This is an old video but it’s still helping people like myself. This is the most succinct and easy to understand video I’ve come across and I’ve seen quite a few. Thank You!
THIS VIDEO HELPED ME FIX MY FRIDGE. I HAD NO MONEY TO HIRE A REPAIR PERSON OR BUY A NEW ONE. I WATCHED THIS VIDEO, UNPLUGGED FRIDGE OVERNIGHT AND PLUGGED IN WHEN I WOKE UP. THE FRIDGE WORKS PERFECTLY! THANK YOU SO MUCH !!!!
This is probably the best refrigerator troubleshooting video I have ever seen. It covers various different scenario cases as well as gives a good overall understanding of how a fridge works, which is important when doing any troubleshooting.
This video is INCREDIBLE! You clearly state all the problems that could go wrong with the defrost system, how to diagnosis the problem and how to fix it. Over the summer, I am manually defrosting every 2 weeks. When I do it again in a few days, I will get my multimeter and figure out if its a bad sensor or a bad heating element and then try to fix it myself. A repairmen said it would cost $100 just to come to my rural location and diagnose the problem. I have a receipt left by the previous home owner showing he paid $200 to have the "defrost control board" replaced 10 years ago. Thanks to this video, I can determine, myself, for free, if that repair needs to be done again or if it is something else. THANKS!
Thanks to everyone for leaving such encouraging messages! I had a fairly difficult day on Friday and it was a big lift to see that even though nothing seemed to be going right for me I was still able to help a few other people out with these videos! Thanks for the comments!
I know you posted this nearly 10 years ago, but here in 2020 you sure helped point me in the right direction! Thank you for the lesson in the basics of how the auto defrost works. I'm sure that's my problem due to the back panel of the freezer just covered with frost, and after removing that panel I found the whole coil area caked with ice. I'm getting all that ice off so I can check the thermostat and heating element.
This video may have saved Christmas at our house. Now we can buy gifts and not a fridge! The instructions were easy to follow and in terms I could understand. Awesome!
Seriously, this video is amazing! Freezer was cold, fridge was warm, door was ajar this morning when I woke up. Wouldn't cool down even after 5 or 6 hours. I pulled the freezer door and bins out and lo and behold the entire coil was covered in ice. Hit it with a hair drier, filled nearly the entire evap pan, then emptied said pan. While I had it all apart, I checked the thermostat for continuity just to rule it out and all was good and well there! Put it all back together and everything is running ship shape! Thank you!!!!
So a few months ago my fridge turned off one day and didn't turn back on. I learned about the defrost timer and how turning it with a screwdriver/giving it a tap can get it going again, which worked for me for a while. However, recently my fridge no longer goes into defrost mode, and the freezer/fridge have gotten warmer. The freezer part is cold enough to preserve food and get drinks cold but can't keep ice frozen and the fridge is only slightly below room temp. I've recently replaced the temp control thermostat but that didn't work. The screwdriver in the defrost timer no longer does anything but turn the fridge off after turning it a few times. Could replacing the defrost timer be the fix or did the issue get worse? Your video quality is very good btw, you are a real professional.
As a technical support representative for Samsung home appliances UK, I find this video VERY helpful! A very easy troubleshooting tutorial for consumers, which can be used before requesting an engineer to come out to see your appliance. Thank you for this great video.
Great instructions! Our fridge was not cooling for two days and I was able to identify the problem by watching your video and fix ours. Thanks for posting applianceassistant!
This is the best description of the "defrost cycle" I have seen. It helped me fix my Maytag fridge for about $25. You have a wonderful way of describing this technical defrosting process. Thanks!
Very Great.@@. This is Links buy Refrigerator product amzn.to/1lbDX2O. It very good & cheap. free shipping. with $199.00 you save $125.99. too great. thanks read.
Your description of how side by side freezers/refrigerators work gave me the information I needed to fix my refrigerator. The compressor was working fine, the freezer was cold, but the fridge was not. I was able to find the frozen over area behind a panel in the fridge section and melt away the ice with a hair dryer. Thanks so much, you've saved us a ton of time and money!
Tha'ts awesome! Watch very closely in the next few days to a week for frost accumulating on the back wall of the freezer! If you see frost it's an early warning that you have a mechanical problem and food loss is soon to follow. Hopefully you don't need it, but if you do, I have a lot of refrigerator troubleshooting content on my website. The link is in the description of the video. Thanks for commenting!
Thank you for giving your knowledge in such a way that is easy to understand. I do have a problem with my Kenmore Frig. The freezer has not been freezing right for a little while. It is on the bottom of the system and I just thought that when we shut the frig part that the freezer door would open and that was causing the problem. While the other night the outside of the freezer part was very hot to touch. I pulled it out and the dust that was on the back was as thick as a piece of felt.
This explains a lot. My side-by-side Frigidaire's defrost stopped working and the freezer coil turned into a block of ice. With no air movement, everything started getting warm. The fridge repairman replaced the thermostat, but also said that the "board" should also be replaced at a cost of $300. He ordered the board, but for the 3 or 4 days before the part arrived, the defrost cycle operated normally both the fridge and freezer side were nice and cold. I kept checking the coil in the freezer and there was no ice buildup. I canceled any further repairs because the board was obviously not needed.
@djkaneck1 Great! Just keeping the settings on "factory recommended" in the middle should be good. Main maintenance tips would be... 1. to clean the dust out of the black coils under the refrigerator with a vacuum from time to time. 2. make sure the doors are not getting blocked from closing all the way by some rogue catchup bottle or ice cream container. Thanks again for watching, commenting, and sharing!
Eccellente spiegazione!!! 👍 Una volta compreso il funzionamento dei singoli componenti del sistema no-frost, è un gioco da ragazzi localizzare il guasto e provvedere alla riparazione. Ma attenzione a chi non ha manualità, perchè è molto alto il rischio di danni a persone e cose. Bye 👋
Love your video, others break down to sections which can be confusing, I watched at least 10 others with no result, some were bored as hell but yours is the best.... thank you
Thanks for the video, explaining where the fan was located in the freezer was spot on. Found the ice build up, the fan was hitting. Probably was my fault the vents were a bit covered. Cleaned it out, put the covers back and seems to be working fine.
