Why is my Frigidaire refrigerator not cooling at all?
My Frigidaire (FFTR1814LBF) isn’t cooling and the freezer cools like a refrigerator, not as a freezer, nothing gets frozen. I tried cleaning the coils underneath the fridge. I removed the cover from the freezer and there’s no ice on the coils that looks like a radiator. Any ideas? Can the freezer act like that (cooling, not freezing) if there’s no Freon gas?
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13 Comments
Hi @iotriton ,
Is the compressor running?
Is the evaporator unit (behind the panel in the freezer section) icy cold to the touch? (watch your fingers that they don't stick to it).
If the evap unit is not icy cold and the compressor is running there is a problem with the sealed system, either a blockage, lack of freon or a faulty compressor.
Due to environmental regulations, depending on your location, a licensed refrigerator repair service is required when the sealed system needs to be inspected.
Usually there is a longer manufacturer's warranty on the sealed system (5 years or longer) so check the warranty if this is applicable
Can you hear if the evaporator fan running? It stops when a door is opened and starts again when a door is closed, you may have to place you ear against the cabinet to hear it.
by jayeff
@jayeff I've no idea if the compressor is running at all but it seems hot when I touch it. The evaporator unit, the one that looks like a radiator wasn't cold, no ice at all. But there was something funny, the copper tubing that goes to the evaporator unit had this loose tape. It wasn't electrician tape, it wasn't duct tape, it was more like packing tape (cheap?). And underneath that loose tape, the evaporator unit, the one I call "radiator", had something that looked dark grayish. Looked like a rubbery substance but it felt like an adhesive or glue. No idea if the copper tubing is where the Freon gas goes to that evap. unit. But I keep wondering why the freezer is cooling like a regular refrigerator (not as a freezer) if it lacks Freon gas? Shouldn't it not cool at all if this happens?
The evaporator fan runs fine and no, it doesn't stop when I open the door.
Do I still need a Refrigeration Expert to seal the copper tubing and put Freon gas inside the fridge? The unit was manufactured in 2013 (Canada).
by Mike Diaz
Hi @iotriton ,
Just verifying that you're looking at the evap unit and not the condenser unit when you say it is not icy cold.
Here's a link to the parts for your fridge.
Click on the "system" diagram block on the left side of the page to view the evap unit location - (in the freezer section) and the condenser unit down with the compressor.
What are the actual temps in the freezer and the refrigerator?
The evap fan (in the freezer) should turn off when a door is opened. The condenser fan will run as long as the compressor is running,
The parts list shows only one switch - the light switch in the refrigerator section but it may double up as an indicator to the control board that the door has opened. Try manually operating the switch - see shelves diagram part #14 for its' location - to check if it does turn the light on and off and also hopefully the evap fan
If the substance around the copper pipe has not dripped onto the floor it may be just a seal.
If there is insufficient refrigerant (it could be a slow leak) the freezer may get down to refrigerator temp but not freezer temp, therefore the freezer and fridge will nearly be at the same temps but the compressor will still be running trying to drive the freezer down to its operating temp i.e. 0 deg F (-18deg C) whereas the fridge section should be at about 36 deg F (about 3 deg C)
A repair service has the gear to test the high and low pressures in the sealed system which will indicate whether it is OK or not and if not where the problem most likely is.
If it is in the sealed system somewhere you may be unfortunate as most manufacturers offer a 5 year warranty on the sealed system, (still only 12 months on the rest of the appliance) some even offer longer, but it still may be worth a check of the warranty on yours, just in case. just a thought.
by jayeff
@jayeff It's the evap unit I stated that it's not full of ice. I'll check the temperatures inside both the freezer and the refrigerator.
As for the sealing substance, it went on top of the evap unit so my best guess is that freon gas is leaking through the copper tubing.
I'll check the warranty but it was built in 2013 so I'm not sure if it's covered or not. I'll keep posting in here when I find out the temperatures inside both the freezer and the refrigerator. And thanks for the valuable info. Yours seems to be right on the spot.
by Mike Diaz
@jayeff Update: Using a thermometer, I first tested the upper shelf inside the refrigerator. From room temperature (26 degrees C, 78.8 degrees F), it went down to 16 degrees C (60.8 F) after five minutes. Waited for the thermometer to reach room temperature (25 C) and put it on the bottom shelf (close to the drawers). After five minutes, it again went to 16 degrees C (60.8 F). Waited for the thermometer to reach room temperature (25 C) and this time put it inside the freezer. Waited eleven minutes and the thermometer went down to 6 degrees C (42.8 F). By what I previously read, these temperatures are lousy. Unless a miracle happens, I'll have to contact a refrigeration expert and I'm pretty sure he/she is going to overcharge me.
by Mike Diaz
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