[bistik]

hello, the fan on the freezer is constantly running, even if i set the power to 1. it never stops. and because of that, the vents on the back of the freezer are frozen. there is actually frost back there, so i'm guessing that is why no cold air goes down to the fridge section. can someone tell me what i need to replace? thank you in advance...

[kayakcrzy]

What you have is a defrost problem. The easiest and best thing to do is replace the defrost timer, and the defrost thermostat. You are looking at about $60.00 Which is probably cheaper then your local repairman to come out. There is a heater in that unit too, but it never goes out. Defrost the unit, and replace the parts. Done!!!! Don't mess around just do it. I have 30 years expieience, and I know that product in my sleep. If you need me to walk you through the repair, I can be reached at my web site at ApplianceEducator.com Tom

[denman]

Here is a link to your fridge
Frigidaire FRT18G4AWC

The defrost timer is in the fridge section
You can turn the shaft/cam of the timer by hand. It only turns one way. When your freezer fan goes off you are in a defrost cycle. If the fridge defrosts then all you need is the timer. You will not even have to open up the coils section. Once defrost is done turn it to refridgerate and order your timer.

You can also mark the shaft and a spot on the timer body with a felt pen.
If it has not moved after an hour, the timer motor is shot.

If the above does not work then it could be the timer contacts are broken, the defrost thermostat is open, the defrost heater is blown or a connection is bad

Do not have 30 years experience but I have seen all of the above.

[kayakcrzy]

Denman, I beg to differ with you.If the customer puts the timer in defrost, and the coils are frozen over, the normal defrost time will not defrost the coil enough The way the system is designed the air has to pass through the coil to be effective, with that advise, the compressor will run much longer and hotter, and therefore make the refrigerator not cold enough. The reason I advised the customer to replace the defrost thermostat, and the timer is, as an Authorized Frigidaire Servicer, I have seen time after time the defrost thermostat be erraticon that product. So if you check it the way you said, what can happen is it might work and the heaters come on and, he gets back to us, and says its working great. Then he fills up is Frig, and it happens again. and he looses more food. As a technician, you learn these things, because you get burned. In this case, I have seen this time after time, and what we are here to do is to give advise to people that need expert help. Tom

[bistik]

thank you both for your quick reply. lucky me, i was able to find both parts, defrost thermostat and timer at a store very close to my house. i have already called the store and they do have them both.
now, just an update on the status of my fridge, i set the fridge down to 0 overnight to let it defrost. around 1 pm this afternoon, i set it to 1. fridge part is getting cool air from the freezer because i guess there are no more frost blocking the vents. few minutes later, to my surprise, the freezer shuts off. and few minutes later, went back on again. around 3 pm, i set it to 2 and it work off and on again. now it's up to 4 and it's working fine. i don't really know if the problem is solve but i will definetely keep monitoring it. so what do you guys think? i will post an update tomorrow if any changes or if the problem comes back (hopefully not ). lucky me, there is an authorized parts store close to my house so i can always buy the parts if i need to.

[kayakcrzy]

If the the refrigerator has been shut off, and the coil has defrosted, then the refrigerator will work fine for three days. That is how long it will take for the coil to freeze over. So basically what you expieienced is the refrigerator cycling off. You might even had it time into a defrost cycle, but not defrost. The defrost thermostat is most likely the problem. The timer is most likely the preventative maintaince part of the repair, I advised to you. Also remember to defrost the coil after you put in the defrost thermostat. Good Luck. If you need me I will be at my web site at ApplianceEducator.com Tom

[denman]

I agree with kayak, has about a 99% chance of reoccurring, if not in three days then in the near future. The good news is, it is just a defrost problem and is easy to repair.

Depending on the timer/thermostat cover you may be able to see the timer shaft without having to remove the cover. Mark it and the cover and check it after a couple hours. If it has not moved your timer is shot.

Your defrost timer should come on for 30 minutes every 8 hours
The freezer fan will be shut off in a defrost cycle

[bistik]

o k guys, i ended up replacing the parts that you guys recommended. the defrost timer and thermostat. it was an easy job. the fridge worked fine. but now, after about 3 weeks, same problem again. so what should i do now?

[woodchuck]

So now when it goes into defrost does the heater come on and melt the ice.

[bistik]

again, thanks for the quick reply. how do you know if the heater comes on? well, there is frost build up in the back. it's almost to the point where the whole vent is covered completely. i am still getting air to the fridge section from the freezer, but not much. so i guess the heater does not come on during defrost. would that be the problem? if so, it did work for at least 3 weeks after i replaced the parts. is that normal? thanks again in advance.