Frigidaire refrigerator

[Nandy]

Model frt8b5hw0 Ser# ba71900342, Almost 2 years old.

The freezer part is cooling fine but the refrigerator part is not. If I almost close the freezer I can feel the draft of cold air escaping the door. But if I do the same in the refrigerator part i really dont feel anything. I only see one compressor so I will assume the compressor is good as the freezer is not having any problems. The milk spoiled in the refrigerator.... I assume that there is a separate fan for the freezer and refrigerator? Is that it? Any help and or guidance will be appreciated.

Thanks!!!

 

[Xcusme]

Re: Frigidaire refrigerator

On a side by side unit....
You should have two vents into the main food compartment. One near the top, another near the bottom side panel. Freezer air is blown into the box through the top vent and returns to the freezer compartment through the bottom side vent. So basically your recirculatng freezer air to the food side. A Manual control , that either allow more or less freezer air to circulate determines the food side temperature. If either of the two vents are blocked, the air won't circulate the the box temp will rise. Make sure that the recirc. fan is indeed pushing freezer air to the food side. Check to see that the recirc. fan is working and that the lower vent into the freezer (from the food side) isn't blocked as well.

Another thing to check, is the defrost timer working? If it's not, the coils on the freezer side get covered with ice and can't properly cool the freezer air. This raises the freezer air temps and the food side as well.

 

[Nandy]

Re: Frigidaire refrigerator

This is not a side by side unit. Is top freezer and bottom refrigerator. But you have given me the idea of how it works, hopefully, the principle is the same. Funny, I was thinking on how could I get a conduit from the refrigerator to the freezer!!! LOL!
Thanks for the info!

 

[Adjuster]

Re: Frigidaire refrigerator

You also need to take a shop vac to all the workings in the back of the fridge. Get every bit of dust out and it will run much better.

 

[SS MAYFLOAT]

Re: Frigidaire refrigerator

There should be a knob to adjust for the cold air to draft down into the fridge part. Same principle as the side by side. If you notice in the next few days that the freezer just doesn't seem to be as cold,,,,,,the evaporator coil is probably iced over which usually means the defrost timer is shot. Being 2 years old for it to go bad is possible. It maybe made in the USA, but lots of the works are made else where.

 

[Xcusme]

Re: Frigidaire refrigerator

If the vents are clear, you might want to put a thermometer in the freezer. If it reads only about 32 degrees, you're defrost timer is suspect. If the freezer coils have frost on them, the freezer temperature won't drop, the frost insulates the coils.
Pull the drip pan behind the bottom kick panel and see if there's water in it or shows signs of recent water. When the defrost timer kicks in, it stops the compressor, and heats the defrost wires under the freezer compartment. The heated wires melt any frost from the coils. The water flows down to the drip pan where it evaporates in the air flow coming from the compressor. The defrost timer is a simple clock motor with wired contacts that control either the compressor or heater. Typically the compressor contacts are closed for 23 hours, then switch to heater mode for the last hour to defrost the freezer coils. Then it switches back to compressor mode to start the daily cycle again. Some timers are on an 8 hour cycle etc.This is a simplified description.

 

[Pierutrus]

Re: Frigidaire refrigerator

Take a look at this.

http://www.applianceaid.com/frig_notcold.html

I also scan this site when help is needed for any of my problematic appliances.

http://www.applianceblog.com/mainforums/index.php

Hope this helps.

 

[Nandy]

Re: Frigidaire refrigerator

Thanks guys!!! I will check it tomorrow and will update y'all!!!

 

[NoKlu]

Re: Frigidaire refrigerator

You want to take the panel out of the freezer to expose the coils in it. Some are on the bottom and some are on the back wall of the freezer.You will probably find a solid block of ice. If thats the case take a hair dryer and melt all of the ice. Do not try to chip the ice! One hole and you can toss the fridge away.Check the vent that runs down into your fridge to make sure it's not blocked as well.Your fridge should work fine for a while till it freezes solid again. It will be the timer or the defrost element that needs replacing. I'm surprised oops! never got in on this. We fixed and sold thousands of fridges in the last few years.

 

[Nandy]

Re: Frigidaire refrigerator

The first thing I found was that the opening from the freezer to the refrigerator was plugged frozen solid. There was no ice in the freezer cooling coils. However, the evaporator fan dont seem to be working. I would like to make sure it is the fan and not the sensor that should turn it on. Other than measuring the impedance of he motor is there anything I can short to test it? Right now it looks between the thermostat for the fridge and the fan.
Thank you!

 

[SS MAYFLOAT]

Re: Frigidaire refrigerator

During the defrost, the fan should be off and the defrost heating element should be energized.

 

[Nandy]

Re: Frigidaire refrigerator

The defroster timing seems to work fine. The heating element measures 40 ohms. The condenser fan is not kicking in. I put a voltmeter and as long as the thermostat was on and the defroster timer was not in defrost i had 120 volts at the motor leads. Seems that motor is bad. The reason I believe the freezer/fridge opening was full of ice/frost is that the freezer is almost all of the time full and sometimes the freezer door will open thawing the contains of the freezer enough to have condensation or water flow to that opening. The door is closed and the water in the opening freezes. Do this many times in the year and i am convinced you can plug this opening. I will check with sears to see if they have it in stock and the pricing. We shall see....

 

[NoKlu]

Re: Frigidaire refrigerator

The drain tube is probably plugged. Make sure you clean it. It runs down the back of the fridge to the pan on the bottom.

 

[oops!]

Re: Frigidaire refrigerator

hi nandy.... no klu pm'ed me this post.......sorry i didnt see it sooner.

take the fan out and put 110 volts to it.....if it doesnt turn on....its dead.

there has to be a few used appliance places in your area....used fans are a dime a dozen.

if the fan turns on with 110 volts.....then its the switch......there can be a switch on your fridge that turns the fan off when the door is open.....(the same kind as the light bulb switch in the fridge section).if you have a tester.....then put the probes into the fan socket and press the door close switch........you should then see power to the fan....if not....the switch is toast.

cheers
oops

 

[Nandy]

Re: Frigidaire refrigerator

ok guys, replaced the fan and its working now. the fan cost me almost $50... it was online for $25 + shipping but it was too much waiting. to expedite the delivery would be as expensive or more than the local place. Thanks everyone for the help!