Thank you. your video is clear, concise and easy to understand.The electronics are still confusing, I don't know exactly how to use a multimeter. But thank you, this is really helpful in understanding how the defrost cycle functions.
Excellent video! Informative and well produced. I actually don't think the problem my refrigerator has corresponds to the ones discussed here, but it was still interesting to learn about the problems that can occur. Added to my favorites!
You just increase my fridge knowledge by over ninethousand points. Was able to clean it up proper (drain was clogged by ice) but i don't know if it's the de-icing cycle that's not working or if it was just the clog that caused the issue.
This is most helpful to explain how the defrost system works. I will give it one more try to unplug rather than just turn off before calling a repairman.
This video helped us get our side by side fridge working when it stopped cooling. The freezer door had been left ajar (more than once). To make things worse the air conditioning broke and the room temperature was in the mid to high 80’s. We removed the crispers and found the vent going from the bottom of the fridge to the coils on the freezer side was clogged with ice. Used a blow dryer to melt the ice and it started working again.
I use a hair dryer to defrost mine every month. My refrigerator cost me 80 bucks and I am okay with it. It keeps a temperature of 40 degrees on a normal setting. Thanks for the video though it was thorough explanation. 👌🏼
I was just freaking out because my ice cream was melting and my ice maker wasn't making ice. This explains a lot. You know what they say! Now I know, and knowing is half the battle!
@applianceassistant thanks for the reply and sorry for not getting back to you sooner but the holidays were insane as usual. we did end up getting a new fridge. we got a good deal and could not be happier. thanks again for your time.
I want to say. I first watched your video in 2011, and 3 years later, it still comes in handy, let me explain how. We have the same Whirlpool-made Top-Freezer model that you showed in this video. We have one of those outdoor cabanas, and early this year our freezer door would bind just before fully closing, and none of us noticed it for a while, so, considering it is outside, you can only imagine how much humidity was going into the freezer. The ice got so bad, that it blocked off the drain hole, and when the refrigerator went into defrost, the water from the melted ice started going though the air-return slots and making puddles on the refrigerator shelves below. Since we didn't have any thing that can spoil in it yet, I took one of the steps in this video. I shut it off by the circuit breaker (because it is easier than pulling it out to unplug it) and kept it off for 2 days, because I kept the doors closed due to pollen outside. I came back to it then, and the ice was all gone, and everything was nice and dry again, so I turned it back on. 2 weeks later, there is no more huge ice build up, or puddles on the shelves. Thanks again!
Thanks so much for your video's!!....after watching several I was confident in taking on the project. Your step by step trouble shooting really gave me the confidence and expertise to properly repair my fridge and I know I saved allot of money because I didn't have to call the repair guy.....again Thanks so much, I'll be back:)
Yesterday, I defrosted my freezer by removing the back panel & using a hair dryer to melt the build-up. My fridge works again, but I noticed more build-up this morning. What can I do to prevent this from recurring? Thanks in advance!
@Terabass It sounds like you are on the right track. In most cases a heating circuit component will ether work or not...so if you can get it to work with your computer you likely have a electrical supply problems. Realistically frost should not accumulate at the diffuser unless there is a problem with the defrost system or the door was left open, so you may want to check the defrost thermostat or let it melt down before you decide if you want to fork out the cash for a new control board.
It was the thermostat. It had open circuit when testing it at freezing temp. The thermostat and heater for my model is sold as one unit. My freezer is now working normal. Thanks for the video.
Well it was worth a shot... : ) that's a tough one to recognize because have not had a refrigerator noise compared with a old truck idling in a driveway before so I have no point of reference... that's a great description though! Can you post a short video or audio clip?
Well, unplugging it didn't work. The refriderator was 13 years old though, so I got a new one. This video is very informative. Thank you for posting this. Never the less I will not put a hot pot in the refriderator again, I like to have my food last as long as possible : ) Thanx again!!
Thank you for giving your knowledge in such a way that is easy to understand. I do have a problem with my Kenmore Frig. The freezer has not been freezing right for a little while. It is on the bottom of the system and I just thought that when we shut the frig part that the freezer door would open and that was causing the problem. While the other night the outside of the freezer part was very hot to touch. I pulled it out and the dust that was on the back was as thick as a piece of felt.+
I just want to say that your information is and was a good start but my issue was the Fan motor had fail. This should be considered as well because the defrost was working. So please check to see if the fan is turning.
Anthony Pass Thanks for highlighting the fans Anthony. Defrost issues are the most common. however, the evaporator and condenser fans are definitely something to pay attention to!
@applianceassistant Yes, the fan in the freezer seems to be working fine. I can hear it and I see it blowing on things in there. I see the control housing, I think I may have to pull a few screws to get to the timer. I'll try to let it defrost a little longer first (3 hours?) before attempting invasive surgery lol. Thanks again for the vid and the response! If I do have to order parts or something, I'll definitely be getting them from your site.
You took me from zero to hero! I fixed the fridge a couple weeks ago! I've since referred many people/friends/family to it as well :) Question -- my friend left the door open overnight :/ Frost has been growing on the back freezer wall over the past 24-36 hours. I'm guessing that the defroster isn't given enough time on the cycle to melt it all away, hence the growing? What can I do besides transferring all the food and airing it out? Can I manually advance multiple melt-cycles in a row?
Ordered thermostat, thermistor and heater for my machine ( ~$90 INCL overnight shipping) While I waited I heard some had success by letting their fridge completely melt and restarting. (Ice and some dry ice for my ice chests added $20.) Sure enough, it's working! While my parts are new-in-package the online company will refund returns for a YEAR. Holding for a while in case I need them. A service visit would surely have been at least double those costs. Thanks again!
Hi, I am from Algeria. I have a certificate in repairing the fridge, air conditioner and washing machine. But I can not work in my country. Please help me to emigrate to your country and pay you money for your money.
@@عباسبوقندورة Good sir, are you still looking to emigrate? We require human conscripts for an upcoming invasion in the Gliese 581 system. We intend to eat our enemies, and we will require over 700 refridgerator engineers to keep the flesh fresh while we fight on the ground. You will be treated well, you will receive food and wear clothes, and depending on the quality of your work you may be offered the opportunity of lifetime servitude under the Empire of Zakesht, not only for yourself but also your offspring.
