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Anonymous
Anonymous asked in Home & GardenMaintenance & Repairs · 1 decade ago

What's wrong with our fridge?

Recently our fridge stopped being as cold as normal. Our milk turned solid (yogurt-like, when a milk would expire). We put it at the highest/coldest setting and it's still not as cold as it used to be. The ice cream in the freezer isn't rock-hard anymore like it used to be either, it's soft. What could be the problem?

Update:

Are the foods still safe to eat? Like... meats? Frozen microwaved foods that have meat in them?

7 Answers

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  • 1 decade ago
    Favorite Answer

    Most all refrigerators today are frost free. They operate with a small fan that blows the air inside the refrigerator over a coil, cooling the air. Ice builds up over time on the coil, blocking air circulation. Periodically a heating element next to the coil comes on to melt the ice, which drains to a pan at the bottom of the refrigerator.

    The four likely causes for your problem are:

    (1) The fan is not rotating because of some obstruction or because it has died.

    (2) The heating element is not melting the ice, perhaps because it has burned open.

    (3) There is an accumulation of debris or sediment at the drain hole, allowing water to accumulate.

    (4) The system is low on refrigerant. This is the least likely cause.

    Remove everything from the freezer section and open the panel on the bottom. You may need to remove some concealed screws. The fan, coil, heating element and drain are in this area. Examine, test and replace as necessary. This is not too hard to do if you have mechanical skills. Otherwise, call a repairman.

    Unlike an automotive air conditioner compressor, a refrigerator compressor rarely leaks refrigerant. This is because the compressor and the motor are both inside a sealed can. If there is a leak, it would have to be in the tubing or the coil, which are not likely.

    I would not eat any food that has not been stored properly. It's not worth it.

    Source(s): 25+ years experience keeping my refrigerator running. One heating element and one fan so far.
  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago

    Your fridge is low on Freon and needs to be seen by a refrigeration man or replaced. Sometimes your compressor could be going out and it's as cheap to buy another new appliance than mess with that. As far as the foods being alright to eat, you need to get a thermostat and see how cold it is in the unit. I wouldn't want to mess with anything above 40 degrees but even then if foods are going bad rather quickly, I would go ahead and buy a new appliance and be done with it.

    Watch the unit and if it runs constantly it is low. If there is ice everywhere it shouldn't be is another indication it's low on Freon.

  • 1 decade ago

    low on freon haha. how can you people sit at your house and say the problem is low freon. and Its not called freon, its called refrigerant!!! freon is a brand name made by DuPont.

    My brother had the same problem. His ended up being, his evaporator fan motor was burned out. in the freezer part of your fridge unscrew the bottom part to get to the fan. if your motor is burned out your coils will most likely be frozen up. defrost the ice with a hair dryer or something. be careful around the coils if you poke a hole in them your fridge is garbage. make sure its unpluged from the wall. you can buy a cheap electircal multimeter at the hardware store, i got mine for $20. you set the meter to read Ohms. you put one of the meter probes on one of the motors wires, and the other on the other wire. your supposed to get close to 0 Ohms, no resistance through the motor. If you get an Infinity reading you have resistance through your motor and your motor is burned out. copy down the model and serial number of your fridge, and just in case your fridge is really old, copy down the part # on the motor if there is one. go to your nearest appliance parts store, or wholesaler and buy a new motor, the one I bought was only $35. good luck, any other questions email me.

    Source(s): i found this site, it teaches you how to use an electrical meter, i didnt really read it so I'm not sure how helpful it is http://www.multimeterwarehouse.com/usingamultimete...
  • ?
    Lv 4
    4 years ago

    It appears like your refrigerator is an computerized defrost kind and there is the two some thing incorrect with the thermostat or a administration board. The thermostat could be somewhat basic and much less costly to swap yet whilst some thing is incorrect with the defrost circuit, that's a different tale. attempt adjusting the thermostat and see what that does earlier going out to purchase a sparkling refrigerator. additionally, verify the door seals, a seal that's no longer doing it is element would desire to reason it to make greater condensation than widely used, it might additionally be run greater suitable than widely used and make chilly spots that would desire to freeze your nutrition.

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  • 1 decade ago

    You need a boost in freon. Get a guy out, it's not expensive. The meats as long as they have frost crystals in them are O.K. don't keep opening the fridge. Frozen dinners etc, cook them up and refreeze them, the same with meats. Make something out of them and then freeze them for later.

  • 1 decade ago

    This happened to my fridge once, and I found out that the fan was stuck. Get to the little fan somehow, and mine was stuck on a little chunk of ice.

    I wouldn't eat things like the meat. Throw them out to be safe.

    Hope this helps..

  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago

    Compressor is giving out probly, need a floor under the new one?

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