I want to defrost my GE chest freezer but i do not know where the drain is

Where you say that it appears to operator, do you mean that the compressor is working? If so, then your condenser grills might be dirty and causing the unit not to cool effectively. Is the sides or back of the unit getting hot? If so that could be the cause - a cleaning of the condenser coils.

But if your compressor is not kicking on or is very hot to the touch, then it might not be operating correctly. If it is not activating then it could be the contactor-relay or start capacitor.

Hi,

Check out these tips...they can help you figure out what is going wrong withyour refrigerator

Refrigeratornot Cooling or Fridge not Cooling

How to Defrost Refrigerator DefrostTimer Problem

WaterRunning in refrigerator from Freezer

Refrigeratoror Freezer not Cooling or Getting Cold
heatman101

Hi,
That question comes up many times here, so I wrote a tip about "How to defrost your freezer"

How to Defrost a Freezer
heatman101

The defrost cycle is not working. After a predetermined number of hours of compressor running time, a timer actuates the defrost cycle, which stops the compressor and turns on a heating element to melt the ice. Either the timer or heating element is not working. Also, make sure the melted ice water is actually draining and not re-freezing.

Hi,

Check out these tips...they can help you figure out what is going wrong with your refrigerator and why it is not cooling

Refrigerator not Cooling or Fridge not Cooling

How to Defrost Refrigerator Defrost Timer Problem

Water Running in refrigerator from Freezer

Refrigerator or Freezer not Cooling or Getting Cold

heatman101

Hi,
Un plug it for a bit and then restart it....or a well placed whaap with your hand right by the timer may do it...
but sometimes it will not go and you will need to either manually turn it or get it replaced...

Refrigerator not Cooling or Fridge not Cooling

How to Defrost Refrigerator Defrost Timer Problem

Water Running in refrigerator from Freezer

Refrigerator or Freezer not Cooling or Getting Cold
heatman101

Hi,

Check out these tips...they can help you figure out what is going wrong with your refrigerator...

Refrigerator not Cooling or Fridge not Cooling

How to Defrost Refrigerator Defrost Timer Problem

Water Running in refrigerator from Freezer

Refrigerator or Freezer not Cooling or Getting Cold

heatman101

The evaporator coils frost up in normal use and every eight hours or so the entire unit shuts down and the defrost heater comes on to melt the frost. This cycle last about 20 minutes. The melted frost drips into a drain pan and through a drain tube to the drain tray under the freezer/refrigerator where it's evaporated by the condenser fan.


Your drain tube may be stopped up with ice at the upper end because it drains too slow because it's stopped up at the lower end in the evaporator pan under the unit at the floor. It can get dust and mold in it. Once you get the ice out at the top a little pressure with a turkey baster will usually clear it out. Flushing it out with hot water and clorox may help.
Make sure it drains quick enough to prevent refreezing. . The drain should be located below the evaporator coils on the back of the freezer.

On my Skandiluxe CF309 chest freezer, the ORANGE LIGHT IS FAST FREEZE and should be depressed to quick freeze when adding newly bought items as the temperature will go up when you've opened the lid for prolonged periods. This is also used to drop the temperature when restoring after defrosting. REMEMBER TO TURN THIS OFF. Also, take note of the gauge in the inside of the freezer which tells you which setting to switch the dial to according to how full the freezer is, and therefore the most energy-efficient setting.

The red light is the warning or "alarm" and will light up when the temperature is too warm.

The green light is a "control" light and I can't remember what this is for, but I don't recall seeing it on in the 15yrs or so that I've had the freezer.

TO DEFROST:
(The drain comes out directly underneath the drain hole and there is no hose. Not a very helpful design. I found that if you tip the freezer forward and scoop out as much water as you can, then mop up the rest with a large bath towel, it should do the job.

BTW if you are planning to defrost the freezer (or any freezer for that matter), once you've switched it off, if you have access to a hand-held steamer, and place something like an empty plastic box to catch the ice (we used an unused litter tray as it's the perfect size to catch all the ice in an upright freezer), it saves a significant amount of time. If you don't have one, it's worth investing in a cheap one with the squeegee function so you can do all the nitty-gritty jobs around the house including the windows in no time and no elbow grease at all !!

The evaporator coil behind the cover on the back wall inside the freezer will ice up under normal conditions. Every 8 to 10 hours for around 20 minutes the defrost timer (or in most newer models the electronic adaptive defrost control) will turn the defrost heater on to melt the built up ice. There is a defrost thermostat which prevents the heater from overheating the freezer by breaking the heater circuit when the temp reaches close to 32 degrees F. The entire cooling system shuts off during the defrost cycle and starts back when the timer advances through the cycle.

If this ice is not melted it will continue to build up until the air can’t flow over the coil to circulate the cold air through the freezer and into the fridge. The temperature change in the fridge is usually noticed first followed by the freezer.

If the defrost thermostat is bad it can prevent the heater from coming on OR it won’t turn the heater off when it gets too warm. It is clamped to the evaporator coil at the top to sense the temp. If it appears to be misshapen it is bad.
With an ohm meter it should show continuity when cold and none when warm.
You can also bypass the thermostat to see if the heater comes on then. If it does then you know the thermostat is bad and needs replaced.

The defrost heater is located on the evaporator. It is in a tube which is at the bottom and can also go up the sides of the evaporator. On some types you can see a burnt spot if it’s bad. With an ohm meter it should show continuity from end to end when disconnected from the wiring in the freezer. You can also test the wiring for voltage when it’s in the defrost mode.

If you have a defrost timer you can test it. It can be located under the fridge behind the kick panel on the front. Some are in the fridge with the controls at the top. 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 because that means the timer is not running. If it doesn't, check the heater and defrost thermostat. Turn the timer again till everything starts back up to end the defrost cycle.

If you have an adaptive defrost control instead of a timer, replace it if the heater and thermostat test good. It is located in the fridge with the controls in some models and on the back in others.