Coldspot 1069430411 evaporator fan not coming on while compressor is running and not circulating the cold air. Also, neither light comes on when doors are open, both bulbs new. New defrost timer, new thermostat, new defrost thermostat. Fan works when in defrost so not the fan motor. Any suggestions would be great.

Sometimes the defrost heater fails, and the evaporator coils freeze up preventing the cold air from reaching the fridge, and the fan from circulating the air. The compressor will run constantly trying to reach the desired temperature. If you can access the coils (usually behind the freezer) (inside the appliance) ... there is a plastic panel typically in front of it, press on it, if it sounds scrunchy like snow, that is like the problem. Remove the panel, defrost it (don't pick at it) and replace it. It will run for a while you wait for the new element to show up. You can get the heater element from an appliance part store on line relatively cheap.

Is the evaporator fan motor running, for sure? Can you feel air entering the refrigerator? How did you test the defrost heater?

Hi,

Compressor is one reason why your freezer may not get cold. The compressor which is usually found at the back of the freezer helps to pump out gas/ cold air and the fan circulates this cold air in the freezer. If this compressor is knocked/defective, the freezer won't cool. Also, gas in the compressor sometimes get's finished and needs to be refilled. So, the compressor needs to be checked in a situation like this.

Fan problem is one of the most common reasons for the freezer to start failing, this is called "frost free failure." Ice can build up on the evaporator coils over time, and this ice builds up until it starts blocking the fan. The fan is responsible for circulating cold air throughout the freezer, so if it is blocked the freezer will not be able to freeze any food. You can usually check this by removing an access panel in the back of the freezer to inspect the coils. If ice is built up on the coils, a hairdryer can assist in defrosting them.

It's also possible that the fan is not running at all. If the fan is burned out or the motor isn't running, cold air can't circulate through the freezer and everything will melt. You can normally hear the fan motor switch on and off from time to time. Listen for it and if you can't hear it coming on for an extended period of time, the motor may need repair or replacement. The wires connecting to the fan may be the problem, preventing the fan from receiving electricity.

Several other problems could be keeping your freezer from freezing:

There could be leaks in one or several of the hoses in the refrigerator, which results in the cold air being lost instead of circulating properly throughout the fridge and freezer.

If you have the freezer so full that the cold air can't circulate, your food will thaw even though the freezer isn't malfunctioning. Always leave some space open in the freezer and try to not store food right up against the cooling vents.

The thermostat might have shorted out, which means the freezer can't accurately determine how cold it is. If this is the case, the refrigerator would probably not be working, either.

If your defrost drain becomes clogged, the water in the line will just refreeze over and over again, which could damage the lines as well as the fan. Always check the drain and make sure no sludge is building up in it if you have a self-defrosting refrigerator.

Always try to keep the freezer door closed for long periods of time. The more the door is opened, the more warm air is let in and cold air is released. If the door is opened frequently, the freezer could be warming faster.

Regards.

I think the thermostat is faulty. Thus it makes the freezer extra cold. Try replacing it. Regards, Nandini.

5 reasons for fridge and/or freezer getting warm: 1- the evaporator coils are icing up and won?t let air circulate. 2- the evaporator fan is not working to circulate air. 3- there is no refrigerant in the system. 4- no power to fridge or compressor. 5- the condenser coils have no air circulation check under the fridge behind the vent. if it is too dusty or the fan isn?t working, it is not getting enough airflow to cool down. replace fan and/or vacuum out the dust. if there is no power to the fridge, the light will be off. if the compressor is not running, there is a defrost timer that cuts the power temporarily to the compressor to melt ice on the coils. it?s located under the fridge behind the bottom vent. If the timer is off and the compressor is not going, the compressor or the main board is bad and needs replacing. there is also a temperature sensor on the evaporator coils that tells the defrost coil to turn on and when to turn off. if the defrost timer is on but the coil is not heating up, replace the sensor. if it still won?t heat up, it?s the timer or the coil. the easiest way to tell if there is no refrigerant- the freezer wall is warm and the compressor is loud. if there is no refrigerant, it may be more cost effective to replace the fridge. if you feel no air coming from the freezer vent, the fan needs replacing. If you feel air moving in the freezer but not the fridge, the channel from freezer to fridge is blocked. if the freezer has air and the rear freezer wall has frost on it, the evaporator coils are iced up and need defrosting. causes: 1. low refrigerant 2. no fan 3. too much humid air in fridge/freezer due to door open or bad door seals 4. the condensate drain tube is clogged if the seal around the door is ripped or not completely sealing, or there is condensation at the bottom or the walls of the fridge, replace the seal(s). no air, no fan. Replace if the refrigerant is low, it just needs a top off. but you need to be certified by the epa to move refrigerant, so get a professional. defrost solutions: unplug the fridge. remove the wall of the freezer that is frosted/icing up. use a hair dryer to melt the ice. do not get too close. you will see a drain under the evaporator coil. make sure it is not blocked. the water should run freely to a condensate pan under the fridge that evaporates the condensation with the hot line from the compressor. once the coil is free of ice, frost, and water, replace the panel and repair any of the problems that caused the icing up. plug the fridge in and turn it on. If it frosts up within a week, there is still an issue that not been taken care of.

