Any Refridgerator Experts? Freezer Side not Defrosting

[allen_kcCard]

Anyone have any ideas on what I need to check on here?

The coils on my Amana fridge keep frosting over. It happened the first time a couple weeks ago where both sides started to get warmer and the ice was wet. I unplugged it and cleaned out the freezer side, and took off the back panel to find the coils frozen at the bottom where the defrost heater is, and frosted solid all the way up to the fan above it.

I used a hairdryer to clean out all the frost, then plugged it back in and it worked great, but now it is frosted over and starting to do the same thing.

I've been checking around on google, and have seen suggestions that it could be the defrost timer, or the defrost limiter, with the latter being the most likely. I am planning on cleaning it out and taking a look later today again, but wanted to see if anyone might have some tips to look for when I do it.

It is an Amana side by side, with ice and water in the freezer side door.

Once it frosts up like it is, the fan above the coils still runs, but there isn't any way air can move over the coils and up into the rest of the unit.

[boogblaster]

Yep its the defrost thermostat or your defrost tube is blocked and can't get rid of the water ..

[allen_kcCard]

Originally Posted by boogblaster

Yep its the defrost thermostat or your defrost tube is blocked and can't get rid of the water ..

The tube that gets rid of the water that melts off the coils?

When I defrosted it manually last time it seemed to drain out just fine, but I put a towel over the drain since there was so much frost, as I didn't want whatever it was draining into to overflow and mess up my hardwood floors.

When you say defrost thermostat, do you mean the adaptive defrost board? Or the switch I've read about that is with the coils that kicks off the defroster once it has warmed up in there? I've read that those can break and stuck the switch open so that even when it goes into defrost mode the defrost never happens.

I am leaning toward the board, because I haven't heard the compressor kick off like it would in the defrost cycle.

I've read online that Amana is supposed to have a defrost test, I've seen one that said to press the light button 5 times in 6 seconds, and another to open/close one of the doors 4 times in 5 seconds, but I've tried both of these and the defrost cycle didn't seem to start.

[Chief Pote]

Originally Posted by allen_kcCard

The tube that gets rid of the water that melts off the coils?

When I defrosted it manually last time it seemed to drain out just fine, but I put a towel over the drain since there was so much frost, as I didn't want whatever it was draining into to overflow and mess up my hardwood floors.

When you say defrost thermostat, do you mean the adaptive defrost board? Or the switch I've read about that is with the coils that kicks off the defroster once it has warmed up in there? I've read that those can break and stuck the switch open so that even when it goes into defrost mode the defrost never happens.

I am leaning toward the board, because I haven't heard the compressor kick off like it would in the defrost cycle.

I've read online that Amana is supposed to have a defrost test, I've seen one that said to press the light button 5 times in 6 seconds, and another to open/close one of the doors 4 times in 5 seconds, but I've tried both of these and the defrost cycle didn't seem to start.

Are you hearing a "clicking" sound in the refrigerator compartment once the compressor is idle? If so, that means the adaptive defrost board is fried. The clicking sound is the attempt at defrosting the coils and the coils are not receiving the signal to do it's job.

[allen_kcCard]

No clicking at all, but the compressor hadn't shut off today until I unplugged the whole thing. It is manually defrosted now and everything is back in and it is cooling everything back down. I'll turn the temp control way down (or up I guess really) to make it kick off later and see if I can tell any clicking.

One thing I did notice when I thawed it out is the defrost delimiter definately looks like what was described online when it has been frozen...it looks like the top was partly pried off, so I am pretty sure that is a problem, but I'm not sure it is the only problem yet...and worse off, I couldn't tell how the hell the thing would be replaced once I get a new one. There are two wires coming from it, one goes to a plug with another wire, and the second wire is part of a bundle that goes up into the top of the freezer and into the side-wall.

[GESteve]

If the defrost thermostat looks like the top has poped it is the problem. Just splice the wires to the new t stat with wire nuts and seal with rtv or silicone

[StcChief]

Obama says it's the new clunker just trade it in

[GESteve]

Also if the defrost board is bad you can actually replace it with a defrost timer. Same plug. just make sure you wire it to run in cumulative run or it will freeze up again

[milkman]

You should have just gone Frazod on it.

You have a gun, right?

[allen_kcCard]

Originally Posted by GESteve

Also if the defrost board is bAd you can actually replace it with a defrost timer same
plug. just make sure you wire it to run in cumulative run or it will freeze up again

Ahh, that is good to know...I noticed that there was a hole where the board slot is covered up that would make sense for a timer to be since that would be where the dial would be accessible from...the amount of energy the board saves me probably hasn't gotten me enough to cover the extra cost of a board compared to a timer anyhow.

If it pretty obvious how to wire it to run cumulative? I haven't seen much on that yet.