[darren]

Having issues with my freezer that is on top of my fridge.

I notice over the last days that certain foods(ice cream, bread, frozen juice) were not as frozen as they usually are. Ice cubes are still frozen and will freeze if I refill the tray.

Fridge seems to be working fine.

I put a thermometer in the freezer and it is reading below zero Celsius.

Fan is blowing in the freezer as there is air movement.

Coils on the back are clean.

I checked the compressor and it all seems good. I got the following readings 11ohms, 6.5 ohms, and 16 ohms.

My next guess is there is something wrong with the defrost side of things. If this is correct where would I start troubleshooting?

 

[Missouri Bound]

I put a thermometer in the freezer and it is reading below zero Celsius.

That's not good. You want it to be zero Farenheit. (about -17 C)
How old is this refrigerator?
Defrosting is done on a timed interval.
I'll guess that your refrigerator is warm as well.
Age, charge, compressor issues......too many things can be the issue.
Is this a gradual thing or all of a sudden?

 

[DerfIV]

Simple things first - is the door sealing tight? Put a dollar bill (well, it could be a C-note but that won't work any better) between the door gasket and the surface it contacts and pull it around. There should be drag on it everywhere the gasket touches.

 

[darren]

Its 13 years old, so not worth getting a tech out to look at it. Hoping I can find something and make a cheap fix for now.

 

[Missouri Bound]

Its 13 years old, so not worth getting a tech out to look at it. Hoping I can find something and make a cheap fix for now.

Well it has a few years on it. May be a small leak developed, maybe the compressor is failing. I guess it's up to you where to go next.
If you can have someone check it out cheap enough it may be worth your while.
Refrigeators can last 10 to 30 years. I actually had one that I gave away last year, still working fine.....it was from 1975.
There are a couple of things you can do. Can you get to the compressor?
While it is running, check the temperature of the two copper lines that leave the compressor. One of them, the smaller line is the liquid line. It should be warm, if not HOT when running properly. The other line is the suction line. It should be cool, if not COLD when running properly. If you have an infrared thermometer you can check these lines. And there is the touch method. I am not going to suggest that because the liquid line can be very hot.
But you know the idea. If these lines are not the proper temperature you either have a compressor problem or a lack of refrigerant.

 

[user_12345a]

Having the freezer packed too full can cause poor performance.

So can failing to defrost.

It would be a real shame to throw away a 13 year old fridge if the problem can be fixed with cheap off the shelf parts.

Any new unit will be of lower quality than what you have - new appliances are notoriously bad.

Having the coil frost up starting from one end is an indication of a refrigeration problem. Refrigerant leak repair, compressor replacement aren't worth it but all other repairs are.

 

[AllanJ]

In any frost free refrigerator the temperature in the freezer compartment will seesaw up and down. But the higher temperatures should be in the form of narrow spikes.

During the defrost cycle it is not unusual for the freezer compartment to go above 32 F briefly., It is all the stuff in the freezer that helps keep themselves cold during these (hopefuly) brief peaks.

If you do not have a recording thermometer (thermograph) you can get an idea of the fluctuations by making several dozen temperature readings, each at least an hour after the door was last opened. The vast majority of the freezer readings should be under 10 F.

When the compartment is "full" the high spikes should be smaller.

Ideally there should be a gap all around the perimeter including the rear (that is, with all the food in the middle of the space).

 

[DanS26]

I would check for heat entering the system.....

1. Door ajar or not closing properly or gasket problem.
2. Defrost timer/cycle not operating properly. (Google how to check this yourself)
3. Interior light switch staying on. (this item is often overlooked by most techs)

Next check the following.....

4. Is the fan operating correctly? (check the bolt holding the fan)
5. Clean the cooling fins.


If those are all good then the closed cycle is probably at fault and usually beyond the diagnostic capabilities of most DIY'ers.

 

[darren]

So is it possible that the defrost system is not working and causing the defrost to stay on longer than it should? I have no problem with ice in the freezer. All I read online is people fridge freezing up when the defrost system is no good.