@sikesterone Some freezers have visible condenser coils located under or on back of the freezer. Other "hot wall" freezers use condenser coils foamed into the side walls of the cabinet for getting rid of the heat that is removed from the freezer. However if there are condenser coils under the freezer you may want to give them a good cleaning with a shop vac or an condenser cleaning brush. Dust can build up and block the heat from escaping efficiently causing parts of the cabinet to heat up.
@applianceassistant , untill now is working great , i did the defrost manualy unplugging the refrigerator also empty the water conteiner that was completely full and was obstructing the way for more water to come down( because the end of the tube finish in side the conteiner not above ). also pulled out the panel from the refrigerator and helped the deforst with a hair dryer . thanks again and a happy new year !!!!!!!!!!!!
@MrMindShifter The defrost cycle should happen every 8 to 10 hours of compressor run time which is usually every few days depending on how often you open the door. If the food is frozen generally you are okay. Ice cream is an excellent indicator of proper freezer temperatures because it changes consistency very rapidly depending on temperatures. It's also a great reason to stock some ice cream :) Mechanically the thermostat is the only thing that may be causing large temp swings...
Hi I have a GE double swing door refrigerator , freezing very good but not defrosting , I change the defrost thermostat an same issue , please advise if I should change control board or otherwise . Thank you
Yes there are many different kinds. Most are just process of elimination... check the heater and the thermostat and if the doors were not left open then it is probably the control. Some GE refrigerators have a thermistor that should read about 60Ω of resistance when 0ºF that is how the control board knows when to activate a defrost cycle. But most just have the three defrost components and no sensor. Hope that helps! Thanks for the question!
My GE seems to go into defrost too often or for too long an the ice in the ice maker bin melts along with the frozen items thawing out. The unit was not runiing this morning and I emptied the freezer and when I turned the temperature setting knobs, the unit started. When it gets cold enough I plan to follow the steps in the video. Thanks
Here is a simpler way that we use instead of all these voltage checks, through on a amperage gauge, compressor running and cold air coming out should draw 1 to 2 amps, now turn the defrost timer till it click, on comes the heater 1 to 2 amps, now heater will run till cold temp thermostat reaches 45 degrees off goes the heater element, and you tested all that with out taking off anything. Wow.
Thank you! If you are getting frost up near the front by the door you may to check the door seals... But yes probably it will work. Just make sure the door is closing and sealing well. Good luck! Thanks for the question!
You video is awesome, I should have watch it before working on my freezer. My upright freezer would get slightly cold when plugged in, but the fan would not spin even after I changed out the evaporator fan motor, relay and capacitor already but it worked for a few days only. It's making me crazy.
Thanks this was great. My side by side fridge is not working as well as it should be. My bi-metal thermostat was closed when tested. Once I warmed it up out of the block of ice it opened. I also had resistance on the heat elemenet. So it has to be the defrost timer.
Great video.... very informative Thanks. I have the same fridge and it works fine for about 4 days then I see frost in the back of the freezer wall. At this point the freezer and the fridge warm up. After unplugging it overnight and the frost thaws out it works great again for another 4 days. Is my thermostat broken ? What part do I need to replace. Please help. Thanks
Somewhere around four years ago my refrigerator had stopped the defrost cycle. I've replace the defrost timer, heater and even the refrigerator thermostat, with no avail. I've been defrosting it manually for the whole time since; about every six months. Thanks to you sharing this video, I was able to locate the part that I believe I need to get it back on track. The bi-metal thermostat. Once it arrives, hopefully this will fix the problem. Thank you for sharing this video! You may have saved me $500 or more.
Excellent video. It's great how it became more understandable when you put today's newfangled machines in context with the old ones (when we had to empty the whole thing and let it completely melt) Your explanation helped me troubleshoot and am ordering a thermostat. I'll update what happens.
@gaptoothed1 All you can really do with no tools is unplug it, open the doors and pray. But If refrigerator temperatures have been an ongoing minor issue you may want to take a close look at where the cold air enters the fresh food area. You may want to double check that model number, I don't think you have a door in the air passage...It is probably being blocked by ether frost or food. The main tool you would need is a 1/4" nut driver you could probably find at the dollar store. Good Luck!
Thanks a lot! Your video helps me understand what's wrong with our Zipel side by side fridge. It seems like in the freezer section, the heater does not activate to defrost the coils that's why the ice builds up and blocks the vents that blows cool air all the way to the top. Great video!
thank you so much LOL! i tried the flat head screw driver in the back of the fridge et voila! FIXED! YOU are AMAZING. I honestly can't thank you enough. I'm laughing at how simple that was and who knows what it would have cost to call in a repair man to fix it!!
@DavinaDrones That is an excellent point! Putting warm food into the refrigerator can cause frost to accumulate and block air passages. The defrost system should be able to correct that over a small amount of time if it is working properly. However, even short rises in refrigerator temperature can greatly reduce the life of your stored food.
I'm glad you liked it! To troubleshoot the water issue you need to follow it back to the source and see what's blocking up the works... Depending on your model you may have one or two valves, as well as a water filter. Any of these can cause that kind of problem. If you get stuck, get me a model number and I can look into it. My response time has been slow lately... lots of appliance repair needed... so little time! : ) Thanks for your comment!
hey thanks for this video. My fridge wasn't cooling so I found your vid. It is very clear and well explained. Like you said at the end of the vid, I think my problem was my kids left the freezer door open overnight (it's a basement fridge that we keeper extra stuff in). While the freezer at the top was frozen, the fridge below felt like room temperature. 2 jugs of sour milk later got me to investigating. Many thanks for this great video!
THANK YOU I WONDERED WHY MY FREEZER WAS GOING OFF FOR A LONG TIME, THANKS FOR THIS VIDEO.I THOUGHT IT WAS THE PLUG SO I PULLED IT OUT AND THEN PUT IT BACK AND IT WOULD START UP AGAIN.
