Chosen Solution
I woke up today with my Amana freezer totally thawed and fridge and freezer both around 50 F. A few were ago I was annoyed at the temp of my freezer so I changed a dial in the back to “Min” thinking that would make it as cold as possible. Apparently the dial is actually an air flow controller so I effectively dropped the freezer to minimal air flow, diverting it to the fridge. Later that week some of my fridge items were frozen solid - like a full 2L carton of almond milk. I dropped the fridge temp from 3/5 to 2/5. Fast forward to now. I’ve returned the settings to normal and am waiting but am now optimistic that it will be running normally after. The coils in the back are not dusty. Obviously nothing is iced up since my whole freezer melted. Compressor in the back is hot to the touch but the coils running up the back are room temp. Fridge was made in 2019 so it’s not set old. Any idea what it could be?
Hi @esaul17, OK your model has an external condenser unit which is cooled naturally and not aided by a cooling fan What is the temp in both compartments now? If not 0°F in the freezer compartment, check how cold the evaporator unit inside the freezer compartment is. It is located behind a panel at the back, access is through the door at the front. Be careful when you go to touch it with bare hands, as you don’t want to accidentally stick to it if it is icy cold. If it isn’t that cold and the compressor is running then there’s a problem somewhere with the sealed system i.e. lack of refrigerant due to a leak, a blockage somewhere or worst case a faulty compressor. Can you see any ice build up on the pipes near the compressor or maybe near the evaporator unit? If so this indicates a blockage in the system. Check for any oily residues around the compressor, the pipes or the condenser unit as it may indicate a leak. There’s a special oil mixed in with the refrigerant to lubricate the compressor and sometimes if there is a leak, the gas can escape undetected but the oil may leave a trace. If nothing is obvious you may have to get the sealed system refrigerant high and low pressures checked to know if there is a problem with the system and where it most likely is. Depending on your location you might have to get a licensed repairer to do this due to the environmental regulations regarding the handling of refrigerant gases. Also they have the necessary equipment to do the tests.
