Ben… What model FLIR camera did you use? I’ve been looking at those for several years… They have numerous models with all different prices… (and they’re not cheep) do you recommend that particular model IR camera? I see cheaper ones on Amazon and I’ve heard from colleagues that they all suck… If you can put a link in the description for the model camera that you have I would appreciate it. Good job on the fix for the Frigidaire …..😂 I have actually done a similar repair about a year and a half ago… I guess great minds think alike🤠
Hey Ike! Great question! The EXACT UNIT I am using in the video is the FLIR One Pro. This is the link: amzn.to/3XG4Xim There are a few options on that Amazon link: I am using the Pro USB-C which was, I think, $400-450 when I got it in October last year. Everything you're seeing on the screen is what I really see on my Samsung Galaxy smartphone. It works great, but the frame rate sucks (10fps, but if you're inspecting things, does that matter?). It does have two or three caveats to it: 1) Recording a video within the FLIR ONE system/UI/app (which you have to download an app to use) is not good. You do not get the overlay information whatsoever if you want to save/record it (although its always displayed for you on Realtime). I had to use an app to record the smartphone screen, THEN run the app which then properly saves it 2) Startup time can be really odd as it calibrates. Sometimes it takes 10 seconds, other times 30. But beyond these two nitpicks, its a great system. Highly recommended. I have so much fun with it analyzing areas @ our shop that have bad thermal properties for weatherproofing. Turns it into a video game to hunt stuff down with spray foam.
Yes. I was/am very surprised. This is an issue thats existed for like... 5-7 years. They keep silently buying off the customers and offering heavy discounts on new units from what I have heard (please dont quote me as an absolute authority on this). But very well documented on FBDM + FFIM models and some SXS as well, from my understanding. Some of these we've gotten in have been absolutely evil in terms of rust compromising but sadly, when I finally had time to make the video, this was all I had for size on the damage but its easy to find the far worse violators out there, which are showcased within the video.
@@bensappliancesandjunk I saw a few Samsungs doing the same thing when they developed that frozen heat exchanger/cap tube win the French Door Fresh Food Section. It’s a shame this high dollar units all have issues.
@@bensappliancesandjunkSupposedly they fixed it. The ones before 2017 are the condemned ones, then they had a gap until 2019. Those use air handler kits.....im waiting for the inevitable
Just found this exact home on the back of my fridge!! Water has damaged my floor and the freezer is constantly defrosting with ice all over the bottom! Grrr
Ben, I decided to take my ice maker out completely as we don't have a water hookup. There is still the coil/evap mounted inside the back of the fridge. Is this an issue? The fan and auger etc have all been removed. I'm going to tackle the foam/rust situation but don't want to shoot myself in the foot!
Dude you are the man! This is the only video that shows HOW TO FIX the problem. We bought our fridge used and it had the usual repairs, but still had freezing issues. My "damage hole" is about 18" x 10". I cut out the skin by carefully using a pair of straight tin snips. The affected area of foam seems to be where the aluminum skin is loose. We bought the unit as a garage fridge. After the repairs are made using your methods, I will coat the entire back of the fridge with 3/4" neoprene foam panels to help the fridge stay cooler in my climate.
I found by searching that Frigidaire had a foam panel kit that would cover the entire back of the fridge but the kit wasn't sold anymore and Frigidaire wouldn't warranty the issue. What i did was order a large 1/2 inch thick panel of high density foam and after removing the rust i used contact cement to glue the foam on the entire back. I then glued a smaller piece over the issue area basically doubling up on the foam. . This fixed the problem . Sometimes you can find this same foam in garden centers as knee pads.
Hi, I have the Electrolux version EW23BC71ISP and I keep getting water that freezes coming down the back of icemaker and collects in bottom of big thermostat-controlled drawer. Ice maker coil is fine and not frozen, and DF seems to work fine. No water leaks at icemaker or within the cabinet. I have cleaned resealed, had the kit put on during warranty period. Verified drain hole was not frozen and cleaned with water, but after one day there is already water forming ... I unfortunately found our rust spot when the freezer stopped working and I pulled it out to clean and found an ice ball attached to the fridge and wall. I had to cut out the bad drywall and placed a 2" insulations board over the area after it was treated. May go back in to cut the waterlogged insulation and foam as you suggest, if I can figure out what is causing this water issue. Awesome videos!
