OT - Refrigerator not cooling, Freezer works

Kirk Grau · Aug 2, 2016

You guys always know something about pretty much everything...

Whirlpool Refrigerator with drawer style freezer on the bottom. Freezer is staying nice and cold, but upper fridge is warming up today. Bought a couple of bags of ice for now, but what do I look at to get this thing working again. Should add that it is about 4 years old.

Thanks in Advance,

Kirk

Ivan in Mich · Aug 2, 2016

Ours did that and it was frosted up around the coils. Repair man thawed it out and got a part because the defrost was stuck in the on position

Joe W. · Aug 2, 2016

Same thing happened with our bottom freezer/top refrigerator. I called a repairman and he said our defrost cycle wasn't working. He repaired it in about 30 minutes by using the warm air of a hair blower to defrost the back of the freezer where the ice had blocked the airflow to the refrigerator portion and then replaced the defrost cycle hardware. Don't know what that is but I paid the bill and everything is working normally. What else could I want.

Kirk Grau · Aug 2, 2016

That's what I love about you guys. All of 20 minutes and I have 2 replies that reasonably agree. Now just have to decide if I go ahead and call a repair guy or order some parts myself and try to fix. Just wicked busy right now with my real job, but man I find it tough to pay somebody to do something I can do myself.

Any other thoughts from the collective knowledge base here?

Kirk

Steve@Advance · Aug 2, 2016

Probably iced up, either the defrost timer or the defrost heater element. Look for signs of frost growing on the back plastic panels. You can turn it off, thaw it, see what happens. It will ice up again if the auto defrost isn't working. Also be sure the door seal is in place and the door is closing good.

Another possibility is the air circulation fan has stopped. You should hear a small fan running that brings cold air from the freezer to the fridge side.

MarkB_MI · Aug 2, 2016

Could be a plugged drain. At any rate, you'll need to defrost it. Take the liner out of the freezer until you expose all the ice and frost; after you've removed all the frost you should be able to see the drain and tell if it's blocked. If it's blocked, you can probably clear it out with a length of wire.

John T · Aug 2, 2016

When mine did that the defrost heater wasn't working and she iced up.

John T

Geo-TH,In · Aug 2, 2016

Steve I totally agree with you on all your points. Adding tow more
I had a 3 year old refrig, tenant put all the controls on the coldest setting. Then during the hot humid summer, it iced up and never recovered until I installed a new frig, put her old one in garage. Let it thaw out and nothing was wrong with it. It would defrost normally then.

About 6 months later she had the same problem with new frig. Again, iced up. I told her to turn it off, open the doors, let it thaw out and the set both controls to NORMAL and leave them there. PROBLEM SOLVED.

I could write a book on all the dumb things I've had to deal with.

Another, check condenser for lint. I think the dust bunnies can be found under beds and refrigerators. I use a fiberglass air filter, cut off the cardboard and put in front of coils. Keeps the dust bunnies out of the condenser.

My dad would get called out at 2 am to truck stops where cooks were hot and they would leave the walk in doors open on coolers and freezers. They would ice over and thing would start thawing.

Perhaps the same thing happened here, door was left open, iced up and like mine never recovered after defrost.
geo

Geo-TH,In · Aug 2, 2016

MarkB,
Not saying you couldn't have a choked drain and then drain froze up. When my drain was plugged at the tray. Then the melted defrost water ran down the inside of freezer, then on the floor in front of the refrig. Of course mine is a side by side. Never worked on a bottom freezer. Could easily look at drain pan for water. I think it much easier to blow out the drain starting at the drain pan. One time I had to take things apart from the inside. When Refrig was made a plastic plug, the kind you find on the end of new copper tubing, was blocking the drain hole. Some disgruntled worker must have put it there. geo

old · Aug 2, 2016

If you pull the little cover off the bottom and look in there you may see the heater timer. If you can see if you can cycle it by hand and wait say 20 minutes or so and then cycle it back to cooling. You turn it till you hear it click then stop wait 20 minute then turn it again till you hear the compressor kick back in. One of my side by side did that and I would spin the defrost timer once a day and then one day it was back to working as it should have been. Never did figure out why it stopped working and then all at once started to work again

ditchwitch · Aug 2, 2016

Amen to that. The knowledge here on this site is off the charts. I love this place i come here every day several times during the day just to pop in and read. I believe they can or have knowledge to fix and cure moles ,colds and sore butt %oles. And maybe marriage counseling too . Actually i dont think folks here care if you ride the short buss or lick windows or occasionally pee on yourself they are all here willing to help. LOL

Tractorcedric · Aug 2, 2016

We have one just like yours and it was not working top or bottom. I did a lot of research on the net and did find that at one time Whirlpool had an update on the drain tray for the defroster but customers were not notified. But you have some real good info on here. If it can't defrost it won't be able to cool. Also make sure the fan inside the fridge is working! We were not so lucky. The thing is on an extended warranty with A BIG Box store and they sent a service guy out. He said it needed a new compressor and had to order parts. Don't know how this will turn out but so far I wish I had not bought the extended warranty. We can't just go get a new one till somebody 2000 miles away makes a decision. Not fun working out of a cooler when it is this hot! I might add I have spent a lot of time on hold.

Geo-TH,In · Aug 2, 2016

I never was a fan of extended warranties until I got on 11 years ago when I bought a new car. Now the way things are made I get more than my money's worth on just one service call. I'll buy extended warranty on many things.

MarkB_MI · Aug 3, 2016

George, if the drain is plugged the freezer won't defrost properly because all the water will stay in the freezer and refreeze. Eventually the frost will block off the vents to the refrigerator section. Yes, you will see water in the fridge as well.

In my fridge the only way I was able to get it cleared was to run a five foot long piece of 14 gauge electrical wire up through the drain hose. There's a valve in the freezer end that made it impossible to blow out from below or clean out from above. YMMV.

showcrop · Aug 3, 2016

Kirk, read posts again. Don't order parts, first try just defrosting. BTDT. In addition I found that mine had a nearly plugged coil on the bottom that I didn't know was there. I thought that it was in an enclosure on the back.

Kirk Grau · Aug 3, 2016

Yeah, I wouldn't buy parts without a little trouble shooting first to narrow it down.

Just very busy with my "real" job this week and honestly might not be able to get to it.

~Kirk

Dr. Walt · Aug 3, 2016

Tongue-in-Cheek . . . Since COLD settles and HEAT rises, just turn your refrigerator upside-down. Problem Solved. LOL

:>)

mj · Aug 3, 2016

(quoted from post at 18:49:47 08/02/16) When mine did that the defrost heater wasn't working and she iced up.

John T

Yep - that happened several times in the 25+ years that my old GE side by side was here.

North Gower Al · Aug 3, 2016

Different make and model but we had the same problem, the coil was not frozen and the fan was working. There is an air return vent between the fridge and the freezer, a slice of cheese had fallen down under the vegetable bin and was sitting on top of the air return vent. This stopped the cold air circulation,.... The freezer stayed cold and the fridge warned up, very simple fix when I finally found the problem.

Al

guido · Aug 3, 2016

Hello Kirk Grau,

Probably a frosted evaporator due to a clogged drain. You'll have fun removing the bottom drawer, and the side panels. The fix is taking a piece soft lead from the defroster heating element down into the drain. Usually that is all you bave to do. You should be seeing water on the front though! If not you should check and see if the defroster is working,

GUIDO.

OT - Refrigerator not cooling, Freezer works

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