BradT Posted July 25, 2014 Share #1 Posted July 25, 2014 Thought I would ask here if someone can assist with an appliance. Have a 22 cuft Kitchenaid fridge, with freezer on the bottom. I have been getting ice build up on the inside at the bottom of the fridge. No water liners for ice maker pretty sure that is not the problem LOL. I have recently cleaned out the dust from the front and rear twice with a shop vac. The last time I used the air gun and blew it out from all sides. Seems like cleaning is not helping as much and the ice is starting to build up quicker. Any ideas what to look for would be helpful before I call a service person in. Thanks Brad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freebird Posted July 25, 2014 Share #2 Posted July 25, 2014 If you are lucky, it is either the defrost timer or defrost thermostat. Look on YouTube and there are some videos on how to check them. If you are NOT lucky, your compressor is going out and you may as well buy a new one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peder_y2k Posted July 25, 2014 Share #3 Posted July 25, 2014 (edited) Your fridge is a "frost free' design. It uses both a timer and a thermostat to turn on a heater to remove 'frost', then turn that heater off. If the heater is not functioning because of a bad timer, bad thermostat (used to shut off timer when things get cold enough) or bad heater, the result is the frost turns to ice. Timers and thermostats are relatively cheap...under $30 ea....usually. Heaters a bit more. One can use an ohm meter to test the heater, but the t-stat and timer are difficult to test. If the fridge is under 15 y.o, it is cost effective to order and install a new t-stat and timer. -Pete, in Tacoma WA USA Edited July 25, 2014 by Peder_y2k Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freebird Posted July 25, 2014 Share #4 Posted July 25, 2014 Now isn't that what I said? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freebird Posted July 25, 2014 Share #5 Posted July 25, 2014 By the way, I went through the exact same thing about 3 weeks ago. I tested the thermostat and timer as well as the heater and it was all working as it should have. Mine was a side by side and first the freezer stopped getting cold enough to freeze and it was barely keeping the refrigerator side to around 40 degrees, not cold enough. Finally narrowed it down to the compressor. It was probably 15 or 16 years old. Guess who ended up buying a new refrigerator. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peder_y2k Posted July 25, 2014 Share #6 Posted July 25, 2014 Now isn't that what I said? Yup, you simply beat me to the keyboard. If the machine is making ice, then the compressor should still be good enough..........."should be"...... -Pete, in Tacoma WA USA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
van avery Posted July 25, 2014 Share #7 Posted July 25, 2014 If its like my Samsung with the freezer on the bottom the drain line in the back inside of the refridgerator has frozen up. Need to empty the refrig, pull the shelves and remove the back wall and defrost the drain line . I had ice buildup in the bottom of the refridgerator compartment where the water would collect. When the defrost timer defrosted the coils the water could not drain out correctly. It took quite awhile to defrost the line. Make sure you have plenty of ice chests to store your food. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BradT Posted July 25, 2014 Author Share #8 Posted July 25, 2014 Keeps everything cold and freezes water to ice cubes. Just over two years old. Not even sure the warranty that came with it. Assume for 30 bucks each part it is still cheaper than a service man LOL Thanks for the comments. Would you happen to know where these parts are located and or how to test them. (just re read and I will check you tube) BRad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ragtop69gs Posted July 25, 2014 Share #9 Posted July 25, 2014 One more thing, check the door seal for leaks, if humid air is getting in it will frost then turn to ice. A good clue that the seal is bad is if the ice starts to form at the door and creep inward. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freebird Posted July 25, 2014 Share #10 Posted July 25, 2014 Peder, just teasing you. I am certainly no expert on this subject and your explanation was much better. I was searching on YouTube and didn't find anything specifically on the Frigidaire bottom freezer models. I can tell you that on my old refrigerator, the defrost thermostat was clipped to the coils and you had to remove the back panel on the inside of the freezer to access it. The defrost timer on that one was under the front edge of the unit. You just had to remove the front base cover and you could see it. It was an older model though. It had a red knob and though it moved very slow, I made a mark with a marker and could see that it was turning. I think that the newer ones have more of an electronic type timer though and I"m not sure where they are located. I can tell you though, after searching YouTube for your information, I saw a LOT of videos about plugged drain lines as Van and others have mentioned. Seems to be the most common issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Venturous Posted July 25, 2014 Share #11 Posted July 25, 2014 One more thing, check the door seal for leaks, if humid air is getting in it will frost then turn to ice. A good clue that the seal is bad is if the ice starts to form at the door and creep inward. Bad door seal was my thought also. I DO NOT repair appliances... but do sell a lot at Lowes and take a lot of calls for service. This turns out to be one of the more common repairs we see needed. My wife and I had an upright freezer that this happened to also. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeWa Posted July 25, 2014 Share #12 Posted July 25, 2014 +1 on the plugged drain in the bottom of the fridge. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Condor Posted July 25, 2014 Share #13 Posted July 25, 2014 I have the same problem with my 'on the bottom freezer'. The ice is building up because the door seal is leaking. When you close it check to see if one side is a little separated from the door face. It's like the door slides are sprung, or something 's blocking it from going all the way in. I've tried to find the blockage, but nada... I'm thinking of just adding a foam strip for the gap. At first the whole freezer would ice over in a couple of days, but I pulled the seal out of the track slightly and now it's only one side and taking three to four weeks before getting bad. Home Depot=weather stripping. The rest of the refer works great including the ice maker.... This is just a suggestion. Could be other problems?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peder_y2k Posted July 25, 2014 Share #14 Posted July 25, 2014 I'm thinking of just adding a foam strip for the gap. Newer fridge/freezer designs incorporate a 'magnetic' seal. Adding a foam strip can compromise the magnetic attraction and the door will likely not seal at all. New seals are available at appliance parts dealers. I frequently order off the internet. -Pete, in Tacoma WA USA - I have 4 rentals and fixing stuff all the time Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Condor Posted July 25, 2014 Share #15 Posted July 25, 2014 Newer fridge/freezer designs incorporate a 'magnetic' seal. Adding a foam strip can compromise the magnetic attraction and the door will likely not seal at all. New seals are available at appliance parts dealers. I frequently order off the internet. -Pete, in Tacoma WA USA - I have 4 rentals and fixing stuff all the time It's not the seal. The door is caddywhompus. Icing Seems to be slowing with just the seal out of it's groove slowing the air leak by filling the gap.. Doesn't seem to be hindering the 'magnetic' function a bit. I think I'll go ahead and add some foam stripping in lieu of tearing the hole dam freezer apart. Then if that doesn't work I'll give you a call.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BradT Posted July 26, 2014 Author Share #16 Posted July 26, 2014 Thanks for the replies. 99% sure door seal is good and it is closed. (checked that). There is little water in the drain pan at the back so freezing is a possibility. The freezer is a slide out which is bigger pain to get into than the door I had left at the other house. It had a similar problem but was iced up behind the plastic panel on the coils. It needed some timer, but the repair man fixed that one. Going away tomorrow (holiday) so the fridge is waiting a few weeks until get some time to look at it unless it breaks worse than it is now Brad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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