I just found this on the back of my 12YO fridge. I let the fridge defrost for three days and things were fine for a month. Now the coiled water line inside the fridge keeps freezing up - so no ice or water through the door. Are these issues related or is the water coil a different problem?
Ben thanks for the video. I am experimenting with four foam fillers for this project. Daptex doesn’t cure well so I listed it last. Noticed this was on your listed of suggested foams. I have listed best to worst: Great Stuff, Hani Foam, Gorilla and Daptex. My rating is based on effective curing and expansion. Would you agree with that order?
I'll remember that next time, but it showed the same Temps on the shiny metal surface as it did when the metal was hacked away exposing the insulation underneath...
@@bensappliancesandjunk It was looking at a reflection of something at that temp, or at best it was a combination of the two temps. Remember it's just a camera that sees a different wavelength than our eyes, but most of the same visual properties apply. An exception being these only see the first surface, so looking at glass will only show the surface of the glass and not show what's behind the glass. It might show what the object behind the glass is DOING to the temperature of the glass, but it's not looking through it. (Borosilcate glass behaves differently, and I/R does pass through that which is how inspection windows work on electrical inspection ports) You can prove this by looking at the Chrome on a hot vehicle. The chrome reflects sky which has no surface and appears cold so the temp will be some number well outside your range. I/R cameras are cool and useful but can lead you astray if you don't remember how they work. It proved the point you wanted to make perfectly so no harm done.
We’ve had this refrigerator since it came out in 2006 I think? Somewhere an thereand we had the icemaker gasket kit put on from the appliance store we bought it from but now it’s progressively gotten worse and rusted all the way through. There’s even ice buildup underneath the icemaker inside the refrigerator cabinet. Would this fix that you’re showing here Seal that void up? I mean, is it sucking warm air through the rust in the back or is there a leaky seal in the door somewhere so I can warm air in through that icemaker. Let me know What you think because I’m thinking about doing this repair.
I am servicer for them we would install a large foam and rubber pad over the back to reinsulate and seal but 5hey don’t make it anymore most are over 10 yrs old now
I've always wanted a freezer/refrigerator that had more space in the freezer section than the refrigerator section, maybe 60 or 65 percent freezer. Why does no one make such a thing?
Thank you so much. My electrolux has this problem in spades. I noticed when it started tripping the GFCI. As I have about resigned myself to having to buy a new frridge, I don't really have anything to lose by trying this fix. Have you seen a typical spot that might be responsible for this tripping the GFCI once every 8 to 48 hours?
Refrigerators generally hate GFCIs. The compressor as it gets older pulls higher amps than it initially did when immediately starting. The GFCI is set to trip when it passes a particular threshold of amperage. Likewise, a defrost stage, particularly the heater itself, can cause it to trip. It's a "ground fault circuit interrupter". All it needs is one teensy bit of humidity or moisture and its enough to set it off.
Interesting to know what was going on in the fridge with a huge rust spot that I had replaced (and why nobody wanted to repair it). In this case, it was a Kenmore that had come with the house, and I replaced it with a GE fridge w/o any through-door water/ice, based on your recommendations in a video from 2022 and what was available in my area to buy.
Ben I have a 42 inch GE Monogram that is 20 years old.It’s starting to act up.What would you suggest to replace it.A Sub Zero is about 12 to 14 thousand,don’t know if I want to spend that.Thanks
does this problem exists only in the fridges with ice makers/dispensers on the fridge's side OR it also exists with ice makers is in the bottom freezer?
Ben - I followed your instructions and removed the compromised foam. Before I pack the new foam back do I need to insulate the copper refrigerant pipe?
the spray foam you use is the insulation for the copper pipe.... So I had 3 layers of sealant. First layer was the spray-in foam, then the liner (FV516), then the HVAC tape. The spray foam will line and insulate the pipe just fine.
I never heard of anything like happening years ago, why is it happening now? Is it because of the French door refrigerators that are all the rage now? if someone wanted ice and water dispensers, wouldn't a side by side model work better?