 

[DanS26]

So is it possible that the defrost system is not working and causing the defrost to stay on longer than it should? I have no problem with ice in the freezer. All I read online is people fridge freezing up when the defrost system is no good.

The defrost cycle includes a thermostat in conjunction with the timer device. Both parts should be checked.

 

[JBoot]

So is it possible that the defrost system is not working and causing the defrost to stay on longer than it should? I have no problem with ice in the freezer. All I read online is people fridge freezing up when the defrost system is no good.

Brand name and model #? Does it have a timer or ADC?

 

[rooster4321]

When the thermostat goes bad the defrost can stop working and will cause ice build-up sometimes ice buildup is only behind the plastic wall in the back if you take that back wall off inside the freezer and look for the thermostat it's a small button like object about the size of five quarters they're cheap about 15-20 $5 worth trying

Sent from my KYOCERA-E6560 using Tapatalk

 

[ajaye]

What is the temperature of fridge and freezer ?
Really for this you need to have a thermometer in the units

I have one in freezer and fridge

your kinda pissing in the dark if you don't

Having issues with my freezer that is on top of my fridge.

I notice over the last days that certain foods(ice cream, bread, frozen juice) were not as frozen as they usually are. Ice cubes are still frozen and will freeze if I refill the tray.

Fridge seems to be working fine.

I put a thermometer in the freezer and it is reading below zero Celsius.

Fan is blowing in the freezer as there is air movement.

Coils on the back are clean.

I checked the compressor and it all seems good. I got the following readings 11ohms, 6.5 ohms, and 16 ohms.

My next guess is there is something wrong with the defrost side of things. If this is correct where would I start troubleshooting?

 

[ajaye]

Freezers work better when full, not necessarily jammed packed.
IT will make them more stable, but make sure the cooling vents aren't blocked

Having the freezer packed too full can cause poor performance.

So can failing to defrost.

It would be a real shame to throw away a 13 year old fridge if the problem can be fixed with cheap off the shelf parts.

Any new unit will be of lower quality than what you have - new appliances are notoriously bad.

Having the coil frost up starting from one end is an indication of a refrigeration problem. Refrigerant leak repair, compressor replacement aren't worth it but all other repairs are.

 

[ajaye]

older fridges may have been less efficient, but they were built like brick sh*thouses and lasted a good 20 years !

Newer equipment is crap, you'd be lucky to get 7-10 years, more like 5 ! :vs_mad::vs_mad:

It would be a real shame to throw away a 13 year old fridge if the problem can be fixed with cheap off the shelf parts.

 

[ajaye]

we've had 2 fridges in 10 years, different "KNOWN" makes, both had problems, last one I've been on my knees fixing her. Due to be diabetic, I have a small cube fridge for my insulin, just in case. Mind you newer insulins are less temperature sensitive

 

[darren]

Thanks for all the comments.

The problem is the freezer and fridge are not cold enough. Freezer is at the temperature the fridge should be so am using that store the perishables for now.

I have checked the following.
Compressor is hot/warm to the touch and sounds like it is running.
Ohm readings seemed proper for the compressor.
Start relay appears to be working
Coils are clean and condenser fan is running.
Thermostat in freezer is working, put in deep freezer and contacts closed. Warmed up and contacts opened.
Defrost heater was reading around 35 ohms, that is what the instructions said it was suppose to see.
Defrost timer tested good. Was reading across coil(using capacitor setting) and can here the timer clicking as it moves along.
1 to 4 has continuity, manually move timer until it clicks and 1 to 2 has continuity.

I am leaning towards a leak in the system as the compressor seems to be running and providing some cold air but not enough to drop the temp to where it is suppose to be.

Am I am on the right trail with my thinking or is there something else I could test.

 

[Missouri Bound]

Am I am on the right trail with my thinking or is there something else I could test.

I believe you are. Short of calling a tech there is little more you could do.
Now if your compressor had a set of service valves installed.........you could go farther.

 

[DanS26]

Just one more thing.....remove the light bulb from the freezer.

 

[Missouri Bound]

Just one more thing.....remove the light bulb from the freezer.

Down here in the south we call that "Hillbilly defroster"
It works in the well houses.