My refrig. FRS26H5ASB5 side by side - the freezer stopped working. The fridge side is still cool however not the same as before. The unit was manufactured in 2003. Any common issues with this model? Thanks!

check that the compressor is working by feeling for motor vibrations at the compressor, hot compressor unit or hot fins or back wall of the fridge
if there is not heat then the compressor is not working
call a technician as it could be a start/run capacitor failed or compressor seized
get a quote as some compressor replacements cost as much as a new fridge
check that the utility power is getting to the fridge/freezer

Hi,

Check out these tips...they can help you figure out whats going wrong with yourrefrigerator and why it is not cooling

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Refrigerator or Freezer not Cooling or Getting Cold
heatman101

check the damper vent door between the refrige and freezer and make sure its opening up to let cold air from freezer into the refrige,sometimes they freeze up and cant open and close when called upon to do so,if so deice it with a hair dryer,the side being hot is good telling you the compressor is operating correctly

I don't believe you can turn off the frezzer section because most if not all frezzer/fridge units use the frezzer section to cool the fridge side!!!! that's just how they are designed.

The freezer get the first crack at cooling and combination units have a fan and adjustable vents to steal some of the cooling capacity for the refrigerator. The vent are normally located in the back of the refrigerator compartment and with these, you can balance the cooling capacity between freezer and fridge. I recommend you swap your thermometer back and forth until you get the balance you want; typically the freezer should be at 5 degrees F or below and the fridge at 35-40 degrees F. Adjusting the control for temperature and having the vents set to supply the cold air you want in each compartment should give you the range you want in each.

It sounds like your defrost control timer is working, but your defrost heater is most likely burnt out. It is a part number WR51X443
and is located behind the back wall inside the freezer. Turning the refrig off for 24 hours helped melt some of the accumulated frost, but not all. You will have to take that back cover off inside the freezer and melt all the frost with a hair blower, replace the defrost heater and reassemble.

Let freezer get down in temp and fridge should start chillg.Good luck

THIS IS A DEFROST PROBLEM EITHER THE THERMOSTAT OR DEFROST TIMER IS BAD! THE THERMOSTAT IS LOCATED BEHIND THE WALL IN THE FREEZER COMPARTMENT ATTACHED TO THE COILS TO KNOW IF ITS BAD IF WILL HAVE A RAISED SPOT ON THE BACK LIKE ITS BUSTING OPEN CHECK THAT

if there is a fan in the freezer; in that is not working then yes OR the thermostat has gone. But the unit only has one compressor and if the fridge is working it is normally a good sign.

If you where really concerned you could call a domestic refrig tech they could fix it.

Hope that this helps

I put the fridge in manual defrost by advancing the timer. The defrost heater worked so the problem was with the timer not advancing to defrost every 6 hours. The plastic gears wear out over time.