The back wall of the freezer section ices up quickly, freezing the row of vents just above the shelf on the back wall. I've cleaned all vents/grills but it still seems there is something keeping the "no-defrost" feature from working properly. This is a Kenmore Smart Reach bottom freezer model roughly 8 years old.

well yes and no , defrosting it will temporally make it work , but main problem is there isn't proper air flow over evaporator coils id clean them with soap and water while defrosting out unit , if low airflow is allowed to continue then refrigerant gas will build to high press and escape and render unit a total replacement

if you see ice near the door the door muat not be closing all the way or the gasket could be ripped,ice will form where warm and cold air are mixing together,did you remove any of the shelves or baskets in the freezer or in the fridge?i've seen people clean out the fridge and the shelves weren't put back in correctly keeping the door open,check that or food packages that might be hitting the door,when the warm air gets in it usually freezes the air ducts,this is why the fridge is warm,all that happens is the evaporator coil in the freezer gets cold,the evap fan blows the cold air from the freezer into the fridge section and then it returns through other air ducts so if warm air is getting in it will freeze up the air ducts,you can try shutting down the machine or unplug it,remove the food from the freezer and with a hair dryer hit the back inside wall of the freezer,blow the air up into the vent holes in the back wall,if you see water dripping down through the slots you have ice up in there,keep blowing the hot air up into the holes until you don't see any more water dripping,if you can remove the ice maker and remove the back inside wall of the freezer would be better.first check the freezer back wall to see if there's any frost or like snow on it,if so you could have a defrost problem,bad jazz board,this is the computer board that's behind your digital controls in the fridge section,bad defrost thermostat or heater,also do you mean the floor of the freezer has ice on it,you could have a blocked drain in the freezer.write back with more info and let me know what you find and hopefully i can help you better.

if you can hear the fan still blowing but no cold air coming up to fridge section a common problem with bottom mount freezers is the door gets left open and the air ducts freeze up and the air can't blow up to the top.turn the control off in the freezer.remove the top shelf and the door,check to see if there are any screws one on each side of the slide arms,if there are remove them and lift the door up and out,with a hair dryer melt out the ice by blowing the hot air up each side of the back wall,also if the back inside wall of the freezer is covered with ice or like snow then you have a defrost problem but if there's no ice on back wall do what i said and blow the air up the sides of the back wall through the vents until no more water is seen dripping through the vent holes,then turn the freezer back on and check to see if you feel cold air blowing in through the vents in the fridge section,if you feel cold air then you're all set,if not keep blowing the hot air up the sides until it's melted out.let me know what you find,you'll know if the door was left open,ice will be on the ceiling near the light switch and sometimes on the top of the freezer door.
However if fan has quit totally then it will have to be replaced since it is responsible for cooling the upper part of the fridge

if you can hear the fan still blowing but no cold air coming up to fridge section a common problem with bottom mount freezers is the door gets left open and the air ducts freeze up and the air can't blow up to the top.turn the control off in the freezer.remove the top shelf and the door,check to see if there are any screws one on each side of the slide arms,if there are remove them and lift the door up and out,with a hair dryer melt out the ice by blowing the hot air up each side of the back wall,also if the back inside wall of the freezer is covered with ice or like snow then you have a defrost problem but if there's no ice on back wall do what i said and blow the air up the sides of the back wall through the vents until no more water is seen dripping through the vent holes,then turn the freezer back on and check to see if you feel cold air blowing in through the vents in the fridge section,if you feel cold air then you're all set,if not keep blowing the hot air up the sides until it's melted out.let me know what you find,you'll know if the door was left open,ice will be on the ceiling near the light switch and sometimes on the top of the freezer door

The drain is clogged. When the drain clogs it can also clogs the airflow vents. Remove the back wall of the freezer to access the drain. Remove all the ice blocking the drain and the vents. Then use a trukey baser to force hot water down the drain until water flows freely. Then mix water with baken soda and pour it down the drain. http://www.appliance-repair-it.com/refrigerator-leaking.html

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

Refrigerator Troubleshooting Refrigerator Compressor

Refrigerator Compressor Start Capacitor and Start Relay


heatman101

the defroster isn't close enough to the drain to be effective. remove the back wall of the inside of the freezer, remove the excess ice. clear out the ice from the drain using hot water and a turkey baster. there is a kit from whirlpool that uses a piece of metal and a screw around the defrost rod, but I found out that a piece of 14 gauge solid core wire with the insulation stripped off works great too. stick the stripped wire into the drain, 2 to 3 inches, and wrap the rest around the defrost rod.

How old is this frig? If it is older that 12-15 years, get a new one. Make sure there is not blockage to keep the air from circulating properly. The vent from the freezer to the cooler should also be free from blockage as well.

Open the evaporator section and make sure fan is running ,also check compressor and fan next to compressor is running .
With everything running your evaporator coil should get really cold .If everything is working as it should then check all vent for any blockage and clean out you condenser coil that is next to compressor