[mwortham]

I need your help - PLEASE!

I bought my fridge brand new 5 1/2 yrs ago. About 2 wks ago it started making really loud noises & then it got so cold the milk was frozen. A week later the fridge side is warm & the freezer side is now the temp of what the fridge used to be, but not cold enough to make ice cubes.

The walls in both are cold to touch & there is frost on the back wall of the freezer.

I am a single mother & I can not afford the $70 service call. If someone can please tell me how can I determine which part it is (I'm assuming it's the condensor or the compressor). Of course the warranty on the condensor expired 8 months ago!

And yes- I did take the back panal off and cleaned the condensor drum (?), which because we have a dog and live in the desert, was extremely dusty.

Thanks again for your help!
Michelle

[PS Volunteer - Appguy]

Take back panel off in the freezer and i totally frosted over, defrost with hair dryer.
Check resistance of defrost heater, if ok, replace defrost thermostat, a little round device clipped to the evaporator coil. Also check evaporator fan in freezer and condensing fan in back. Verify no jammed blades.
Run fridge and check if it defrosts by checking for water in the drip tray underneath fridge. If no defrost, you will probably need a new control board in the back.

[mwortham]

ok - I guess the condenser fan is the large drum thing on the right hand side that was completely filled with a 1/8" layer of dust, that I did clean & the blades looked fine.
I'm sorry to be so ignorant, but are you talking about taking off the panel in the back of the fridge - where I found the condensor drum? Or are you talking about inside of the freezer - which, for the 1st time, does have ice on it so it would appear the defroster isn't working.

How do I check the resistance of the defrost heater? Where is the evaporator coil located? The parts are not listed in the book that came with the fridge. Is there a website I can go to that will detail the individual parts & their locations?

Thanks so much for all of your help! You're a God send!
Michelle

[PS Volunteer - Appguy]

You can go to Appliance Parts From PartSelect | Repair Parts For Major Appliances for pictures describing parts.