The unit in the video was a 2012 model. This issue from what I've seen took 4-8 years for the problems to show themselves in the wild, so they are still popping up. However, its been happening to other units on the market more often too, and the fix should be nearly the same. Generally, the icemaker system starts frosting over, and the physical ice pushes at the refrigerant pipe closer to the metal wall, causing the thermal transfer from the refrigeration cycle to the back wall, resulting in the unit basically cooling/freezing on the outside as well as inside the fridge
Did I miss any mention of what needs to be repaired with the ice maker to prevent this from occurring? I do have a rust spot on my Frigidaire side by side but my ice maker is different then the one from this video.
Hi, I am STILL WAITING for the Ice Maker kit to show the video off to you! I've been waiting for a SOLID MONTH. When I made this video, I assumed I'd have the kit in hand within 3-5 days to do that part of the install and video. But guess what? Still not here. Its horrible.
thanks for the tip. isn't the problem much larger as evidenced by some rust in other areas? in addition, is it possible that this be diagnosed by touch. i mean, if the outside surface is cold to touch then that is lost efficiency and high chance of rust of the rear cover.
The reason why these fridges are developing these problems is because the ice maker is in the fridge not freezer my grandma has a french door and it is nothing but problems I would never buy one
@justinjones6810 ice makers across the board tend to have issues because of water expansion, freezing, melting, thawing and twisting. The rust is pretty unique to Frigidaire. They had a way of fixing it that made it worse though
In THIS particular one, the pipe wasn't close to the wall, but the ice maker was over-frosting causing impregnation of the insulation. On other units, like the ones I showed in the video that weren't this, the pipe can get jammed against the wall over long periods of time leading to a much worse situation.
@@bensappliancesandjunk Perfect kind of problem for me. I did fix a samsung washer from 2008 by digging out epoxy and replacing a 7805 5V regulator. Swapped the capacitors once I knew I got it fixed and it's been great. I guess the planned obsolescence of the model was that board, which was impossible to find 4 years later. My favorite are fridge taht leaks because of a clogged drain....im too honest else id have a hoard of fridges, and im no repairman !
A serious warning to everyone that attempts this. Although your refrigerant line SHOULD be deep enough into the foam that you can use a Dremel or cutoff tool, it may not be! I learned the VERY hard way: My line was flush against the rear wall, I nicked it, and now I'm refoaming/repairing rust AND evacuating the system, recharging it and welding the hole in the line. What a PITA. I think Ben should update his video as this is more common than he leads on!
The explanation of the cause of the rusting issue is evidence enough that dremeling may or may not risk cutting into the cooling system. It's a "do at your own risk" type job. Just like trying to reverse engineer LGs with linear compressors.
Ben… What model FLIR camera did you use? I’ve been looking at those for several years… They have numerous models with all different prices… (and they’re not cheep) do you recommend that particular model IR camera? I see cheaper ones on Amazon and I’ve heard from colleagues that they all suck… If you can put a link in the description for the model camera that you have I would appreciate it. Good job on the fix for the Frigidaire …..😂 I have actually done a similar repair about a year and a half ago… I guess great minds think alike🤠
Hey Ike! Great question! The EXACT UNIT I am using in the video is the FLIR One Pro. This is the link: amzn.to/3XG4Xim
There are a few options on that Amazon link: I am using the Pro USB-C which was, I think, $400-450 when I got it in October last year. Everything you're seeing on the screen is what I really see on my Samsung Galaxy smartphone. It works great, but the frame rate sucks (10fps, but if you're inspecting things, does that matter?).
It does have two or three caveats to it:
1) Recording a video within the FLIR ONE system/UI/app (which you have to download an app to use) is not good. You do not get the overlay information whatsoever if you want to save/record it (although its always displayed for you on Realtime). I had to use an app to record the smartphone screen, THEN run the app which then properly saves it
2) Startup time can be really odd as it calibrates. Sometimes it takes 10 seconds, other times 30.
But beyond these two nitpicks, its a great system. Highly recommended. I have so much fun with it analyzing areas @ our shop that have bad thermal properties for weatherproofing. Turns it into a video game to hunt stuff down with spray foam.
Hey thank you for this. I will be fixing my own fridge
Surprised there is not a class action lawsuit on this model since it’s a well known and documented issue. Sort of like the LG compressor failures.
