I have a 6 month old Whirlpool refrigerator. It is a low end model with the freezer on top. There is only one control for both the top and bottom. The freezer gets down to -30 degrees F. while the main section stays at about 45 degrees. What would cause this? It seems like the unit is always running.
---MIKE---
on 9/20/2009 3:58 PM (ET) ---MIKE--- wrote the following:
30 below 0? I doubt that. If it's 6 months old, call the store where you bought it. It should be under warrantee. Have someone check it.Evap fan or defrost cycle is screwed up. At six months, it should be covered. Call the dealer.
I called the dealer but the service department was not open on Sunday. I plan to call first thing tomorrow morning.
---MIKE---
Sounds like defrost problems. It can wait till tomorrow.
snipped-for-privacy@webtv.net (---MIKE---) wrote in news:20335-4AB68982-3568 @storefull-3172.bay.webtv.net:
Well, another 10 degrees and at least you won't have to specify F or C.
Ummmm?...
If it's not a defrost problem (iced up and/or the defrost timer and/or defrost heater not working?) suggest to look at the distribution of air between the upper (freezer) section and the lower (fridge) section.
Our fridge, an older Sears, has an adjustable air 'vent' controlled by a lever at the back of the fridge section. Occasionally that gets knocked out of position* by pushing something too far back in the fridge. Then the fridge section either gets too cold and starts freezing items or not cold enough. We use two small permanently in place thermometers (only a few bucks each) to check the freezer and fridge temps. And when the fridge temp. goes out of whack it has always been the volume of air distribution between the two sections.
Also if our freezer section is 'stuffed full' it may impede air flow there; but that usually means, in our case that too much cold air goes to the fridge and it gets colder than usual. So it's a matter of striking a balance.
In very humid weather we have had very occasioanlly some icing, even thought the defroster was working. Our defrost (timer) has failed only once in some 25+ years and cost (back when) IIRC about $35 for replacement. The OPs by sound of it might be under warranty?
Ummmm?...
********************************* 32F = 0C-40F = -40C
That works for the low end. If main section was 45C .... well!
The service man came early this morning. The drain for the defroster was clogged (with ice) and the ice had backed up to where the air ducts to the lower section were blocked also. He removed a lot of ice and thawed everything. He couldn't tell me what caused the drain to freeze up. Does anybody here have any ideas?
---MIKE---
---MIKE---
****************************************************Defrost timer or defrost heater is not working. Did he check them? If not, he is an idiot and you need a better service tech.
It is possible that someone spilled water in the fridge and overwhelmed the capacity to evaporate it, but my guess is he will be back in a few months. Keep an eye on it over time.
Dust, dirt, piece of vegetables, crud, dead mice, the usual suspects.
Did he run hot water down the drain, or just melt the top?
Defrost failure wouldn't clog the drain. I know.... worked on enough refrigerators.
But he said the drain was frozen. If it does not self defrost, it can freeze the coil and the path the water is supposed to go. BTDT.
Are you measuring the air temperature or the "product" temperature? It makes a huge difference. In the fridge put a (waterproof) thermometer in a large glass of water and check it in a day. I'm not exactly sure how to measure the product temp in the freezer, but I would guess use a thermometer in a plastic bowl of water and check it in 24 hours, longer if the bowl of water is large.
Even special fridge and freezer thermometers seldom measure product temperature. They are useless.
clog the drain. I know.... worked
Interesting. Still doesn't say if the low wattage defroster heater and/ or the defrost timer are working correctly? Maybe everybody else, was, like myself, assuming that you had previously shut off the fridge for some 12 to 24 hours to allow it to get rid of any ice build up???? Apparently not. But that might have revealed the problem? Without a service call! Our existing frost-free fridge drain got blocked up only once in some
30 years. And we noticed that there was no water collecting in the evaporation tray at the bottom or rear of the fridge. To free it we got hold of the end of the plastic pipe that takes the drainage down from the freezer section and blew back up it and dislodged some muck (or an errant frozen pea or summat) that had got into the drain. Since then some 10/12 years ago no problems. As mentioned the only 'technical' problem we have had over some 30 years has been one defrost timer failure; the little electric clock motor inside it went open. And didn't have anything to replace. It took Sears a couple of weeks to bring in a replacement and phone us. In the meantime we rigged a temporary switch (it's a changeover that shuts off the fridge while defrosting is in progress) and every couple of days we would manually operate that. Total maintenance cost since purchase about $35. A previous fridge (1960 to 1970) IIRC, had one failure which turned out to be the small starting relay on the side of the compressor. We left that fridge in our first house when we sold it. Fridges seem to a very reliable product; with minimum maintenance need. Also we used to operate a small catering company with some home food preparation and storage. So the existing fridge got quite a work- out! In the case of the OP if insufficient cold air was getting to the lower (fridge) section due to freezing up of the upper section it WOULD run almost constantly!HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.