If the ambient temperature is the same or less than the temperature in the fresh food cabinet of a refrigerator with the freezer on top, will the stat ever call for cool? sub question---where is the thermostat lead located for a kenmoore model #253.67882508?

There are plenty of reasons this could happen like the following: PROBLEM POSSIBLE CAUSE Loud operating sound level • See "Sound Information" section for explanation of normal operating sounds Freezer too warm. Compressor not operating • Freezer temperature set too warm • Defective compressor • Defective overload or relay Refrigerator too cold • Refrigerator temperature set too cold • Chefs Pantry control set too cold or misaligned allowing freezer air to escape into refrigerator section • Freezer temperature set too cold • Restricted condenser air • Refrigerant shortage or restriction • Refrigerant overcharge Freezer too warm. Compressor cuts off on overload • Heavy usage • High ambient • Restricted condenser air • Defective condenser fan motor • Loose or missing condenser fan blade • Improper voltage • Defective relay or overload • Compressor motor winding • Non-condensibles in system • Refrigerant overcharge Freezer too warm. Compressor operating • Freezer temperature set too warm • Restricted condenser air • Defective condenser fan motor • Opened door • Heavy usage • Defective freezer fan motor • Opened defrost thermostat • Opened defrost heater • Loose or missing freezer or condenser fan blade • Heavily frosted evaporator • Refrigerant shortage or restriction • Inefficient compressor Refrigerator too warm • Refrigerator temperature set too warm • Freezer temperature set too warm • Return air or air supply duct blocked • Chefs Pantry control set too warm or air supply tube blocked • Heavy usage • High ambient Problem Possible Cause Freezer too cold • Freezer temperature set too cold Long off cyde • Low ambient • Freezer temperature set too warm Short off cycle • Heavy usage • High ambient • Freezer temperature set too cold • Light constantly on • Poor door gasket seal Long or continuous run cyde • Heavy usage • High ambient • Inadequate condenser air flow • Freezer temperature set too cold • Loss or restricted refrigerant Short run cycle • Light usage • Low ambient • Freezer temperature set too warm Exterior cabinet condensation • High humidity. Design accepts beads of water on cabinet exterior after 4 hours with 0° to 2°F (-18° to -17°C) freezer food temperature and 38° to 40°F (3° to 4°C) refrigerator food temperature in 84% R.H. conditions. See "Typical Sweat Pattern" section under above conditions. • Freezer temperature set too cold • Poor door gasket seal • Insulation void

If the refrigerator was tipped on back or side, even part way, it has to wit upright at least overnight, because of the freon flowing upward.
If you just moved in and it has been sitting and unplugged, then it may be low on freon.

Here are some tips


If you open the fresh food compartment of your fridge (the non-freezer compartment), you will most likely see two different controls. One refers to the refrigerator temperature and the other refers to the freezer. Different manufacturers use different wording, but the idea is the same.
The first thing you need to know in order to understand what these controls really do is that all the cold air in the entire refrigerator is made in the freezer compartment. A portion of that cold air is then blown into the fresh food compartment. How much cold air gets blown in is controlled by the "freezer" control, which is really just an air baffle that opens or closed to let more or less air into the fresh food compartment. The "refrigerator" control is actually a thermostat that feels the temperature inside the fresh food compartment and turns the compressor on and off according to the temperature that the thermostat feels.
Let’s run through an example. Suppose you decide that your ice cream isn’t hard enough. You adjust the "freezer" control to make your freezer colder. What you’re actually doing is restricting the amount of cold air that gets blown from the freezer into the fresh food compartment and so keeping more of the cold air in the freezer. As a result, the freezer will get colder but also the fresh food compartment will tend to get warmer because its cold air supply has been diminished. The "refrigerator" control (the thermostat) will feel this increase in temperature inside the fresh food compartment and will keep the compressor running longer in order to maintain the temperature setting on the "refrigerator" control. So, you can see that any change you make to one control will affect the other.
Many people then wonder, "Well, how do I know what the correct setting on the controls should be?" Since the temperature inside a refrigerator will vary according to lots of external factors such as frequency and duration of door openings, it is impossible to say where your controls should be set all the time in order to maintain a desired temperature in the freezer and fresh food compartments without knowing the actual temperature inside both compartments. For this reason, you should place two thermometers in your refrigerator: one in the fresh food compartment (the big one) and the other in your freezer. The controls should then be adjusted to achieve -10 to +10ºF in the freezer and between 36 and 38ºF in the fresh food compartment.
Keep in mind, too, that it takes 24 hours for any change in the controls to work through the system and reach steady state so don’t look for instantaneous changes in temperature when you make control setting changes. Knowing the actual temperature inside your refrigerator compartments is also a great way to save money on your power bill since you can adjust the controls to avoid running your compressor longer than needed to keep your food cold.

now you just need to buy another handle because the first one is not fixed well, it doen't cost a lot, but when you buy the handle you get free maintenance.

First some fridge 101, the refrigerator/freezer models cool by directly refrigerating the freezer section and the refrigerator section is cooled when "some" of the cold air from the freezer is directed over to the refrigerator side (typically by a fan) to keep food fresh and not frozen a temperature controlling damper opens and closes to regulate the temperature of the fridge by introducing more or below freezing air into the cabinet. In older models where the freezer was on top the air simply "gravity" drained into the refrigerator cabinet, if the food was too cold you turned the fridge knob up and less air sank from the freezer to the fridge, simple but effective.