If it has an electronic defrost control, it may be getting stuck in defrost. Normally the defrost cycle shouldn’t be more than an hour long. The only other reason it should be off if is the temperature is cold enough and it doesn’t need to run. Thanks for the comment!
I have a Maytag MSB1542ARW french door style frige. It is icing up in the back of the freezer where the coils and not cooling the frige too well. I have defrosted it once and it worked for a couple of days. Now it has the same problem. I will test out the thermostat and heating coil for continuity tonight. I hope it is just the thermostat.
Superb video. Clear and concise. Second time watching this. I have an old kenmore fridge and love it. A few months ago, the fridge was not cooling and had to throw away food. Ice was on the back wall. Watched several videos but that evening it was working again. Whew 😅 I am adamant about closing doors firmly and clean coils monthly. Yesterday it happened again. Had to throw away food. No ice buildup. Today, 24 hours later, it’s working fine again. All my ice packs are frozen. Could this be the defrost thermostat intermittently failing? Thanks for sharing your knowledge. Peace love and blessings 💫
Thank you! You may be expecting an intermittent issue with the defrost control device. It’s pretty rare for frost to come and go like that. I would also look at the evaporator fan motor and any airflow control device that may regulate air into the fresh food area, that may be periodically failing. That’s a strange one! Good luck!
@applianceassistant Thank you for replying. The little fan is working & I am going to get cleaning the dust out. I am suppose to be calling a repairman. I just wanted to check to see what you thought. I do hope that it can be fixed instead of getting a new one. I am going to have my two boys watch some of your videos. You really are very informative. I'm a woman & thought that you are a great teacher. Thanks again. PS Dryer is not working so good, going to watch more videos. :)
I have a Kenmore model 10676232402 top freezer. The other day it got warm in the refrigerator part below and frost built up on back wall of freezer. I unplugged it, everything is out of it now and plugged it back in. It's been running for about 3 days and has been great, no problems at all and it's still empty. I put just can drinks in the fridge part, idk if it was leaving door open 2 or 3 mins and I checked within like 15 mins after, it was definitely warmer than earlier in the day.
I was thinking that a 6 minute video won't help or cover many types of issues. Know that I have watched it I now know I was wrong. Thank you for the help.
Blessed good night to you ApplianceAssistant. You did a very wonderful video n explanation on how the fridge works, but you lost me at infinite resistance. If it's possible I will like to hear about that more indebt. You have done a really wonderful presentation that was very educational. Thank you very much. My refrigerator is not cooling but my freezer works but when I put ice trays it's not freezing. Only on the floor of the freezer. Will very much appreciate some tips on what to do pretty please.
@HackettMomma You should definitely try manually defrosting the unit first. You may have a mechanical defrost problem but it's always a good idea to try the manual defrost first. Especially on a weekend like Thanksgiving when the doors are likely to be left open on accident. Also warm food in the appliance creates steam = frost = cooling problems. Good luck! If that doesn't do it email me through my website and we can figure it out. Thanks for the comment!
Mate, amazing your video, congrats! Well, I'm having some problems with GE Smart Fresh Frost Free 410 freezer/refrigerator. It was losing performance and the freezer wasnt freezing at all. So turn it off for 30 hours and turn it on (3 hours ago) Now its worse!! The refrigerator is not refrigerating (lol) and the freezer is like a weak refrigerator. I opened that door on the freezer to reveal the fan and the inside and saw Ice only at the beginning of the tubes, the rest is on aluminum only.
@thegannclan Hot surfaces are usually an indicator the the cooling system is pulling heat from the freezer compartment correctly but it is having a difficult time getting rid of the heat that has been drawn into the system, so the heat within the system tends to try to escape from other locations such as the area between the freezer and refrigerator doors. some refrigerators have a heater to keep condensation from gathering there so its not a sure fire indicator, but a good clue.
It was the Power Control Board. Luckily, he gave me a discount on the part of: 50% which saved me $129.00 The total with part, labor & service call was: $360.00 with tax. Thanks for the compliments.....:) If I ever get to CA, I'll look you up! lol!!
This is an old video but it’s still helping people like myself. This is the most succinct and easy to understand video I’ve come across and I’ve seen quite a few. Thank You!
Thank you! Glad it was helpful!
THIS VIDEO HELPED ME FIX MY FRIDGE. I HAD NO MONEY TO HIRE A REPAIR PERSON OR BUY A NEW ONE. I WATCHED THIS VIDEO, UNPLUGGED FRIDGE OVERNIGHT AND PLUGGED IN WHEN I WOKE UP. THE FRIDGE WORKS PERFECTLY! THANK YOU SO MUCH !!!!
This is probably the best refrigerator troubleshooting video I have ever seen. It covers various different scenario cases as well as gives a good overall understanding of how a fridge works, which is important when doing any troubleshooting.
This video is INCREDIBLE! You clearly state all the problems that could go wrong with the defrost system, how to diagnosis the problem and how to fix it. Over the summer, I am manually defrosting every 2 weeks. When I do it again in a few days, I will get my multimeter and figure out if its a bad sensor or a bad heating element and then try to fix it myself. A repairmen said it would cost $100 just to come to my rural location and diagnose the problem. I have a receipt left by the previous home owner showing he paid $200 to have the "defrost control board" replaced 10 years ago. Thanks to this video, I can determine, myself, for free, if that repair needs to be done again or if it is something else. THANKS!
Great video. Well presented. Just the right balance of tech vs common sense.
This is the most informative video I've seen on UA-cam. Learned a lot from it. Thanks for posting.
Thanks to everyone for leaving such encouraging messages! I had a fairly difficult day on Friday and it was a big lift to see that even though nothing seemed to be going right for me I was still able to help a few other people out with these videos! Thanks for the comments!
By far the best video on troubleshooting a faulty fridge/freezer I've seen. Thanks so much!
I know you posted this nearly 10 years ago, but here in 2020 you sure helped point me in the right direction! Thank you for the lesson in the basics of how the auto defrost works. I'm sure that's my problem due to the back panel of the freezer just covered with frost, and after removing that panel I found the whole coil area caked with ice. I'm getting all that ice off so I can check the thermostat and heating element.
An excellent presentation here. My only mistake was not watching this one first. Two thumbs up!!!
