Chosen Solution
Relative moved & gave us her spare fridge that she said was working in her garage. However, neither the top freezer or fridge compartments get cool. Freezer only is 60 degrees & fridge about 70 degrees. The compressor works, as does its fan & fan in freezer & bottom near coils was cleaned/vacuumed. The evaporator coils in freezer ice up in one spot on top right side. It’s an older machine - about 20 yrs old WHIRLPOOL - Model # ET21PKXGW02 Serial #EK1521171 I’m a senior citizen on fixed income but somewhat handy. Any suggestions on what the problem is and how to find out if it’s worth fixing.
Hi @beafridge , Was the refrigerator transported from the garage to you in the upright position i.e. not lying down? If not, turn it off and let it stand for 24-48 hours and then see if it works OK. Sometimes there are particles of debris floating around the sealed system and they can get lodged at the narrower points in the sealed system e.g. the filter dryer or some other restriction point (expansion valve) in the sealed system. This could be the reason for the ice build up in the corner of the evap unit. Hopefully gravity will allow it to move and unblock the system, rather than being held there by the compressor pumping the refrigerant. If it still doesn’t work then, all in all given the age of the refrigerator it’s probably not economically viable to repair it as it is most probably very near to the end of its useful working life. As @notbroken has said, you would need the correct equipment and expertise to access the sealed system to check the high and suction pressures to know where the problem is. Also depending on your location, you may need a licensed refrigerator repairer to do this due to the environmental regulations regarding the handling of refrigerant gases.
