My Hoover HNC 5174 W Frost Free Fridge Freezer doesn't defrost. The ice has to be chipped out. Any suggestions?

The defrost timer has quit.
They have a relatively short life.

Hi,

Check out these tips...they can help you figure out what is going wrong with your refrigerator and why it is not cooling

Refrigerator not Cooling or Fridge not Cooling

How to Defrost Refrigerator Defrost Timer Problem

Water Running in refrigerator from Freezer

Refrigerator or Freezer not Cooling or Getting Cold

heatman101

Hi,

Check out these tips...they can help you figure out what is going wrong withyour refrigerator and why it is not cooling

Refrigerator not Cooling or Fridge not Cooling

How to Defrost Refrigerator Defrost Timer Problem

Water Running in refrigerator from Freezer

Refrigerator or Freezer not Cooling or Getting Cold
heatman101
....

check and, or, replace the defrost timer

You have a defrost problem. Unplug the refrigerator and put the food in something to keep it cold. If you feel comfortable, remove the cover on the rear inside the freezer and use a hair dryer to melt out all the ice. Do NOT try to chip out the ice or you will damage something. The problem could be the heater burned out, the terminator is faulty, or the defrost timer is bad. But once the ice is out, you can put it back together, the unit will work normally for a week or more before it ices up again. That will give you time to fix it, or call in a repairman.

If freezer is icing up, you might have a defrost problem. Frost free models have a heating element that is controlled by a timer to automatically defrost ice, defrost timer turns on defrost heating element every 12 hours to melt ice in freezer and allow good air flow.
You can test defrost element with an ohm meter(located inside freezer coils-will have two wires going to a plug connection), if OK replace defrost timer (located in various places depending on make and model

During the defrost cycle heaters in the wall of the freezer are turned on to melt the frost build up. This melted frost "water" is supposed to run out a drain in the bottom of the freezer and collect in a pan under the refrigerator/freezer where it will eventually evaporate. If this drain is blocked it will cause a lot of water to collect in the bottom of the freezer and that water will eventually turn back into ice. I recommend defrosting the freezer manually, removing all the ice/water buildup in the bottom, and trying to unplug the drain line to the pan underneath. Also check the seal on the freezer door. If it's not sealing well it could be letting a lot of moisture enter the freezer which would lead to more frost buildup and more water during the defrost cycle.

The thermostat might be turned up too high or is faulty. It should click when turned up and down from the setpoint.

Your defrost drain line is frozen over.Remove everything from the fridge and turn it off for 24 hours with the doors standing open.
The drain line will thaw and you will return to normal operation.
You could also turn the fridge off, remove the freezer floor panel and back panel. Take a hair dryer and thaw out the drain hole. Takes about 2 hours.
You decide which procedure to use.

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