There is likely a problem with the defrost circuit or fan (but could be a low freon charge or other problem). The freezer compartment has the cooling coil with defrost heater and a fan that pulls cold air from the freezer into the fresh food compartment, based on the setting of the thermostat in the fresh food compartment. Before you dig into that, you should vacuum the condensor coil to remove dirt and dust that always collects on it. It that solves it - you're done. Otherwise, continue.
When the defrost heater fails, the area that the coil is in turns into a solid block of frost and ice. It becomes impossible for air to be drawn across the cold coil, cooled and blown into the fresh food compartment. The result is a rising temperature in the fresh food compartment - and eventually in the freezer section, too. Since the fresh food compartment contains the thermostat and the temperature never gets low enough to satisfy it - the compressor runs non-stop. That is, until the defrost timer kicks in to shut it off for 20 minutes or so.
The first thing to do is to manually defrost the freezer by accessing the cooling coil after emptying the contents of the freezer. This can be a pain in the neck to remove racks, shelves, ice maker, etc. to get to the back wall of the freezer, behind which the coil is protected. If you expose the cooling coil and it is encased in frost and ice it is a problem with the defrost circuit. If it is not - the fan is suspect. If the fan spins, check for a blocked path between the fan and the fresh food compartment.
If it is a defrost circuit problem, you'll need to check voltages and continuity on the defrost terminator & timer and defrost heating element, fans, etc. after completely thawing the ice & frost. This job isn't a good first time DIY job due to the danger of freezing skin, etc. due to possible exposure to freon in the system and the tight spaces you'll be working in with live voltages. You might want to call a pro after you've defrosted or put up another fixya request if you decide to dig in on your own and need specific help with procedures, locating parts, wiring diagrams, etc.
I hope this was a good starting point to help you decide whether to go forward or not on your own. Good luck!
Testimonial: "appreciate the quick response. i keep coils clean and suspected something in defrost cycling. will check it out tommorrow. i'll let you know."
Your Refrig/freezer should be set as follows:
Refrigerators: 36 to 40 degrees. Ideal temp is 37 Fahrenheit. Note: A temp above 42 degrees promotes bacteria.
Freezer: temp should be -5 to 6 degrees Fahrenheit. Ideal temp is 0 degrees.
Then check the door seals around the edges to see if any splits, tears or cracks have messed up the seal. This will cause your compressor to constantly run as it's trying to cool off the warm house is being sucked into the freezer (or Refrig). A sure sign the door seals are damaged is lots of ice in the freezer door area or water pooling in the bottom area of the refrigerator.
Wait about 4 hrs after you readjusted the Refrigerator/Freezer settings so everything settles down. If you still have problems then the coolant may need to be serviced (topped off) or the motor serviced/checked.
Don't procrastinate because a water heater and Refrig/freezer are the 2 largest energy users in your home- they run 24 hrs a day.
Hope this helps...
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