This video may have saved Christmas at our house. Now we can buy gifts and not a fridge! The instructions were easy to follow and in terms I could understand. Awesome!
I can imagine you've helped save many people a bunch of money! You're a legend, thanks mate
Seriously, this video is amazing! Freezer was cold, fridge was warm, door was ajar this morning when I woke up. Wouldn't cool down even after 5 or 6 hours. I pulled the freezer door and bins out and lo and behold the entire coil was covered in ice. Hit it with a hair drier, filled nearly the entire evap pan, then emptied said pan. While I had it all apart, I checked the thermostat for continuity just to rule it out and all was good and well there! Put it all back together and everything is running ship shape! Thank you!!!!
Nice! Thank you!
just wanted to say thanks to this video for saving me a small fortune with my fridge freezer!
This is an absolute gold. I love this honestly. This video inspired me to get my appliance repair Springfield VA from S&E appliance repairs.
So a few months ago my fridge turned off one day and didn't turn back on. I learned about the defrost timer and how turning it with a screwdriver/giving it a tap can get it going again, which worked for me for a while. However, recently my fridge no longer goes into defrost mode, and the freezer/fridge have gotten warmer. The freezer part is cold enough to preserve food and get drinks cold but can't keep ice frozen and the fridge is only slightly below room temp. I've recently replaced the temp control thermostat but that didn't work. The screwdriver in the defrost timer no longer does anything but turn the fridge off after turning it a few times. Could replacing the defrost timer be the fix or did the issue get worse? Your video quality is very good btw, you are a real professional.
What did you do to fix your refrigerator cuz you literally verbatim described what mine is doing
Is your refrigerater running?
Best video I have seen thus far on fridge troubleshooting
As a technical support representative for Samsung home appliances UK, I find this video VERY helpful! A very easy troubleshooting tutorial for consumers, which can be used before requesting an engineer to come out to see your appliance.
Thank you for this great video.
Great instructions! Our fridge was not cooling for two days and I was able to identify the problem by watching your video and fix ours. Thanks for posting applianceassistant!
This is the best description of the "defrost cycle" I have seen. It helped me fix my Maytag fridge for about $25. You have a wonderful way of describing this technical defrosting process. Thanks!
Thanks! Glad you liked it!
Very Great.@@. This is Links buy Refrigerator product amzn.to/1lbDX2O. It very good & cheap. free shipping. with $199.00 you save $125.99. too great. thanks read.
Gary Batts
My assistant position
Thanks assistant manager
Your description of how side by side freezers/refrigerators work gave me the information I needed to fix my refrigerator. The compressor was working fine, the freezer was cold, but the fridge was not. I was able to find the frozen over area behind a panel in the fridge section and melt away the ice with a hair dryer. Thanks so much, you've saved us a ton of time and money!
Tha'ts awesome! Watch very closely in the next few days to a week for frost accumulating on the back wall of the freezer! If you see frost it's an early warning that you have a mechanical problem and food loss is soon to follow. Hopefully you don't need it, but if you do, I have a lot of refrigerator troubleshooting content on my website. The link is in the description of the video. Thanks for commenting!
Thank you for giving your knowledge in such a way that is easy to understand. I do have a problem with my Kenmore Frig. The freezer has not been freezing right for a little while. It is on the bottom of the system and I just thought that when we shut the frig part that the freezer door would open and that was causing the problem. While the other night the outside of the freezer part was very hot to touch. I pulled it out and the dust that was on the back was as thick as a piece of felt.
This explains a lot. My side-by-side Frigidaire's defrost stopped working and the freezer coil turned into a block of ice. With no air movement, everything started getting warm. The fridge repairman replaced the thermostat, but also said that the "board" should also be replaced at a cost of $300. He ordered the board, but for the 3 or 4 days before the part arrived, the defrost cycle operated normally both the fridge and freezer side were nice and cold. I kept checking the coil in the freezer and there was no ice buildup. I canceled any further repairs because the board was obviously not needed.
Now THIS guy... knows how to communicate instructions. Thank you, sir!
@djkaneck1 Great! Just keeping the settings on "factory recommended" in the middle should be good. Main maintenance tips would be...
1. to clean the dust out of the black coils under the refrigerator with a vacuum from time to time.
2. make sure the doors are not getting blocked from closing all the way by some rogue catchup bottle or ice cream container. Thanks again for watching, commenting, and sharing!
When I had it on medium it started working again. But I wanted it colder. Big mistake. Then I tried unplugging it now it doesn't work at all
Eccellente spiegazione!!! 👍
Una volta compreso il funzionamento dei singoli componenti del sistema no-frost, è un gioco da ragazzi localizzare il guasto e provvedere alla riparazione.
Ma attenzione a chi non ha manualità, perchè è molto alto il rischio di danni a persone e cose. Bye 👋
Thank you so much for uploading this! I was able to fix our refrigerator without a call to the repairman, or my dad. :D
8 years ago, if you're still alive, how long did your fix last
Love your video, others break down to sections which can be confusing, I watched at least 10 others with no result, some were bored as hell but yours is the best.... thank you
Thanks for the video, explaining where the fan was located in the freezer was spot on. Found the ice build up, the fan was hitting. Probably was my fault the vents were a bit covered. Cleaned it out, put the covers back and seems to be working fine.
Thank you. your video is clear, concise and easy to understand.The electronics are still confusing, I don't know exactly how to use a multimeter. But thank you, this is really helpful in understanding how the defrost cycle functions.
it's so informative! thank you very much, you helped a lot! I wish you good health and good luck! 😊
The best most useful video i've ever seen !! i understood everything and it wasn't long and boring, thank you
Thanks! Glad you liked it!
Excellent video! Informative and well produced. I actually don't think the problem my refrigerator has corresponds to the ones discussed here, but it was still interesting to learn about the problems that can occur. Added to my favorites!
You just increase my fridge knowledge by over ninethousand points. Was able to clean it up proper (drain was clogged by ice) but i don't know if it's the de-icing cycle that's not working or if it was just the clog that caused the issue.
This is most helpful to explain how the defrost system works. I will give it one more try to unplug rather than just turn off before calling a repairman.
