Hello All
I just can't figure out why my Fridge & freezer are not cooling. I have moved every thing from the freezer to my Deep freeze & everything from the fridge side to the freezer as the freezer temp is sitting @ 45 Deg. The fridge is @ 60 Deg. The coil seams to be covered with frost 3/4 of the way down ( bottom 1/4 wet ), then the next time I open it ( about 1-1 1/2 hrs later ) only the top 1/4 of the coil is covered in frost. I tested the thermostat with an ohm meter ( just turned the meter to buzz ) with the t-stat frosted up ( buzz tells me it is OK? ). I also took the 2 wires off the heating element bellow the coil & tested it the same way & again buzz.The fans & compressor are all running with no frost on the coil in the back of the fridge ( next to the compressor ). I have no idea about this stuff but just followed what I got off the internet. Could it be a freon leak? Auto defrost malfunction? I am @ a loss & just can't afford to have a repair man come in to find the problem.

Thank You For Your Time

Rob

Any help? Please...

Have you checked the condenser coils? Remove the back cover and spray down the condenser coils with a good spray cleaner, then wash off fan and coils with a sprayer on a water hose. After you do this then you can see if you have any other problems, but a refrigerator must have a way of moving heat out of it.

Have you checked the condenser coils?? Remove the back cover and spray down the condenser coils with a good spray cleaner, then wash off fan and coils with a sprayer on a water hose. After you do this then you can see if you have any other problems, but a refrigerator must have a way of moving heat out of it.

drtom4444:
Thank you for your reply.
I just cleaned the condenser coil & whole area under the fridge. What concerns me is that it wasn't that dirty ( little bit of fluff on the coils & fan ) but I cleaned as you recommended. The line from the compressor to the condenser is warm but not hot & the line from the condenser that goes up in to the freezer is cool but not cold. After the fridge has been plugged in for 2 days the freezer is at 31 deg. & the fridge is at 48 deg. If I can find the problem I can have an appliance tech come in to fix it if need be. I just don't have the funds to pay a tech to do what I should be able to do. If you could lead me to the next step I would greatly appreciate it.
Again BIG THANKS for your time.

That type of setup that I see is one where if the side where the coils are located is not sealed on the back then almost no air will flow over the condenser coils. I hope that it is sealed, if not, it will cause it not to cool. Let me know.

If the back was on the unit and it was not cooling there are two possible causes: a leak or bad valves in the compressor. Since compressors using the new gas, necessitated by having the Montreal Protocol rammed down our throat by the democrats, don't last too long that could very well be the problem. For some reason this gas makes the inside coils get leaks which you see more so in cars. Look at this: Ozone Hole Science Revisited - Hit & Run : Reason.com (http://reason.com/blog/2007/09/27/ozone-hole-science-revisited)

That type of setup that I see is one where if the side where the coils are located is not sealed on the back then almost no air will flow over the condenser coils. I hope that it is sealed, if not, it will cause it not to cool. Let me know.

Thank You
I put the cover back on. Is it OK to leave the cover inside the lower freezer area off. It's the cover that goes over the coil & thermostat inside the freezer. I am trying to keep the freezer area as cold as I can to save our milk etc...
Thank you

If the back was on the unit and it was not cooling there are two possible causes: a leak or bad valves in the compressor. Since compressors using the new gas, necessitated by having the Montreal Protocol rammed down our throat by the democrats, don't last too long that could very well be the problem. For some reason this gas makes the inside coils get leaks which you see more so in cars. Look at this: Ozone Hole Science Revisited - Hit & Run : Reason.com (http://reason.com/blog/2007/09/27/ozone-hole-science-revisited)

Very Interesting.
Is there Any way to test this or detect a leak ? Is it worth fixing ? I don't mind doing the leg work if it means saving my fridge.
Thank You

Rob

You did not answer my question about the rear cover. I need to know that first.

You did not answer my question about the rear cover. I need to know that first.

Sorry
Yes the back cover has been on. I only took it off to clean the condenser coils then put it back on.

Thank you

Ok, the only really good leak detector is a De-Tek leak detector which costs about $350.00. You would have to hook up gauges to the unit and pressurize it enough to be able to test it. Is the compressor running very hot? A compressor that has bad valves will run very hot and unfortunately, one that is low on refrigerant, too. I think you are going to have to call someone to fix it as there is very little you can do without training and tools. Look at this: Ozone Hole Science Revisited - Hit & Run : Reason.com (http://reason.com/blog/2007/09/27/ozone-hole-science-revisited)
That's why our refrigerators don't last very long any more. The new gases are less efficient and burn out compressors much faster. I have seen refrigerators made in the 1930s and 1940s that still work perfectly now because R-12 was used. The oil works better and they don't leak as easily, either. We need to get the Montreal Protocol repealed since the Dems rammed it down our throat pursuant to a phony "ozone hole" that is a thinning of the ozone over the South Pole caused by no sun hitting it two weeks a year, not freons. It does not happen in the northern hemisphere where the gases have been used. Now you can't buy the good efficient gases and the new gases cost up to 25 times more than R-12 or R-22 which were $1.00 a pound in 1990.

Ok, the only really good leak detector is a De-Tek leak detector which costs about $350.00. You would have to hook up gauges to the unit and pressurize it enough to be able to test it. Is the compressor running very hot? A compressor that has bad valves will run very hot and unfortunately, one that is low on refrigerant, too. I think you are going to have to call someone to fix it as there is very little you can do without training and tools. Look at this: Ozone Hole Science Revisited - Hit & Run : Reason.com (http://reason.com/blog/2007/09/27/ozone-hole-science-revisited)
That's why our refrigerators don't last very long any more. The new gases are less efficient and burn out compressors much faster. I have seen refrigerators made in the 1930s and 1940s that still work perfectly now because R-12 was used. The oil works better and they don't leak as easily, either. We need to get the Montreal Protocol repealed since the Dems rammed it down our throat pursuant to a phony "ozone hole" that is a thinning of the ozone over the South Pole caused by no sun hitting it two weeks a year, not freons. It does not happen in the northern hemisphere where the gases have been used. Now you can't buy the good efficient gases and the new gases cost up to 25 times more than R-12 or R-22 which were $1.00 a pound in 1990.

OK. Thank You
The compressor is warm but not hot. I can hold my hands on it and it is warm but not to hot that I have to pull away.

Thanks
Rob

That's really strange. You will definitely need a technician to check it out.

That's really strange. You will definitely need a technician to check it out.

OK
Thank you very much for your Expert opinion.
I think I have enough info so that the tech can look @ the freon level as the problem.
Again
Thank You

Rob

That's really strange. You will definitely need a technician to check it out.

I do have a 1999 fridgedaire fridge with 2 couplers off the compressor ( picture below ). Could this be used in any way for testing. Sorry just trying to save $$ any way I can.

Thank You

Rob

Hi Dr Tom
I just happened to hear the compressor shut down & my fridge kicked into auto defrost. The temp shows -6 freezer & 33 fridge ( this is not correct as nothing in the freezer is frozen ). The compressor kicked back on about ten minutes later. I did read somewhere that auto defrost comes on after X amount of hours compressor run time. I had unplugged the fridge for about 1/2 hour to clean the condenser coil & after I plugged it back in it only ran for a couple of hours before defrost kicked in. does this mean or help anything? As I said I have no knowledge in this so I am just reaching into thin air for a solution.
Thanks Again

Rob