Yes. I was/am very surprised. This is an issue thats existed for like... 5-7 years. They keep silently buying off the customers and offering heavy discounts on new units from what I have heard (please dont quote me as an absolute authority on this). But very well documented on FBDM + FFIM models and some SXS as well, from my understanding. Some of these we've gotten in have been absolutely evil in terms of rust compromising but sadly, when I finally had time to make the video, this was all I had for size on the damage but its easy to find the far worse violators out there, which are showcased within the video.
@@bensappliancesandjunk I saw a few Samsungs doing the
same thing when they developed that frozen heat exchanger/cap tube win the French Door Fresh Food Section. It’s a shame this high dollar units all have issues.
I’m a service tech and have recently found they they have stopped buying them back from customers 😬
@@bensappliancesandjunkSupposedly they fixed it. The ones before 2017 are the condemned ones, then they had a gap until 2019. Those use air handler kits.....im waiting for the inevitable
Just found this exact home on the back of my fridge!! Water has damaged my floor and the freezer is constantly defrosting with ice all over the bottom! Grrr
I always appreciate your meticulous descriptions of process and the novelty of subject matter you present.
Can you recommend a good appliance brush for cleaning out the coils on refrigerators? Everything online seems to be junk.
Ben, I decided to take my ice maker out completely as we don't have a water hookup. There is still the coil/evap mounted inside the back of the fridge. Is this an issue? The fan and auger etc have all been removed. I'm going to tackle the foam/rust situation but don't want to shoot myself in the foot!
Dude you are the man! This is the only video that shows HOW TO FIX the problem. We bought our fridge used and it had the usual repairs, but still had freezing issues. My "damage hole" is about 18" x 10". I cut out the skin by carefully using a pair of straight tin snips. The affected area of foam seems to be where the aluminum skin is loose. We bought the unit as a garage fridge. After the repairs are made using your methods, I will coat the entire back of the fridge with 3/4" neoprene foam panels to help the fridge stay cooler in my climate.
I found by searching that Frigidaire had a foam panel kit that would cover the entire back of the fridge but the kit wasn't sold anymore and Frigidaire wouldn't warranty the issue. What i did was order a large 1/2 inch thick panel of high density foam and after removing the rust i used contact cement to glue the foam on the entire back. I then glued a smaller piece over the issue area basically doubling up on the foam. . This fixed the problem . Sometimes you can find this same foam in garden centers as knee pads.
Hi, I have the Electrolux version EW23BC71ISP and I keep getting water that freezes coming down the back of icemaker and collects in bottom of big thermostat-controlled drawer. Ice maker coil is fine and not frozen, and DF seems to work fine. No water leaks at icemaker or within the cabinet. I have cleaned resealed, had the kit put on during warranty period. Verified drain hole was not frozen and cleaned with water, but after one day there is already water forming ...
I unfortunately found our rust spot when the freezer stopped working and I pulled it out to clean and found an ice ball attached to the fridge and wall. I had to cut out the bad drywall and placed a 2" insulations board over the area after it was treated. May go back in to cut the waterlogged insulation and foam as you suggest, if I can figure out what is causing this water issue.
Awesome videos!
I just found this on the back of my 12YO fridge. I let the fridge defrost for three days and things were fine for a month. Now the coiled water line inside the fridge keeps freezing up - so no ice or water through the door. Are these issues related or is the water coil a different problem?
Ben thanks for the video. I am experimenting with four foam fillers for this project. Daptex doesn’t cure well so I listed it last. Noticed this was on your listed of suggested foams. I have listed best to worst: Great Stuff, Hani Foam, Gorilla and Daptex. My rating is based on effective curing and expansion. Would you agree with that order?
IR cameras don't work on shiny surfaces. paint it black or use a piece of black electrical tape and measure that instead and you will see what I mean.
I'll remember that next time, but it showed the same Temps on the shiny metal surface as it did when the metal was hacked away exposing the insulation underneath...
