Freezer Troubleshooting

[wildwilly]

I have a Kenmore upright freezer (16 cu. ft.) that's 13 yrs old. The digital display indicated that the internal temp was rising. We caught it in time to save all our frozen stuff. I replaced the 9V battery, but it didn't solve anything.
The freezer was unplugged and left standing for a day.
I recall a friend relating a suggestion from an appliance technician that one solution was to lay a malfunctioning refrigerator on its side and give it a good jolt....something to do with a magnet that's stuck in the compressor. As weird as it seems, the freezer began working again for 12 hrs. Then, same issue.
Any suggestions for a simple fix? I'm no McGuiver, but I have successfully repaired a malfunctioning Kenmore ice-maker. Yes. no freezers are in stock in my area. Thanks.

[waksupi]

Try doing a Google for a solution. I have an old chest freezer, at least 60 years old and still working. No extra gadgets attached. Why do they have to complicate things?

[CastingFool]

I have done some work as a refrigeration tech. Probably leaving the freezer unplugged for a day was what made it work again. I have always heard that you wait a day before plugging in a refrig or freezer that has been on its side. The reason for that is to allow the oil to drain back into the compressor. If not, there is the possibility of the bearings running dry, and you would need to replace the compressor. I have had a refrig freeze up on us, and had to thaw it out before it began to run, but it eventually froze up again. The fix was to change a sensor.

[Tatume]

Is the freezer making a lot of frost? If so, that indicates and air leak. Check the gasket on the door, and check the fit of the back side.

[salpal48]

Sound Like It's Going Into it's Swan song. Sometimes you Just have to throw them away

[EDG]

If it uses a common refrigerant like 134a you can buy a line tap and check the high side pressure to see if it is low. I added 134a to one and got it to run another 2 years before it cratered for good.

[Omega]

Ok, had a bit of the same thing going on in mine, may work, may not, for you. There is a small drain hole which lets out the moisture when it defrosts, if it gets plugged up it freezes then the whole freezer stops working for some reason. Here is an article explaining, do a search for your particular model for a step by step. Next time it happens to mine I'll use my air hose to clean out the hole, and add this wire.

https://www.1000tools.com/blog/how-to-prevent-water-from-collecting-at-bottom-of-refrigerator.html

[LynC2]

Check the evaporator that's located behind an interior panel. It could be iced up due to a number of problems. It could be a bad defrost timer( a common problem), the defrost heater has burned out( attached to the evaporator coil), a bad sensor and possibly a bad compressor or low on freon. That is the order I would check. Get a copy of the schematic to locate the parts if you need it.

[wv109323]

When cycling the coils condense and the water is drained via a plastic tube to and external pan under the freezer. If that plastic line gets clogged when the condebsation freezes up the coils and the fan can not blow cold air into the freezer. See if that line is stopped up.

[wv109323]

One other thing that is a cheap fix on some models. The themostat controls a relay that applies power to the compressor. That relay can fail. On mine the relay was located beside the compressor. It also had a smell of hot electrical that could be smelled in the garage.

[too many things]

well as you know by now you cant get a new one for a while try a new hard start relay about 40 but that is not going to fix it just make it work for a while new when you can get it

[wildwilly]

Thanks for the suggestions, guys. Because the freezer got back to cooling to 0 degrees when I plugged it in and it maintained temp. for about 12 hrs I think I can eliminate a bad compressor and low refrigerant. I just removed and checked continuity on the defrost element and that shows continuity. The evaporator fan is working fine and the drain is clear. So, I'll direct my attention toward sensors and relays.

[jimlj]

Make sure all the dust and pet hair is vacuumed from the coils. When I had a golden retriever it was a yearly thing to pull the fridge out and vacuum the coils.

