One of the most common refrigerator’s defect is ice building up on the bottom of the freezer compartment or sometimes, on the refrigerator compartment too. Especially in new models of refrigerators as Samsung and LG. It may happen suddenly or slowly, has a snow or light frost on the back side inside the cabinet
When you see ice building up in your fridge you have to do some to defrosting it, pull out power cord from the outlet, for example. Which is not a really pleasant process . While your fridge in the process of defrosting, food and milk inside are waiting for the end of this hell, in the growing warmth, and can badly affect their quality.
So what you should do first if refrigerator started build up ice and snow?
First of all, you need to make sure that the refrigerator is really out of order. Let’s check some causes of ice building when it is not related to the breakdown of the fridge.
The cooling mode is turned on for a maximum
Check if the cooling mode is set to the maximum value. Many customers think if the temperature in the house is high, they need to lower the temperature by setting temp to lowest, to make foods fresh and save. It is a mistake. Remember, temperature mode doesn’t depend on the temperature outside. Don’t turn on max cooling in hot summer days.
The super-cool mode is activated
In some models of fridges this mode is automatically turned off, but if there is no automatic shutdown in your unit, don’t forget to turn it off manually. In the super-frosting mode, the fridge motor works almost without disconnecting, and the refrigerator is very cold.
You checked both and cooling mode is selected correctly, but the fridge still covered with ice? Read below about the other symptoms where broken parts or controls have defects and need to be replaced.
Troubleshooting a refrigerator which building up ice:
Snow is forming in the back side of the freezer
Freezer temperature sensor failure. It is necessary to replace temperature sensor.
Defrost thermostat that located in the evaporator, stuck open and needs to be replaced.
Layer of ice forms on the bottom of the freezer or refrigerator compartment
he drainage hole or/and drain pipe were blocked. It is necessary to clean the drainage and defrost the hole from ice. Do it by yourself – use steamer or hair dryer, or call appliance repair company for proper service.
The defrosting system has failed. Breakage of one of the elements of the system – defrost timer, evaporator heater or defrost thermostat. It doesn’t allow the refrigerator to enter the defrost mode. Necessary to replace the defective elements of the defrost system.
A piece of ice is collected on evaporator and doesn’t melt
Probably, there is a leak of freon. When freon leak are present, cooling possibility is changed. Seal system can’t provide the right 37 F temperature anymore, but thermostat, adjusted to be cold, that makes bad thing: forces compressor runs constantly to compensate a lack of cold.
Most common leaks of freon are occurs:
in connections of factory solder on sealing pipes (from copper to steel, from copper to copper, etc.)
by perimeter of heater that goes through evaporator and can make it damage.
in the small holes of evaporator coil.
It is necessary to eliminate the leak and recharge the system with refrigerant. Sometimes possibly to fix the leak by soldering at same time. But sometimes replacing the whole evaporator is required.
Walls of the freezer closer to the door are covered with a layer of ice and snow
Most likely, the door gaskets of any compartments were worn out.
Door doesn’t close properly and warm air enters through open gaps, then condensates on the walls.
Ice formed on the compressor’s pipes, in the back of the fridge
Refrigerating compartment is over-freezing, a snowy “coat” has grown on its rear.
The solenoid “spider” valve, which is switching of cooling regimes between the compartments, has failed. It is necessary to replace the solenoid valve.
