[jimeee]

Kenmore 106.8572482

Side by side refer side seems too warm at the top while to cold in the bottom. The freezer side seems about the right temp at 0 degrees. Just underneath of the top shelf the temp runs about 42 degrees to 45 degree while in the bottom crisper it seems to stay about 30 degrees. I have both controls set at the middle on 3. Air blows into the refer side at the top area when the machine is running. I have the little vent open at the bottom next to the crisper that is between the freezer side and refer side. Stuff freezes in the bottom crisper while it is quite a bit warmer in the top and if I turn the refer thermostat to a warmer temp to keep stuff from freezing in the bottom crisper then food spoils quickly in the top areas of the refer.

I am using 3 taylor refer thermometers to monitor the temperatures.

I know I would like to have circulation fan running in the refer all of the time to keep the temperature more nearly the same at the top and bottom...haha...

What can I do to keep the temp about 40 t0 42 in the top part of the refer and still not freeze stuff in the bottom?

Thanks for any help you can offer.

Jim
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[kayakcrzy]

This is a side by side refrigerator. Let me ask you a few questions. Do you hear the freezer fan motor running? If so I want you to look in the freezer, almost all the way down in the very back, and let me know if you see afrost build up on the rear back panel. If everything appears fine. Pull the bottom kick plate of the front of the product, and see if it is dirty. One last thing to check is take the back off the refrigerator back bottom panel off, and see if the condenser fan motor is running. If so, put you hand on top of the compressor, and let me know if it is really hot. I can be reached at T. PAONE's APPLIANCE SALES & SERVICE GUIDE Thanks Tom

[jimeee]

I took the kick panel off last night and the condenser is there and it was very dirty and I cleaned it the best I could by hand. I will have to get an air compressor or vacuum cleaner to clean it out sometime today as it can't be cleaned by hand any better. The condenser fan runs so no problem there.

The freezer fan motor is running fine as I hear it running when the compressor is running and at the same time when I open the freezer door. Also I can feel the cold air blowing in the top of the refer when the machine is running although it doesn't seem like a very good stream of air is blowing there.

There is no frost on back wall of the freezer anywhere or anywhere else in the freezer.

It would be a major operation for us to pull the refer out from the wall to get to the back to check the compressor to see if it is really hot.

The compressor seems to cycle off and and on normally like it has been for years.

I checked the temps again this morning after it sitting all night without being opened. Temp under top shelf of refer was 38, while in the bottom crisper it was 25 and in the freezer it was 2 degrees above zero.

I think I am going to turn the refer thermostat back up to a warmer setting of 2 where it had been for years until about a month ago when I turned it down to a colder setting of 3 because some stuff started spoiling in the top area that had been in there a while.

I think one thing that may be wrong is my wife packs way too much stuff in both the freezer and refer and there which limits good circulation. I mean she has it packed so full on both sides such that one couldn't hardly get another thing inside of either the refer or the freezer...haha...

I have 5 thermometers and am going to put one in the crisper that is above the bottom crisper to see what kind of temperatures it is running in there.

I still wish I could rig up some kind of continuous circulation fan inside of the refer side...haha...

This freezer/refer has the old style shelves made of heavy wire and not the glass shelves so is should circulate pretty good except for being over crowded. We are now in the process of gradually taking care of the over crowding...

I don't know what else to do, except for cleaning the condenser as mechanically I think everything is working okay.

I know a basic amount about refrigeration because my dead father owned and operated a refrigeration and air conditioning and appliance service company and I worked with him when I was growing up but now I am 76 years old now so that was years ago and I have forgotten most all I learned as a young lad. However I know I should have been keeping the condenser clean...haha...

Thanks for any help offered as I really appreciate it.

Jim
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[jimeee]

I would really like to rig up a circulation fan in the refer side is there a way to do this??? Thanks.
Jim
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[woodchuck]

The unit is designed to circulate the air through the fridge and back to the freezer. The incoming and outgoing vents must be clear on fridge and freezer side. The overcrowding may definitely need to be rearranged for better circulation.

[jimeee]

I am wondering if with the vent hole open on the bottom that is right next to the bottom crisper, that is between the refer and freezer, isn't part of the reason it gets so cold in that bottom crisper??? Maybe I will close that and see if if will warm up a little in the bottom crisper.