This video helped us get our side by side fridge working when it stopped cooling. The freezer door had been left ajar (more than once). To make things worse the air conditioning broke and the room temperature was in the mid to high 80’s. We removed the crispers and found the vent going from the bottom of the fridge to the coils on the freezer side was clogged with ice. Used a blow dryer to melt the ice and it started working again.
I use a hair dryer to defrost mine every month. My refrigerator cost me 80 bucks and I am okay with it. It keeps a temperature of 40 degrees on a normal setting. Thanks for the video though it was thorough explanation. 👌🏼
Thanks you for helping me understand how a fridge works. Just saved me couple hundreds dollars.
I was just freaking out because my ice cream was melting and my ice maker wasn't making ice. This explains a lot.
You know what they say! Now I know, and knowing is half the battle!
@applianceassistant thanks for the reply and sorry for not getting back to you sooner but the holidays were insane as usual. we did end up getting a new fridge. we got a good deal and could not be happier. thanks again for your time.
There’s something about the American accent when spiked with intellect that really relaxes me
I want to say. I first watched your video in 2011, and 3 years later, it still comes in handy, let me explain how. We have the same Whirlpool-made Top-Freezer model that you showed in this video. We have one of those outdoor cabanas, and early this year our freezer door would bind just before fully closing, and none of us noticed it for a while, so, considering it is outside, you can only imagine how much humidity was going into the freezer.
The ice got so bad, that it blocked off the drain hole, and when the refrigerator went into defrost, the water from the melted ice started going though the air-return slots and making puddles on the refrigerator shelves below. Since we didn't have any thing that can spoil in it yet, I took one of the steps in this video. I shut it off by the circuit breaker (because it is easier than pulling it out to unplug it) and kept it off for 2 days, because I kept the doors closed due to pollen outside. I came back to it then, and the ice was all gone, and everything was nice and dry again, so I turned it back on. 2 weeks later, there is no more huge ice build up, or puddles on the shelves. Thanks again!
Thanks for posting this!
It is difficult to cover every variation on one video, so its nice when attention is called to other methods. Thank you!
Thanks so much for your video's!!....after watching several I was confident in taking on the project. Your step by step trouble shooting really gave me the confidence and expertise to properly repair my fridge and I know I saved allot of money because I didn't have to call the repair guy.....again Thanks so much, I'll be back:)
joseph c Marche You're welcome! Glad it helped!
Yesterday, I defrosted my freezer by removing the back panel & using a hair dryer to melt the build-up. My fridge works again, but I noticed more build-up this morning. What can I do to prevent this from recurring? Thanks in advance!
Check if fridge doors are closing. No air must enter e fridge.
@@collen6681 ya 9 years too late bro 😂
@@Justin-qc1hu😂
He probably bought new one by now😂
@Terabass It sounds like you are on the right track. In most cases a heating circuit component will ether work or not...so if you can get it to work with your computer you likely have a electrical supply problems. Realistically frost should not accumulate at the diffuser unless there is a problem with the defrost system or the door was left open, so you may want to check the defrost thermostat or let it melt down before you decide if you want to fork out the cash for a new control board.
i'm old enough to remember my mom defrosting the fridge every month or so when i was a kid - thanks for bringing back memories.
It was the thermostat. It had open circuit when testing it at freezing temp. The thermostat and heater for my model is sold as one unit. My freezer is now working normal. Thanks for the video.
Well it was worth a shot... : ) that's a tough one to recognize because have not had a refrigerator noise compared with a old truck idling in a driveway before so I have no point of reference... that's a great description though! Can you post a short video or audio clip?
Well, unplugging it didn't work. The refriderator was 13 years old though, so I got a new one. This video is very informative. Thank you for posting this. Never the less I will not put a hot pot in the refriderator again, I like to have my food last as long as possible : ) Thanx again!!
Iuiì2😅😅à
thank you sir. my Samsung side by side 6 year old fridge is not cooling. freezer is ok. now i have the basics
Thank you for giving your knowledge in such a way that is easy to understand. I do have a problem with my Kenmore Frig. The freezer has not been freezing right for a little while. It is on the bottom of the system and I just thought that when we shut the frig part that the freezer door would open and that was causing the problem. While the other night the outside of the freezer part was very hot to touch. I pulled it out and the dust that was on the back was as thick as a piece of felt.+
I just want to say that your information is and was a good start but my issue was the Fan motor had fail. This should be considered as well because the defrost was working. So please check to see if the fan is turning.
Anthony Pass Thanks for highlighting the fans Anthony. Defrost issues are the most common. however, the evaporator and condenser fans are definitely something to pay attention to!
@applianceassistant Yes, the fan in the freezer seems to be working fine. I can hear it and I see it blowing on things in there. I see the control housing, I think I may have to pull a few screws to get to the timer. I'll try to let it defrost a little longer first (3 hours?) before attempting invasive surgery lol. Thanks again for the vid and the response! If I do have to order parts or something, I'll definitely be getting them from your site.
You took me from zero to hero! I fixed the fridge a couple weeks ago! I've since referred many people/friends/family to it as well :)
Question -- my friend left the door open overnight :/ Frost has been growing on the back freezer wall over the past 24-36 hours. I'm guessing that the defroster isn't given enough time on the cycle to melt it all away, hence the growing?
What can I do besides transferring all the food and airing it out? Can I manually advance multiple melt-cycles in a row?
Ordered thermostat, thermistor and heater for my machine ( ~$90 INCL overnight shipping)
While I waited I heard some had success by letting their fridge completely melt and restarting. (Ice and some dry ice for my ice chests added $20.)
Sure enough, it's working! While my parts are new-in-package the online company will refund returns for a YEAR. Holding for a while in case I need them.
A service visit would surely have been at least double those costs.
Thanks again!
Awesome! I don't have the money to buy a new fridge, and I was about to look into calling a repair man. But now I don't have to. Very helpful! Lol
Hi, I am from Algeria. I have a certificate in repairing the fridge, air conditioner and washing machine. But I can not work in my country. Please help me to emigrate to your country and pay you money for your money.
