My refrigerator stopped freezing. Now freezer section is 40º, main section 60º. What gives?

Question

Everything is defrosting. Do I need a new unit?

Answer 1

Try cleaning the coils...could be a leak in refrigerant...

Answer 2

It may be that your refrigerator is stuck in the defrost mode. Open the door to the main compartement at look at the temperature controls. From the bottom looking up, you should see a hole or two a little less than a 1/2 inch. It's big enough to put a flat head screwdriver in and turn.

There's a timer that works it way around. The hole is designed with a slot so that you can advance it with a screw driver. Slowly advance it and see if it kicks on. If it does, it should get cold. If it gets cold and then you have the same problem in a day or so, the timer is bad.

Check that the seals are good and that the door fits tightly. Make sure that the vent holes in the freezer are clear. Check the drip pan. That's in the back and usually on top of the compressor. Sometimes the drain hose gets clogged up. There may be no water in it or may be some. Or it may be almost overflowing. Is the fan working? It should be in the back of the freezer section. That's an easy fix and something that goes wrong on occasion.

If it's working, you feel the coils and they're fairly cold, it probably isn't the coolant, it may be one of the above. If it's warm or only cool but not cold, could be low.

If you're mechancially inclinded, you might be able to find the fill value, and it may be the same as an auto air conditioner charger. But, it you determine it's low and you don't have the proper charger, by the time you go out and buy all the stuff, if you can, you'd be ahead to call a repair man.

Answer 3

Most likely you need a new thermostat, the part behind the knob that says "refrigerator temperature" inside the main section. The other knob that says "freezer temperature" is just a mechnaical air damper to let cold air out of the freezer into the main compartment. Cleaning the coils is always recommended but is rarely useful. If it is defrosting and the food is room temperature you need to either find a friend with another fridge to hold your stuff or a big trash bag if the food is already warm.

You could get a repair guy there the next day, in general.

Most of the other tips given were excellent but the odds favor the bad thermostat.

Answer 4

3 possible problems 1 the timer(clock) of the unit is nfg.
2 the compressor in the unit is nfg
3the thermostat which is affixed the the coil (evaporator) is nfg
by the way does the light work breaker or fuse is always the first place to look.If you remove the panel in the freezer compartment and the coil is frozen the thermostat nfg
if you listen very closely you can hear the timer humming if not it's nfg
if you hear the compressor clicking it's the overload reseting compressor nfg

Answer 5

First of all compressor is working or your temp in frozen foods would not be 40 degrees. This sounds like dirty coil bottom or behind refrigerator. If you have pets hair blocks it readily. Try cleaning it first with a brush and vaccum cleaner- both sides as best as you can. Also make sure refrigerator doors are sealing when closed. A gap will let in air and not lower temp.

Answer 6

Call a service guy out to look at it. You could have a bad timer and it is stuck on defrost cycle, bad compressor, or a leak in the cooling line somewhere.

If it is an old one, then you can forget the repairman and just go get another one and enjoy the new one. Good luck

Answer 7

May just have dirty coils. Try to clean the coils behind the kick plate on the front at the floor. IF not the coils may be in the rear. Make sure the top has not been blocked off where it cant get enough air flow

Answer 8

Open up the inside of the freezer usually just held together wit a couple of screws and see if the coils are froze up if they are this will restrict aitflow let em defrost put it back together and enjoy your ice cream

Answer 9

Sounds like a dead compressor to me.

Only other possibility is that youhave the fridge in a cold place such as a garage or porch. This can often lead to the chiller unit malfunctioning.

best of luck

Answer 10

Open the back of the freezer and check to see if it is iced up. Also check to see if the fan is working. Could be bad heater or timer. If partialy frozen then probably low on freon. Could be cracked case if happens over and over. Check on grainger.com for parts, they are cheaper than you would think.

Answer 11

You are most likely better off buying a new one. You should also concern yourself with disposing of anything that might be left in the unit as there is the issue of food safety.

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