Refrigerator Repair (Not Cooling, Defrost System)

[sohesunk]

This video is INCREDIBLE! You clearly state all the problems that could go wrong with the defrost system, how to diagnosis the problem and how to fix it. Over the summer, I am manually defrosting every 2 weeks. When I do it again in a few days, I will get my multimeter and figure out if its a bad sensor or a bad heating element and then try to fix it myself. A repairmen said it would cost $100 just to come to my rural location and diagnose the problem. I have a receipt left by the previous home owner showing he paid $200 to have the "defrost control board" replaced 10 years ago. Thanks to this video, I can determine, myself, for free, if that repair needs to be done again or if it is something else. THANKS!

[michaelr]

This is an old video but it’s still helping people like myself. This is the most succinct and easy to understand video I’ve come across and I’ve seen quite a few. Thank You!

[OVI-Wan-Kenobi-]

This is probably the best refrigerator troubleshooting video I have ever seen. It covers various different scenario cases as well as gives a good overall understanding of how a fridge works, which is important when doing any troubleshooting.

[knewknots]

THIS VIDEO HELPED ME FIX MY FRIDGE. I HAD NO MONEY TO HIRE A REPAIR PERSON OR BUY A NEW ONE. I WATCHED THIS VIDEO, UNPLUGGED FRIDGE OVERNIGHT AND PLUGGED IN WHEN I WOKE UP. THE FRIDGE WORKS PERFECTLY! THANK YOU SO MUCH !!!!

[oldengguy]

I know you posted this nearly 10 years ago, but here in 2020 you sure helped point me in the right direction! Thank you for the lesson in the basics of how the auto defrost works. I'm sure that's my problem due to the back panel of the freezer just covered with frost, and after removing that panel I found the whole coil area caked with ice. I'm getting all that ice off so I can check the thermostat and heating element.

[alexmussman]

Seriously, this video is amazing! Freezer was cold, fridge was warm, door was ajar this morning when I woke up. Wouldn't cool down even after 5 or 6 hours. I pulled the freezer door and bins out and lo and behold the entire coil was covered in ice. Hit it with a hair drier, filled nearly the entire evap pan, then emptied said pan. While I had it all apart, I checked the thermostat for continuity just to rule it out and all was good and well there! Put it all back together and everything is running ship shape! Thank you!!!!

[dcc]

just wanted to say thanks to this video for saving me a small fortune with my fridge freezer!

[DemonPorkRAWR]

So a few months ago my fridge turned off one day and didn't turn back on. I learned about the defrost timer and how turning it with a screwdriver/giving it a tap can get it going again, which worked for me for a while. However, recently my fridge no longer goes into defrost mode, and the freezer/fridge have gotten warmer. The freezer part is cold enough to preserve food and get drinks cold but can't keep ice frozen and the fridge is only slightly below room temp. I've recently replaced the temp control thermostat but that didn't work. The screwdriver in the defrost timer no longer does anything but turn the fridge off after turning it a few times. Could replacing the defrost timer be the fix or did the issue get worse? Your video quality is very good btw, you are a real professional.

[Collected]

As a technical support representative for Samsung home appliances UK, I find this video VERY helpful! A very easy troubleshooting tutorial for consumers, which can be used before requesting an engineer to come out to see your appliance.

Thank you for this great video.

[Langor]

You just increase my fridge knowledge by over ninethousand points. Was able to clean it up proper (drain was clogged by ice) but i don't know if it's the de-icing cycle that's not working or if it was just the clog that caused the issue.

[marywilson]

Thanks for the video, explaining where the fan was located in the freezer was spot on. Found the ice build up, the fan was hitting. Probably was my fault the vents were a bit covered. Cleaned it out, put the covers back and seems to be working fine.

[lizr]

This video helped us get our side by side fridge working when it stopped cooling. The freezer door had been left ajar (more than once). To make things worse the air conditioning broke and the room temperature was in the mid to high 80’s. We removed the crispers and found the vent going from the bottom of the fridge to the coils on the freezer side was clogged with ice. Used a blow dryer to melt the ice and it started working again.

[dahill]

Great video. Well presented. Just the right balance of tech vs common sense.

[eTChist]

By far the best video on troubleshooting a faulty fridge/freezer I've seen. Thanks so much!

[ElectoneGuy]

This explains a lot. My side-by-side Frigidaire's defrost stopped working and the freezer coil turned into a block of ice. With no air movement, everything started getting warm. The fridge repairman replaced the thermostat, but also said that the "board" should also be replaced at a cost of $300. He ordered the board, but for the 3 or 4 days before the part arrived, the defrost cycle operated normally both the fridge and freezer side were nice and cold. I kept checking the coil in the freezer and there was no ice buildup. I canceled any further repairs because the board was obviously not needed.

[sannyalbert]

This is an absolute gold. I love this honestly. This video inspired me to get my appliance repair Springfield VA from S&E appliance repairs.

[applianceassistant]

Thanks to everyone for leaving such encouraging messages! I had a fairly difficult day on Friday and it was a big lift to see that even though nothing seemed to be going right for me I was still able to help a few other people out with these videos! Thanks for the comments!

[Robbie]

This is the most informative video I've seen on YouTube. Learned a lot from it. Thanks for posting.

[StayHumble]

I use a hair dryer to defrost mine every month. My refrigerator cost me 80 bucks and I am okay with it. It keeps a temperature of 40 degrees on a normal setting. Thanks for the video though it was thorough explanation. 👌🏼

[charliephoto]

Your description of how side by side freezers/refrigerators work gave me the information I needed to fix my refrigerator. The compressor was working fine, the freezer was cold, but the fridge was not. I was able to find the frozen over area behind a panel in the fridge section and melt away the ice with a hair dryer. Thanks so much, you've saved us a ton of time and money!