refrigerator technicians

[pintailslammer]

Hi
Is anybody here a refrigerator technician?
If you could pm as I have a question to ask


Thanks
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[dewalt18]

Not a refrigeration mechanic, but experienced. What's the question? If you post it here, even if I can't answer, others may. . .

[pintailslammer]

I have a Kitchen Aide Fridge model KTES29KHWH00
Serial Number EJ4124452
DOM 10/99

My question : Can you put to much product in the freezer compartment that the fridge won't cool?
I looked on line and thought maybe my condenser froze up ,I took the cover off and found the drain line was froze solid so I de-thawed it but the fridge part doesnt want to stay cool like it use too.

Thanks
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[Willowayin]

it's a good thing u have a kitchen aide model,
I have a whirlpool model and I'm constantly getting a pool of water inside that I have to mop up. Maybe whirlpool should have stuck with swimming pools and stayed out of the kitchen... Never again...
Maybe the fridge dial needs to be turned back up if it was turned down to unthaw ? Had a friend buy a new fridge because they thought it was done, unfortunately all that needed to be done was turn the dial back on/up, they realized after the fact, but memory plays tricks sometimes. Had a good laugh..

[dewalt18]

Other than checking the dial, I'd roccomend pulling it out and making sure the coils on the back are clean and free of debris or any sort of blockage

And yes, you can overload a freezer to a point. There should be enough space to allow for some air circulation

[bat119]

check the duckbill valve on the drain line going to the evaporator pan

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fea75FySAQ0

If you see water in a frost free fridge this is the culprit

[Willowayin]

Originally Posted by bat119

check the duckbill valve on the drain line going to the evaporator pan

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fea75FySAQ0

If you see water in a frost free fridge this is the culprit

Thank you, that is good to know. Yes, the line was always freezing up and I was not going to keep pulling the fridge out, unthawing etc etc.
I will giterdun.... Urghhh, it still means another unthaw..... bummer.....

[pintailslammer]

Hi
The drain plug in the freeze compartment was froze with ice. I poured hot water down it and freed it up. My fridge doesnt have one of those rubber valves on it.
The condenser wasn't frozen up either.

I do believe there is enough room for air to circulate through but not 100%sure.
This is our second fridge in the basement(my cold beer fridge)but its not cooling like it should.

Thanks for all the suggestions,
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[HyperMOA]

There should be a defroster relay or switch. When it senses ice it thaws your condenser. If it isn't operating the condenser will frost off and it will eventually freeze shut the vent from the freezer to the fridge blocking cold air from making it to the fridge portion. That is my guess.

I don't know if you can actually overload a freezer. If anything the fuller it is, the more thermal mass you have working for you. I could be 100% wrong on this though.

[Tfng]

Hypermoa is on the right track I believe. I have a kenmore that does the same thing. The defrost timer is shot and the fridge will gradually get warmer.

On mine you can force a defrost through the control panel. It might be worth checking if you can do that with yours. I believe the defrost timer is the built in failure point. It lasted just past the warranty period and is the second fridge to do that to me. I've been manually defrosting it for years.

[pintailslammer]

Hi
Where would one locate this on my fridge?
Would a picture of the freezer help any?
We don't have any appliance techs with in a hour so just trying to trouble shoot this myself.

As I previously had mentioned I took the back panel off of the inside of the freezer and my condenser wasn't froze up just the drain hole was. I cleaned it by pouring hot water on it until water ran into the pan below.


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[michaelmicallef]

I just cut the opening bigger on the " duckbill valve" it's too small to stay clean. That's on my whirlpool fridge. And yes you can over stuff a fridge with food and cause air circulation issues. Your refrigerator compartment should be around 3 to 4 C and freezer around -18c . That lilttle rubber valve, for lack of a better word is to keep cold air from leaking out of your fridge. I would rather loose a little air than have to deal with a pool of water in the bottom of the fridge. And if you take the bottom grille off the frigde and look for a little service packet it will give you instructions on how to put your refrigerator in a forced defrost. Even he diagnostic info. Depending on the age of your refrigerator.

[Xbolt7mm]

Originally Posted by bat119

check the duckbill valve on the drain line going to the evaporator pan

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fea75FySAQ0

If you see water in a frost free fridge this is the culprit

This guy nailed it

[pintailslammer]

I will check this out tomorrow night I don't remember seeing this under there yesterday when I cleaned it but will double check

Thanks for all the replies,,,,,,,,,,I'll let you know if i get it fixed


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[Weedy1]

As a matter of semantics a condenser is what discharges the heat from within the fridge, it will not freeze up. On newer fridges the condenser is usually located on the underside of the fridge, on old ones the back of the fridge. The evaporator is what sits inside the fridge to remove the heat from within. The evaporator coil can build up ice onto it due to poor air circulation or a faulty fan, low refrigerant charges, bad door gaskets, faulty defrost cycle,dirty condenser or poor draining.

[HyperMOA]

Originally Posted by Weedy1

As a matter of semantics a condenser is what discharges the heat from within the fridge, it will not freeze up. On newer fridges the condenser is usually located on the underside of the fridge, on old ones the back of the fridge. The evaporator is what sits inside the fridge to remove the heat from within. The evaporator coil can build up ice onto it due to poor air circulation or a faulty fan, low refrigerant charges, bad door gaskets, faulty defrost cycle,dirty condenser or poor draining.

That is correct. In my above post I said condenser and it should have been evaporator. This holds true on a fridge, freezer, home A/C, automotive A/C. . .

[pintailslammer]

So my fridge doesnt have a duck bill on it or can I see on button where I can do a recycle.

Here are some pictures of the underneath of the fridge