn it slowly.until it clicks off the compressor. then open the freezer and listen . You should hear the heater come on .. it will sizzle when it comes on ...
You will have to remove the back panel of the freezer to check the heater for and thermostat for continuity. Heater are the lease likely part to go bad... I always change thermostat and timers together.
let me know if this helps or we can chat if you need more help.

Ron Coons

• 2651 Answers
• Posted on Nov 17, 2008

SOURCE: Kenmore Elite Bottom Freezer - only top does not work

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

SOURCE: Kenmore Elite model 73503201- FRIDGE DOES NOT COOL, FREEZER WORKS

Look in the back of the freezer, there will probably be a metal panel with a plastic vent on top.

Look through the vents in the metal panel, and you should see the shiny metal fins of the evaporator. If the fins or the vents are plugged with frost, that is your problem. The freezer will stay cold because a small amount of cold air will be forced through the frost but that will not be enough to make it up to the refrigerator portion. You can defrost the unit by removing the metal panel and allowing the frost to melt. Careful use of a hairdryer can speed up this process. This will likely be a temporary fix. The root cause of excessive frost can be caused by a bad door seal or a defective defrost circuit.

First check that the door seal is good by closing the door on a dollar bill at several points around the door, both on the freezer and refidgerator door. If you can pull the bill out with no resistance, the door is not making a good seal. Inspect the seal and make sure there isn't anything stopping the door from closing such as food, or a shelf not pushed in all the way.

If the door seal is good, the defrost system is likely defective. The defrost system has three main parts, the defrost heater, thermostat, and timer. If either one of the parts fails, the freezer will plug up with frost every few weeks. If you can troubleshoot this by manually starting the defrost cycle. Let me know if you would like this procedure.

SOURCE: kenmore elite bottom freezer icing up

if it has an ice maker fix or adjust the over flow for the ice try.

SOURCE: fridge not working properly on kenmore bottom freezer model 596.7

I have a similar problem, although I have no cooling in the fridge section. Had a repair man indicate that the electrical panal(pcb board) needs to be replaced. It is on order ($200). Sure hope that is the issue. To me, it appeared that the freezer fan(which cools the fridge) was not working. Whether that is the result of a faulty electrical panal is yet to be determined. Good luck!