عباس بوقندورة lol
@@عباسبوقندورة Good sir, are you still looking to emigrate? We require human conscripts for an upcoming invasion in the Gliese 581 system. We intend to eat our enemies, and we will require over 700 refridgerator engineers to keep the flesh fresh while we fight on the ground. You will be treated well, you will receive food and wear clothes, and depending on the quality of your work you may be offered the opportunity of lifetime servitude under the Empire of Zakesht, not only for yourself but also your offspring.
@sikesterone Some freezers have visible condenser coils located under or on back of the freezer. Other "hot wall" freezers use condenser coils foamed into the side walls of the cabinet for getting rid of the heat that is removed from the freezer. However if there are condenser coils under the freezer you may want to give them a good cleaning with a shop vac or an condenser cleaning brush. Dust can build up and block the heat from escaping efficiently causing parts of the cabinet to heat up.
Amazing video. Thank you sir!
@applianceassistant , untill now is working great , i did the defrost manualy unplugging the refrigerator also empty the water conteiner that was completely full and was obstructing the way for more water to come down( because the end of the tube finish in side the conteiner not above ). also pulled out the panel from the refrigerator and helped the deforst with a hair dryer . thanks again and a happy new year !!!!!!!!!!!!
@MrMindShifter The defrost cycle should happen every 8 to 10 hours of compressor run time which is usually every few days depending on how often you open the door. If the food is frozen generally you are okay. Ice cream is an excellent indicator of proper freezer temperatures because it changes consistency very rapidly depending on temperatures. It's also a great reason to stock some ice cream :) Mechanically the thermostat is the only thing that may be causing large temp swings...
Hi I have a GE double swing door refrigerator , freezing very good but not defrosting , I change the defrost thermostat an same issue , please advise if I should change control board or otherwise .
Thank you
applianceassista
My duel unit. It can be fridge or a freezer keeps freezing up the bottom fan. What could be wrong with it?
Yes there are many different kinds. Most are just process of elimination... check the heater and the thermostat and if the doors were not left open then it is probably the control. Some GE refrigerators have a thermistor that should read about 60Ω of resistance when 0ºF that is how the control board knows when to activate a defrost cycle. But most just have the three defrost components and no sensor. Hope that helps! Thanks for the question!
Outstanding layman terms.
My GE seems to go into defrost too often or for too long an the ice in the ice maker bin melts along with the frozen items thawing out. The unit was not runiing this morning and I emptied the freezer and when I turned the temperature setting knobs, the unit started. When it gets cold enough I plan to follow the steps in the video. Thanks
Here is a simpler way that we use instead of all these voltage checks, through on a amperage gauge, compressor running and cold air coming out should draw 1 to 2 amps, now turn the defrost timer till it click, on comes the heater 1 to 2 amps, now heater will run till cold temp thermostat reaches 45 degrees off goes the heater element, and you tested all that with out taking off anything. Wow.
MrMac5150 sorry I missed your comment from so long ago. I love using an amp meter! Very helpful. Thanks for the comment/ tip!
Thank you! If you are getting frost up near the front by the door you may to check the door seals... But yes probably it will work. Just make sure the door is closing and sealing well. Good luck! Thanks for the question!
Thanks for the tips!
You video is awesome, I should have watch it before working on my freezer. My upright freezer would get slightly cold when plugged in, but the fan would not spin even after I changed out the evaporator fan motor, relay and capacitor already but it worked for a few days only. It's making me crazy.
How to change the transmission fluid on nissan frontier
Thanks this was great. My side by side fridge is not working as well as it should be. My bi-metal thermostat was closed when tested. Once I warmed it up out of the block of ice it opened. I also had resistance on the heat elemenet. So it has to be the defrost timer.
EXCELLENT VIDEO, thank you!!! Amazing to find something so well made and informative in an age when UA-cam is becoming saturated with useless videos.
Thank YOU! I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Great video.... very informative Thanks. I have the same fridge and it works fine for about 4 days then I see frost in the back of the freezer wall. At this point the freezer and the fridge warm up. After unplugging it overnight and the frost thaws out it works great again for another 4 days. Is my thermostat broken ? What part do I need to replace. Please help. Thanks
Somewhere around four years ago my refrigerator had stopped the defrost cycle. I've replace the defrost timer, heater and even the refrigerator thermostat, with no avail. I've been defrosting it manually for the whole time since; about every six months. Thanks to you sharing this video, I was able to locate the part that I believe I need to get it back on track. The bi-metal thermostat. Once it arrives, hopefully this will fix the problem. Thank you for sharing this video! You may have saved me $500 or more.
Darren W. Taylor props to you man. I'm like that too...never give up lolll
Thank you! I installed the sensor and it has worked like new ever since.
Darren W. Taylor sqsa
Darren W. Taylor
Just want to say thank you for education us about the malfunction of the refrigerator . That was priceless .
Sincerely. Thank you sir
Thanks for taking the time to comment! Glad you liked it!
Excellent video. It's great how it became more understandable when you put today's newfangled machines in context with the old ones (when we had to empty the whole thing and let it completely melt)
Your explanation helped me troubleshoot and am ordering a thermostat. I'll update what happens.
@gaptoothed1 All you can really do with no tools is unplug it, open the doors and pray. But If refrigerator temperatures have been an ongoing minor issue you may want to take a close look at where the cold air enters the fresh food area. You may want to double check that model number, I don't think you have a door in the air passage...It is probably being blocked by ether frost or food. The main tool you would need is a 1/4" nut driver you could probably find at the dollar store. Good Luck!
Thanks a lot! Your video helps me understand what's wrong with our Zipel side by side fridge. It seems like in the freezer section, the heater does not activate to defrost the coils that's why the ice builds up and blocks the vents that blows cool air all the way to the top. Great video!
thank you so much LOL! i tried the flat head screw driver in the back of the fridge et voila! FIXED! YOU are AMAZING. I honestly can't thank you enough. I'm laughing at how simple that was and who knows what it would have cost to call in a repair man to fix it!!
@DavinaDrones That is an excellent point! Putting warm food into the refrigerator can cause frost to accumulate and block air passages. The defrost system should be able to correct that over a small amount of time if it is working properly. However, even short rises in refrigerator temperature can greatly reduce the life of your stored food.
