Defrost cycle questions for refrigerator



I have a Frigidaire, top freezer, 1998 model, that lost cold in
the bottom and
frosted the back wall of the freezer.

Hoping the defrost timer was guilty, I bought and changed the
timer
(I know, don't just change parts without diagnosis).
Hair dryered (is this a word?) the heavy ice out of the freezer to
get to the coil thermostat and heater. I pulled out the
thermostat - it had good continuity when cold, and broke
continuity when it
got hot (over a space heater). The Fluke digital ohm meter buzzed
continuity and read 27 ohms on the heating element. I do not know
what ohms it should read.

I reassembled without installing the back plate or ice maker and
ran
it long enough to get everything cold, all fans working fine. I
advanced the timer to defrost and re-checked the coil thermostat
which still showed good.

Should the heater get hot to the touch? It got warm at best, and
that required imagination. Defrost time lasted about 15 minutes.
I don't want to put this thing back together if it is not right.
I don't want to just keep changing parts though I am well ahead of
buying a new unit and the work is simple while the unit is empty.
We have a back room refrigerator so we are not desperate, but wife
is saying she'll just go buy a new unit.

I let the unit run last night. How frost free should the coil be?
I have a healthy layer on the coils.

I would appreciate the advice of a technician or someone who
really knows.

______________________________
Keep the whole world singing . . . .
DanG (remove the sevens)
dgriff237@xxxxxxxx




.



Relevant Pages

  • Re: Update on my Fridge Problem
    ... "I have a problem with my fridge, it is a side by side. ... thawed and only the stuff in the bottom half of the fridge side is cold. ... all the spoiled food from the freezer and threw it out, ... I'm going to guess that there is something wrong with the defrost cycle. ...
    (alt.home.repair)
  • Re: freezer cold, fridge warming up
    ... the timer is running slow. ... Not pushing enough air through ... I'm fairly certain the problem is the defrost system. ... the freezer section, but little or no air reaches the fridge. ...
    (alt.home.repair)
  • Re: Warm Refrigerator
    ... It is not a self defrosting refrigerator. ... You are correct in that all the cold air is going to the freezer and then it is sent up to ... It could either be burned out itself, or the defrost time ...
    (misc.consumers.house)
  • Re: Which Freezer: Frost Free or Chest or Upright??
    ... that a chest freezer holds the cold better especially when the door is opened. ... I am just 5" tall so the bottom is hard to get at but I handle that by putting the items in a plastic grocery bags when I put the things in the freezer that way I can move larger quantities at one time and its easier to reach. ... Freezes harder, and when you need to rearrange, doesn't lose the cold like the uprights do. ... To defrost, a hair dryer and a little hot water in a ice cream pail gets it done in about 10 minutes. ...
    (rec.food.preserving)
  • Re: Fridge not as cold anymore
    ... The freezer seems to be working fine now, ... fridge part isn't as cold anymore the juice is nowhere near as cold as it used ... Its quiet now and my juice is cold. ... I'd make sure fan and defrost timer is in good working order. ...
    (alt.home.repair)