[wildwilly]

Here's an update on my 13 yr. old Kenmore freezer. Following several suggestions here (excluding buying new freezer), I did a bit more research on troubleshooting. I located several parts which could be causal. I ordered a thermostat (defroster element), thermistor, compressor relay, and a refurbished control board.....$180 total. I spent about 1 hr. replacing all the parts. It's been up and working like the first day I bought it. Thanks again.

[NyFirefighter357]

Go here https://www.searspartsdirect.com/ and look to see where the defrost timer is located also look to see where the circulating fan is. The defrost timer is probably getting stuck in the defrost mode. Most have a knob where you can advance it back to freeze mode, if that works the timer is bad. The other thing to check is if the fan that circulates the cold air is working. These fans are piece of junk and tend to stop spinning. You should also clean the coil as suggested yearly but 12hrs shouldn't cause major ice build up unless you have a severe gasket leak or extremely dirty coil.
I typed this before I saw your update. I'm sure it was the defrost timer. Good job. BTW the Sears parts link has the most extensive parts & diagram list available with every cross reference of new part numbers available but there parts prices are crazy. I get the parts numbers there and then order somewhere else. Jay

[NSB]

A very common cause of freezers not working properly is an accumulation of dust collecting on the evaperator coils. If you have forced air heat in the house you know how much dust collects in places you don't look at very often. Take a look at the back of the unit or underneath and see if there is a lot of dust collected on the unit. A simple cleaning with a vacuum cleaner and/or a towel will get the unit running well again. Now days they use as little coolant in them as possible for cost and environmental reasons. Mine quit a couple of years back and a good cleaning fixed it right up again. This is a really easy thing to check and fix if it's the cause. (I spent over forty years working in climate control....automotive, but it's all the same).

[CastingFool]

I di the same thing NyFirefighter357 does. Use searspartsdirect, find the p/n and buy somewhere else. I recently looked for a solution tank for a Hoover steam vac. They sol. Tanks are prone to leaking. A factory replacement retails for well $100. I found a new style replacement for $70, eith free shipping. Received the other day, and it fit perfectly.

[NyFirefighter357]

The average appliance only lasts 7yrs before repairs. It's usually the little stuff like timer controls, electronic water solenoids, switches, gaskets, belts, motor couplings & fans. Most of these items are easy enough to fix and fairly cheap.

Refrigerator/freezers should be vacuumed & brushed to remove dust & pet hair at least yearly & the coils greased as needed.

Washing machines & dish washers should have a cycle of cleaning vinegar run through them a couple times a year as this will not only freshen up any smells but help remove and built up scum.

The screens in a dishwasher should be cleaned at least once a year.

Clothes driers exhaust duct should be cleaned annually from the lint catcher straight through to the outside hood. Depending on the type of outside vent they should be cleaned more often. The rear panel of a dryer should be removed yearly and the inside vacuumed & the belt & roller should be inspected at the same time.

All dryers should use aluminum duct piping for fire hazard reasons. I prefer the rigid pipe like duct work with a minimum amount of elbows & sealed with foil tape. The semi-rigid one is good and may not need elbows. Dryer vent should vent out the closest wall & be as short as possible with the least amount of vertical run.

Dryers shouldn't vent through the roof or into the attic or living space. The vertical height will cause back pressure as lint builds up and falls down to the lowest point. Venting into the attic or house is not only dangerous as a fire concern but also for gas dryers a danger of carbon monoxide poisoning , builds up moisture that can cause mold and allows a build up of lint to fill your house with dust.

Stoves should be cleaned of over spills not only under the burners in the rings but most stove tops pop un to allow cleaning, built up grease will cause a fire and also burn up the burner sockets. Keeping an oven clean prevents oven fires.

Microwave ovens need to be kept clean, all food should be covered with a guard while cooking. A microwave oven has a waveguide it's about 5" square or rectangular mica card that needs to stay clean or the oven will appear to spark as the food explodes & burns off. Cleaning it usually works but it can also be damaged by the effects of burning, the replacements are cheap online at under $10.

Stove hoods should also be vented outside & kept clean for fire prevention.