Hi, your video helped us a lot. We got a problem with no drinking water running on our fridge dispenser and ice maker not working. Thank you.
I'm glad you liked it! To troubleshoot the water issue you need to follow it back to the source and see what's blocking up the works... Depending on your model you may have one or two valves, as well as a water filter. Any of these can cause that kind of problem. If you get stuck, get me a model number and I can look into it. My response time has been slow lately... lots of appliance repair needed... so little time! : ) Thanks for your comment!
applianceassistant Thank you for responding to my querries, the model is SAMSUNG SR-S2028CVW.
I am not getting any results with model number SR-S2028CVW. : ( That happens sometimes (not good) but would you mind double checking it for me.
This has provided me a lot of info but I would still book for a technician. Thanks for posting this one.
hey thanks for this video. My fridge wasn't cooling so I found your vid. It is very clear and well explained. Like you said at the end of the vid, I think my problem was my kids left the freezer door open overnight (it's a basement fridge that we keeper extra stuff in). While the freezer at the top was frozen, the fridge below felt like room temperature. 2 jugs of sour milk later got me to investigating. Many thanks for this great video!
🎉
THANK YOU I WONDERED WHY MY FREEZER WAS GOING OFF FOR A LONG TIME, THANKS FOR THIS VIDEO.I THOUGHT IT WAS THE PLUG SO I PULLED IT OUT AND THEN PUT IT BACK AND IT WOULD START UP AGAIN.
If it has an electronic defrost control, it may be getting stuck in defrost. Normally the defrost cycle shouldn’t be more than an hour long. The only other reason it should be off if is the temperature is cold enough and it doesn’t need to run. Thanks for the comment!
Very good explanation. Greetings from creators from Indonesia. And always success
I have a Maytag MSB1542ARW french door style frige. It is icing up in the back of the freezer where the coils and not cooling the frige too well. I have defrosted it once and it worked for a couple of days. Now it has the same problem. I will test out the thermostat and heating coil for continuity tonight. I hope it is just the thermostat.
Great videos! If you're ever needing appliance repair in Springfield, Branson, or Joplin. Give Hancock Appliance a call. Keep up the great videos!
Superb video.
Clear and concise.
Second time watching this.
I have an old kenmore fridge and love it.
A few months ago, the fridge was not cooling and had to throw away food.
Ice was on the back wall. Watched several videos but that evening it was working again. Whew 😅
I am adamant about closing doors firmly and clean coils monthly.
Yesterday it happened again. Had to throw away food.
No ice buildup.
Today, 24 hours later, it’s working fine again. All my ice packs are frozen.
Could this be the defrost thermostat intermittently failing?
Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
Peace love and blessings 💫
Thank you! You may be expecting an intermittent issue with the defrost control device. It’s pretty rare for frost to come and go like that. I would also look at the evaporator fan motor and any airflow control device that may regulate air into the fresh food area, that may be periodically failing. That’s a strange one! Good luck!
@@applianceassistant
Thanks brother!
@applianceassistant Thank you for replying. The little fan is working & I am going to get cleaning the dust out. I am suppose to be calling a repairman. I just wanted to check to see what you thought. I do hope that it can be fixed instead of getting a new one. I am going to have my two boys watch some of your videos. You really are very informative. I'm a woman & thought that you are a great teacher. Thanks again. PS Dryer is not working so good, going to watch more videos. :)
Thanks very much. Very informative and helpful. With your video, I was able to find the broken part, replace it, and get back working again
I have a Kenmore model 10676232402 top freezer. The other day it got warm in the refrigerator part below and frost built up on back wall of freezer. I unplugged it, everything is out of it now and plugged it back in. It's been running for about 3 days and has been great, no problems at all and it's still empty. I put just can drinks in the fridge part, idk if it was leaving door open 2 or 3 mins and I checked within like 15 mins after, it was definitely warmer than earlier in the day.
I was thinking that a 6 minute video won't help or cover many types of issues. Know that I have watched it I now know I was wrong. Thank you for the help.
Nice! Thank you!
I just got the control board in the mail today. Working on replacing on it tomorrow thanks for the suggestion. FixYa said the same thing.
Blessed good night to you ApplianceAssistant. You did a very wonderful video n explanation on how the fridge works, but you lost me at infinite resistance. If it's possible I will like to hear about that more indebt. You have done a really wonderful presentation that was very educational. Thank you very much. My refrigerator is not cooling but my freezer works but when I put ice trays it's not freezing. Only on the floor of the freezer. Will very much appreciate some tips on what to do pretty please.
@HackettMomma You should definitely try manually defrosting the unit first. You may have a mechanical defrost problem but it's always a good idea to try the manual defrost first. Especially on a weekend like Thanksgiving when the doors are likely to be left open on accident.
Also warm food in the appliance creates steam = frost = cooling problems. Good luck! If that doesn't do it email me through my website and we can figure it out. Thanks for the comment!
Mate, amazing your video, congrats! Well, I'm having some problems with GE Smart Fresh Frost Free 410 freezer/refrigerator. It was losing performance and the freezer wasnt freezing at all. So turn it off for 30 hours and turn it on (3 hours ago) Now its worse!! The refrigerator is not refrigerating (lol) and the freezer is like a weak refrigerator. I opened that door on the freezer to reveal the fan and the inside and saw Ice only at the beginning of the tubes, the rest is on aluminum only.
@AppAssistant It was the fan. I spun it and it kicked right on. Thanks so much for helping me :)
@thegannclan Hot surfaces are usually an indicator the the cooling system is pulling heat from the freezer compartment correctly but it is having a difficult time getting rid of the heat that has been drawn into the system, so the heat within the system tends to try to escape from other locations such as the area between the freezer and refrigerator doors. some refrigerators have a heater to keep condensation from gathering there so its not a sure fire indicator, but a good clue.
It was the Power Control Board. Luckily, he gave me a discount on the part of: 50% which saved me $129.00 The total with part, labor & service call was: $360.00 with tax.
Thanks for the compliments.....:) If I ever get to CA, I'll look you up! lol!!
Thankyou so much! You have saved my fridge freezer! Can’t thank you enough