FFB6187 I have a problem where the fridge temperature gets warmer. This is an ongoing problem where once defrosted it solves the problem, trouble is I now have to do this every 6-8 weeks. I remove the back panel in the freezer, use a hair dryer to remove the ice. The ice builds up on the silver radiator thingy (technical I know), around the fan and blocks the circulation vent into the fridge, hence the temperature increases in the fridge. I hear circulation from the compressor, the fan works, I am thinking the thermostat needs replacing....any thoughts

Well start by defrosting it.
Empty out the contents and put the contents in a cooler and then switch it off. You may need to switch it off at the electrical control panel by flipping the circuit breaker.
Once you have turned it off, use hot water to help remove the ice. Have plenty of old towels around for this as water will get spilled on the floor. Once it is empty and the ice removed you may discover a temperature control switch, but if not, just be prepared to repeat the exercise every 6 months or so. In any case it is not a good idea to run the freezer when it is iced up. Once it is emptied and cleared out switch it back on and wait 10 minutes before adding your stuff back. Sometimes freezers will heat up a bit before they cool down. Once you verify its getting cold, put your food back in it. Good luck.....RD

sounds like 2 things either the t stat making fridge run all the time, or 2 the fan not having enough cfm to circulate the air.

Totally a normal action.. When the compressor switches off once the temperature is reached, or possibly after a defrost cycle, if the gas hasn't quite equalised, it will click once or twice then start up.If the compressor has a starting capacitor and it does the clicking, then one needs to check the capacitor.

You have a problem with the ADC.

Frigidaire has also jumped into the market with an adaptive defrost board. The fresh food section light switch and light bulb must work. To initiate a defrost cycle, open the door and push the light switch in and out 5 times within 6 seconds. The compressor and fans should shut off and the defrost heater should come on. Open the door and push the light switch in and out 5 times within 6 seconds to remove the refrigerator from the defrost mode and back into a cooling mode.

This product comes equipped with an Adaptive Defrost Control (ADC). To activate manual defrost, press and hold the Freezer temperature UP (WARMER) key while pressing the Fresh Food temperature DOWN (COLDER) key 5 times within 6 seconds. A "d" in the freezer temperature window and "F" in the refrigerator temperature window will display when the heater is activated. To deactivate manual defrost, press and hold Freezer temperature UP (WARMER) key while pressing the Fresh Food temperature DOWN (COLDER) key 5 times within 6 seconds. "d" and "F" will be displayed until the defrost cycle is complete. (approx. 8 minutes)

Hi,
As the weather is getting warmer for many people their freezer and/or refrigerator do not work right because of a dirty condenser coil...

Check out this tip that I wrote about that... it is a great place to start trouble shooting your unit...and something that you can do rather then calling a repair person to do a simple thing for you...

http://www.fixya.com/support/r4024657-refrigerator_condenser_coil_cleaning


http://www.fixya.com/support/r3885294-refrigerator_troubleshooting

http://www.fixya.com/support/r4023749-refrigerator_compressor_start_capacitor

heatman101

Either the defrost circuit has failed or the refrigerant is low - my money is on the defrost circuit.

Most defrost circuits have three main parts:

1) defrost electric heating coil
2) defrost terminator
3) defrost timer.

The heating coil and terminator are in the freezer compartment - behind a protective panel. The heater is usually piggy-backed on the freezer coil and the terminator is in contact with the freezer coil to detect its temperature. The defrost timer is a simple assembly of a clock motor with switch contacts that can be located anywhere the manufacturer desires. The timer turns on or enables the defrost circuit every 8 or so hours for up to 30 minutes give or take.

When the timer has enabled the defrost cycle, the cooling mode ceases; the compressor shuts off and power is sent through the terminator to the heater. The heater warms and melts any ice build up on the freezer coil. The water drips to a pan and flows down the tube to a pan under the fridge - where it is evaporated off. The heater warms the freezer coil until either a) the timer returns to cooling mode or b) the terminator senses a preset rising temperature on the freezer coil. Once either condition is present, power is interupted and heating stops. The compressor is energized through the adjustable thermostat in your fridge. Since it is warm, the compressor turns on and cooling begins.

If any of the components listed above (1,2 or 3) have failed, the defrost cycle never warms the freezer coil and the ice never melts to clear the freezer coil as intended. Air can not be circulated through the freezer coil since it is choked with ice, so even though the compressor runs, the fridge and freezer spaces never get colder. The adjustable thermostat never sees the temperature you've set so the compressor never shuts off.

Water dripping in the fridge is melting ice from the freezer space - as the freezer is not getting colder - only the protected space around the freezer coil is.

To fix this, you'll have to get the service manual or schematics for the fridge to determine where the parts are located and do some troubleshooting with a multimeter after disassembling the freezer compartment and wherever else to access the timer if needed. This is not a good first appliance repair job for a DIYer due to the danger of refrigerant and testing live electrical parts in closed in spaces.

I hope this helps.

Hi,

As the weather is getting warmer for many people their freezer and/or refrigerator do not work right because of a dirty condenser coil...there are also many other things that can go wrong. If you are hearing a clicking or buzzing then check out the last two tips.

If your refrigerator is running but warm, then…

Check out this tip that I wrote about that... it is a great place to start trouble shooting your unit...and something that you can do rather then calling a repair person to do a simple thing for you...

Refrigerator Condenser Coil Cleaning Refrigerator Repair
http://www.fixya.com/support/r4024657-refrigerator_condenser_coil_cleaning

Refrigerator Troubleshooting Refrigerator Compressor
http://www.fixya.com/support/r3885294-refrigerator_troubleshooting

Refrigerator Compressor Start Capacitor and Start Relay
http://www.fixya.com/support/r4023749-refrigerator_compressor_start_capacitor

heatman101

Hi Jody,
The only thing you give me that would allow me to solve this issue, is based on the fact that the freezer is getting warmer, and fresh food section is staying cold. So, knowing nothing more than that, I must sadly say that you need a new refrigerator to solve this issue 100%, as it sounds like you have a failing compressor, or a slow leak in the sealed system. Both scenarios are terminal.
Thank you for contacting me at Fixya.com
Dave E. (Illeagle)

JennyT just trying to help with this. I assume this is a self defrost model. If so then is there an ice build up on the back wall? If so then the unit isn't defrosting. That is why pushing the Fast Freeze button is no longer working. You can get by however. Remove all the food from the freezer, put a vacumn in the freezer and shut the door. Turn on the vacumn, this will pull the warm air thru the freezer and in 30 minutes to an hour it will be defrosted enough to work until you can get someone to replace the 1 of 3 parts that the defrost system uses. The vacumn is what I use to defrost my nonself defrosting freezer. Sorry I couldn't be of more help.

sounds like a defrost problem it could be one of the following:derost timer,defrost therm. or defrost heater