@@bensappliancesandjunk It was looking at a reflection of something at that temp, or at best it was a combination of the two temps. Remember it's just a camera that sees a different wavelength than our eyes, but most of the same visual properties apply. An exception being these only see the first surface, so looking at glass will only show the surface of the glass and not show what's behind the glass. It might show what the object behind the glass is DOING to the temperature of the glass, but it's not looking through it. (Borosilcate glass behaves differently, and I/R does pass through that which is how inspection windows work on electrical inspection ports) You can prove this by looking at the Chrome on a hot vehicle. The chrome reflects sky which has no surface and appears cold so the temp will be some number well outside your range. I/R cameras are cool and useful but can lead you astray if you don't remember how they work.
It proved the point you wanted to make perfectly so no harm done.
Looking forward the ice maker fix… or removal. I gave up on mine when I got sick and tired of Samsung coming over and over to fix it
Its already in pieces at my shop. Getting the OEM kit with the correct parts, thus far, as been an utter nightmare. No one has stock of them.
We’ve had this refrigerator since it came out in 2006 I think? Somewhere an thereand we had the icemaker gasket kit put on from the appliance store we bought it from but now it’s progressively gotten worse and rusted all the way through. There’s even ice buildup underneath the icemaker inside the refrigerator cabinet. Would this fix that you’re showing here Seal that void up? I mean, is it sucking warm air through the rust in the back or is there a leaky seal in the door somewhere so I can warm air in through that icemaker. Let me know What you think because I’m thinking about doing this repair.
I have same problem rusting on the back of the Frigidaire Electrolux refrigerator what did you replace the back cut off panel
I performed the same attempt and I'm still defrosting the ice from the back weekly.
I am servicer for them we would install a large foam and rubber pad over the back to reinsulate and seal but 5hey don’t make it anymore most are over 10 yrs old now
Do I need to insulate the copper refrigerant pipe before packing with foam?
I've always wanted a freezer/refrigerator that had more space in the freezer section than the refrigerator section, maybe 60 or 65 percent freezer. Why does no one make such a thing?
Thank you so much. My electrolux has this problem in spades. I noticed when it started tripping the GFCI. As I have about resigned myself to having to buy a new frridge, I don't really have anything to lose by trying this fix.
Have you seen a typical spot that might be responsible for this tripping the GFCI once every 8 to 48 hours?
Refrigerators generally hate GFCIs. The compressor as it gets older pulls higher amps than it initially did when immediately starting. The GFCI is set to trip when it passes a particular threshold of amperage. Likewise, a defrost stage, particularly the heater itself, can cause it to trip. It's a "ground fault circuit interrupter". All it needs is one teensy bit of humidity or moisture and its enough to set it off.
Interesting to know what was going on in the fridge with a huge rust spot that I had replaced (and why nobody wanted to repair it). In this case, it was a Kenmore that had come with the house, and I replaced it with a GE fridge w/o any through-door water/ice, based on your recommendations in a video from 2022 and what was available in my area to buy.
How can I find your follow-up video on the ice maker that's causing the rust on the back of the Frigidaire
ua-cam.com/video/1Z-9qwMmlGc/v-deo.html
Ben I have a 42 inch GE Monogram that is 20 years old.It’s starting to act up.What would you suggest to replace it.A Sub Zero is about 12 to 14 thousand,don’t know if I want to spend that.Thanks
Honestly I'd pay a good tech to find out why it's acting up and fix it over rolling the dice on new if you still like the Monogram
Great tip. I wouldn’t object to a appliance technician doing that to mine. A lot cheaper than a new refrigerator.
on mine the drain tube is also frozen up
im gonna look for one of those cheap now.
does this problem exists only in the fridges with ice makers/dispensers on the fridge's side OR it also exists with ice makers is in the bottom freezer?
It happens on all of them but far more prevalent on units with icemakers
Hi Ben. Did you create the corresponding ice maker repair video? I didn't see it. Thanks.
Yep, just search for frigidaire ice maker repair should be there
Would a infrared thermometer work instead of the camera. You could aim it at various spots to see the cold areas. Dirt cheap.
Oh for sure. I just happen to have the camera to make a better demonstration
Ben - I followed your instructions and removed the compromised foam. Before I pack the new foam back do I need to insulate the copper refrigerant pipe?
the spray foam you use is the insulation for the copper pipe.... So I had 3 layers of sealant. First layer was the spray-in foam, then the liner (FV516), then the HVAC tape. The spray foam will line and insulate the pipe just fine.