Check to see if the condenser fan at the back underneath near the compressor is running. If no check fan.
Is the evaporator fan in the freezer running. It blows cold air into the fridge side through a damper in the wall between the freezer and fridge. Make sure the damper is open.

Below the evaporator fan is the evaporator coils. Remove the back cover in the freezer to observe the frost pattern. Light frost everywhere(NORMAL) or a partial pattern of ice(LOW ON FREON) or nothing(LOW FREON OR COMPRESSOR PROBLEM).

How to check everything
http://www.acmehowto.com/howto/appliance/refrigerator/refrigerator.php

If the evaporator coils behind the back panel of the freezer are icing up because of auto defrost failure that will stop the circulation of cold air and eventually affect the freezer too.

check defrost timer, defrost heater, defrost thermostat

You can turn the defrost timer till it clicks and everything shuts down. The heater should now come on. If it does, replace the timer. If it doesn't, check the heater and defrost thermostat. Turn the timer again till everything starts back up to end the defrost cycle.


Part 4 on this diagram is your timer http://www.searspartsdirect.com/partsdirect/getSubComp.pd?modelNumber=1069608210&productCategoryId=0160000&brandId=0582&modelName=REFRIGERATOR&diagramPageId=00003&componentDescription=COMPARTMENT%20SEPARATOR%20AND%20CONTROL&documentId=00050440&backToLink=Return%20to%20subcomponent%20list

The fan that is under the frig is the condensor fan(the fan the cools the condenser coils and the compressor. It does not have a direct effect on the chilled air circulation inside of the frig. The evaporator fan is the unit that circulates the chilled air thru your freezer and frig. I am not sure what make model unit you have, but I have found that this fan motor is 90% of the circulation problems i have seen.

There's a capacitor by or on the compressor that probalbly needs replacing. This is the cheapest route .

First, I think it’s important to know that the Ref side has no cooling coils, it’s basically a box and the cold air in the freezer is blown over by a fan through a channel into the Ref side. This channel has a door which regulates how much cold air goes through. You probably have two control knobs in the Ref side, one controls the temp with numbers 1-9, 9 being the coldest. This temp control tells the compressor how long to run. The other control is for that little door and it may have letters A-E, E being the coldest. If you set it on E (coldest) then this will close that little door and keep most the cold air in the freezer.

Now, why is that cold air not getting over to the Ref side?
1. The little door is not open.
check your control setting. You can't see the door but, you should be able to feel air coming through the channel on the Ref side.

2. The fan in the freezer is not working.
You can hear this fan running when you open the freezer.

3. The coils on the freezer side are clogged with ice which won't let the fan circulate the air over to the Ref side.
This is a failure of the defrost system which consist of the defrost timer, heater, and thermo disc.

Also, If you replaced the evaporator fan then you got a good look at the cooling coils. Look at these coils while it is running. There should be a light coat of frost on all the coils. If this frost line is only 3/4 or 1/2 or any amount less than full coverage of the coils then the system has a coolant leak.

Directly under these coils is the drain pan and drain hole in the middle. This area should be clear of any ice or debris.

some older models ran power throughthe door/ light switches, for the evaporator fan, or perhaps even ewired through the defrost thermostat( reason for that is if evap is warm no need to run a fan and circulate hot air through the cabinet did you try letting run for a while mighttake 20-30 min to get cold enough to trip the defrost thermo.I usuallly hit it with a shot of the freon just ot freeze it shut real quick