When you adjust the temperature level it controls the freezer temperature and this turns the compressor on and off to keep the food frozen. There is typically a knob or lever and some even have electric dampers that open and close to direct more or less air from the freezer and direct it to the refrigerator cabinet based on your temperature requirements.

Now that you know how it works there are a couple things to check. If the condenser coil is plugged with dust the internal system pressure will rise and in some cases make the fridge an over achiever and can chill too much so check/clean the condenser coil. Check the freezer temperature control and turn in up, also make sure the fridge temperature control setting is not set too cold.

Finally as the temperature changes around the refrigerator it will have an effect on the inside of the fridge too so expect to turn it up and down as the environment changes, down in the summer and up in the winter.

Hope the novel helps to resolve your issues.

1. Refrigerator Adjusting Temperature Controls. At initial startup both fresh food and freezer controls should be set at the normal setting or mid point settings. Temperature controls can be found in the back of the fresh food compartment, near the top of the fresh food compartment, or on the dispenser panel.

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Mar 4, 2015 - The more food you have in your refrigerator, the more stable thetemperature will be. Set the thermostat to the middle of its range and leave it for ...

Side by Side ModelsIf foods, such as fruits and vegetables, in the refrigerator are freezing, it can be caused by several things. First, check the controls. They should be set at "C" and "5" or "5" and "5". The proper fresh food temperature is between 38 and 42 degrees Fahrenheit. The freezer should be between 0 and 8 degrees Fahrenheit.

• If food in the bottom of the refrigerator is freezing, this could be caused by a refrigerator not having enough food to absorb the cold air.
• If food in the door is freezing, move the door bins up or down so they are one notch away from freezer vents (Side by Side models only).
• The fresh food control should be at the normal setting of 5.

Freezer on Top Models
First, check the controls. They should be set at "C" and "5" or "5" and "5". The proper fresh food temperature is between 38 and 42 degrees Fahrenehit. The freezer should be between 0 and 8 degrees Fahrenheit.

• Since the cold air coming into the fresh food section originates in the freezer above, the rear of the top shelf will be the coldest spot in the fresh food area. Avoid placing delicate items that freeze easily on the back half of this shelf.
• If food is freezing in the produce (fruits and vegetables) or meat pan, it may be that the temperature controls are not set high enough. Since cold air naturally falls, the pans can get too cold if the refrigerator is not running long enough to maintain good air circulation. Adjust both controls up one notch.

Refrigerators are designed to be used inside at typical to normal household temperatures. The problem with refrigerators are if the ambient temperatures drop down below 55 Degrees F Food in freezer will begin to defrost when the temperature in the garage goes below 55 degrees Fahrenheit. The fresh food section may begin to freeze food slightly below this temperature. If you live in an area where the outside ambient temperature does not get below 70 degrees F or 20 degrees C then the refrigerator will work fine but to have it located in an area where temperatures drop well below this you could lose some food. There are heaters that can be adapted to the compressor if used in an unheated area. Hope this helps, Sea Breeze

You didn't include a manufacturer or model, so I can only offer general help with your problem. If you choose to provide this info later, you may get better, more specific help. The freezer compartment contains the cooling coil for the freezer and fresh food compartments. This fan in many fridges are not visible - but yours may be. Yours may also have circulation fans specifically for moving air around the fresh food compartment.

Generally, the coil is located in a protected area of the freezer (behind the back panel). The fan is arranged to pull air from the freezer floor through the coil to be cooled and blown out the top of the freezer compartment. Openings between the freezer and fresh food compartment allows a portion of the cold air to be blown into the fresh food compartment.

The first thing to do is to see what the temperatures are in both compartments. The fresh food should be about 36 degrees and freezer -10 to 0 degrees Fahrenheit. Place a glass thermometer (capable of displaying 32 degrees and up) in a glass filled with cold tap water, and place in the fresh food compartment. Place another thermometer in the freezer (capable of reading -10 and up). You can also use thermometers designed for fridge / freezer temperatures if you wish.

If there is nothing in the fridge and the door remains shut, the temperature should be seen in an hour or so. If the temperature range is obtainable, it is not likely that there is a humid condition INSIDE the fridge. You may have moisture collecting on the OUTSIDE of the fridge near doors, etc. If so, locate a humidity switch and turn it on. Many manufacturers provide this switch to turn on electric heaters in the outer part of the fridge cabinet where moisture tends to form in humid climates. These heaters operate to evaporate the moisture on the cabinet and usually come on when the freezer defrost circuit is on.

I hope this helps and good luck!

Most refrigerators cycle on and off based on the fresh foods temp. If the ambient temp is 10C and you have it set for 4C, the unit does not have to run much to satisfy the temperature control, and the temp in the freezer section will warm to + C range. (likewise, if the ambient drops to -C range, it won't mater if you set the fresh food section to +4C, it won't heat the air, and the fresh food section will eventually reach the -C ambient temp.) The only solution is to move the appliance to a warmer location or heat the room it is in. This is the only Fix-Ya for your refrigerator.

Hello. You need a new cabinet thermistor and while you are at it replace the evaporator thermistor. (The evaporator is the cooling coil behind the back wall of your fresh food section) . These sense the temperature in your frig. Both of them are behind the back wall of your fresh food compartment. You will need a wire crimper and a heat gun or lighter to heat shrink the wire connectors that come with the new ones.