@@bensappliancesandjunk before applying spray foam should I insulate the copper refrigerant pipe with K-Flex or Poly Foam? Thanks.
I have this exact problem
Yup...seen it many times
Thank you for all your great information
I never heard of anything like happening years ago, why is it happening now? Is it because of the French door refrigerators that are all the rage now? if someone wanted ice and water dispensers, wouldn't a side by side model work better?
The unit in the video was a 2012 model. This issue from what I've seen took 4-8 years for the problems to show themselves in the wild, so they are still popping up. However, its been happening to other units on the market more often too, and the fix should be nearly the same. Generally, the icemaker system starts frosting over, and the physical ice pushes at the refrigerant pipe closer to the metal wall, causing the thermal transfer from the refrigeration cycle to the back wall, resulting in the unit basically cooling/freezing on the outside as well as inside the fridge
It only happens behind the ice maker. There is a gap behind the ice maker that traps warm air, creating the problem shown in the video
Did I miss any mention of what needs to be repaired with the ice maker to prevent this from occurring?
I do have a rust spot on my Frigidaire side by side but my ice maker is different then the one from this video.
Hi,
I am STILL WAITING for the Ice Maker kit to show the video off to you! I've been waiting for a SOLID MONTH. When I made this video, I assumed I'd have the kit in hand within 3-5 days to do that part of the install and video. But guess what? Still not here. Its horrible.
Would you recommend we discontinue use of the door ice dispenser until the ice maker repair kit comes in? Or does it not matter?
Why not put the foam padding over the entire back of the unit?
The foam padding replaced the metal that was removed
thanks for the tip. isn't the problem much larger as evidenced by some rust in other areas? in addition, is it possible that this be diagnosed by touch. i mean, if the outside surface is cold to touch then that is lost efficiency and high chance of rust of the rear cover.
Likely yes, but in that situation solving the icemaker problem should be enough to solve the whole mess
@@bensappliancesandjunk thanks
The reason why these fridges are developing these problems is because the ice maker is in the fridge not freezer my grandma has a french door and it is nothing but problems I would never buy one
Not the reason. I'm an appliance tech. Frigidaire suffers from this because of how they placed the evap coils and drain tube for the evap.
@@Silianti I will say my grandma has a whirlpool cannot speak on fridgidaire
@justinjones6810 ice makers across the board tend to have issues because of water expansion, freezing, melting, thawing and twisting. The rust is pretty unique to Frigidaire. They had a way of fixing it that made it worse though
Is this a manufacturing flaw?
Yes. Starting to see it now though on other brands as well though like Samsungs
great video
How do you fix rust starting to show on a washing machine???
Clean it & apply paint+epoxy like Rustoleum. Usually it happens due to excess bleach
@@bensappliancesandjunk Thanks! It may be a good simple how to video. Esp for the older white enamel models.
Excellent repair.
Thanks 👍
So the pipe is too close to the wall but also the ice maker leaking?
In THIS particular one, the pipe wasn't close to the wall, but the ice maker was over-frosting causing impregnation of the insulation. On other units, like the ones I showed in the video that weren't this, the pipe can get jammed against the wall over long periods of time leading to a much worse situation.
@@bensappliancesandjunk Perfect kind of problem for me. I did fix a samsung washer from 2008 by digging out epoxy and replacing a 7805 5V regulator. Swapped the capacitors once I knew I got it fixed and it's been great. I guess the planned obsolescence of the model was that board, which was impossible to find 4 years later.
My favorite are fridge taht leaks because of a clogged drain....im too honest else id have a hoard of fridges, and im no repairman !
A serious warning to everyone that attempts this. Although your refrigerant line SHOULD be deep enough into the foam that you can use a Dremel or cutoff tool, it may not be!
I learned the VERY hard way: My line was flush against the rear wall, I nicked it, and now I'm refoaming/repairing rust AND evacuating the system, recharging it and welding the hole in the line. What a PITA.
I think Ben should update his video as this is more common than he leads on!
The explanation of the cause of the rusting issue is evidence enough that dremeling may or may not risk cutting into the cooling system. It's a "do at your own risk" type job. Just like trying to reverse engineer LGs with linear compressors.