Hotpoint Freezer - temperamental temperatures

[Mike Dodd]

Got a Hotpoint FZA54 freezer (upright, 6 drawer, frost-free), which keeps illuminating the over-temp light (suggesting the freezer aint freezing). This usually happens if the door is opened for 30 seconds or more, and will remain on for >1 hr; I've just noticed it's back on without the freezer being opened all morning.

With the door closed, and the over-temp light on, you can hear the compressor running, and the cold-air circulating fan motor spinning (so, sounds electrically okay).

I've tried defrosting (the frost free) freezer, there was some water that resulted (probably from humid air condensing when the door is opened.

Any hints and tips on this?, I'm next inclined to remove the ducting for the cold-air circulation, to see if I can find the fan-motor and check that that is actually driving the fan.

How would you check for low refrigerant in anything like this? Presumably there'll be a low-temp coil in there that should be chuffin cold to the touch?

[Mike Dodd]

Scrub all that. Writing that got me thinking, and in the end taking the plastic ducting off from the inside was pretty easy (4 security screws, and percussive persuasion) - to find the fan spinning ok, but a huge lump of ice on the evaporator.

That's being defrosted now, together with the frozen drain hole, will see how it fares after this, and report back.

[meow2222]

Can be caused by the door being left ajar overnight, or may be failure of the defrosting system. If the latter it will re-ice itself.

NT

[Mike Dodd]

Aye, did that a couple of times over summer (humid days), with an errant sock on the floor(the dryer is next to it) catching the door seal.

I'm guessing that ice has built up over time, to the extent that it blocked the airways over the evaporator (there was a solid block of ice, some 2 inch square over the entire length of the evap.).

Anyway, that's sorted, so I'm hoping that should have cured it. 2.5 hours in, the over-temp light is on, but it's gradually getting nice and chilly in there.

[Mike Dodd]

Update on this:

Freezer is working fine, now.

So, simple problem, simple solution, but the problem is obscured by the paraphernalia of a frost free freezer. Remove air ducting, and defrost there, jobs a good-un.