House type refrigerator repair

[JackConrad]

  The automatic defrost failed on our Frigidaire 14.8 cu.ft. refrigerator in our bus during our last trip. We had to manually defrost about every 10-14 days. Is this something I might be able to check out myself or should I just bite the bullet and call an appliance repair person.  Thanks in advance, Jack

[Len Silva]

Jack,
I believe you will find a simple motor driven timer that needs to be replaced. Not difficult or expensive.

[Lonnie time to go]

If its not the timer it will be the defrost sensor ]temp gauge]
the timer is in the bottom back of unit. if you take the back of the freezer  cover off. [Inside back panel]
Turn the timer untill it clicks the inside of the freezer will  get hot look for a heating eliment about a
foot long in the bottom of the freezer  if that heats up  the eliment is fine.
the temp senser should be the problem cost $15.00
timer is $15.00 sometime its easier to replace both. timer and sensor.
also make sure your fridge has room behind it to stay cool.
good luck  Lonnie

[rv_safetyman]

Funny Jack, many of us would love to "loose" our auto-defrost .  It uses a ton of energy and that is not good when you are off-grid.  I spent a bunch of time a while ago trying to figure out how to disable.  Got a good wiring diagram, but it seemed to me that the function was intermixed with other functions.  Finally put it on the "to-do" list.

Jim

[Nick Badame Refrig/ACC]

Hi Jack,

Weather you have a "timer" or not depends on how old it is. In the last 5 years, all Frigidaire's are electronic now.

If you do have a defrost timer, it will be behind a panel in the upper refrig. compartment. It will have a flat head

slot and you will turn it clockwise until you feel/hear a click. That will be the defrost cycle. If it defrosts, then your

timer is either just stuck or bad. Time will tell.

Let us know
Nick-

[jjrbus]

How come Jerry is never around when you need him

[Sojourner]

Jack.....as per Nick quoted....I think yours is newer version. If it is electronic timer. It likely that it fail via high-spike surge. If so...you need a dedicated heavy duty surge protector to handle 20 amps load and at least 2500 joules to be more effective. Because of the RV format that has three ways switch-over systems, home type refrigerator's electronic is design for pure sine-wave and none of RV variable voltage and power disconnect spike voltage. Other words, all newer appliances have no mechanical devise to withstand the high-surge spike or spikes. But electronic semi-conductor are very sensitive to it its rated voltage & current.

RV has much more chances of unwanted damaging spike voltage due its RV nature of variable choice of power sources than home use.

Been in RV park or camp with more than 2 or more....you are lightly affected with high-spike voltage as well brown-out voltage.

Remember almost every home have at least one transformer before meter to avoid neighbor's causing spike damaging voltage. It not the main reason but it equips by nature of extra high line's voltages to transformer iron core. It still can get spike but at much lower peak.

So having an extra electronic replacement board on hand or a good dedicated surge-protector for each appliance that contain an electronic board or circuit after its outlet.

It would greatly reduce number of RV's spike voltage if you turn off the electronic equips appliances before you switch power. Especially A/C and refrigerator.

In other word any appliances contain transistor or micro chip devises is called electronic equips. Mechanical devises such as electric motor or any magnetic devises are not affected by high-spike voltages. However lower than normal (115v) voltage will affect both mechanical and electronic devise to over heat and burn out.

About the need of surge protector maybe overkill but whenever you blow a electronic board....you may think difference.

I just replace my wife's refrigerator's board due to switching on-off ice maker's lever too often while filling....my tremor. Being more careful after $110 board replacement with free labor.....about 15 minute of my time.

It is a slim possible of a poor OEM factory equips connections to cause it own spike voltage.....?

More:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voltage_spike

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surge_protector

FWIW

Sojourn for Christ, Jerry

[JackConrad]

Hi Jack,
Weather you have a "timer" or not depends on how old it is. In the last 5 years, all Frigidaire's are electronic now.
If you do have a defrost timer, it will be behind a panel in the upper refrig. compartment. It will have a flat head slot and you will turn it clockwise until you feel/hear a click. That will be the defrost cycle. If it defrosts, then your timer is either just stuck or bad. Time will tell.
Let us know
Nick-

Since rhis rerrigerator is only about 2 years old, I guess it has an electronic timer.  Any suggestions on where it would be located and how difficult to test or replace it.  Since it is electronic, can running it off the MSW inverter cause a problem?  Also, come to think of it, occasionally, when we first open the door, the light flickers for a few seconds (this occurs whether on shoreline, generator, or inverter.  Jack

[gumpy]

Funny Jack, many of us would love to "loose" our auto-defrost .  It uses a ton of energy and that is not good when you are off-grid.  I spent a bunch of time a while ago trying to figure out how to disable.  Got a good wiring diagram, but it seemed to me that the function was intermixed with other functions.  Finally put it on the "to-do" list.

Jim

Yeah, I did the same with mine. I added some wiring and a household switch to bypass the defrost circuit. Took me a couple iterations. The first time, I just stopped the motor. Problem occurred if I shut it off while it was iin the defrost mode. Without the motor running, it would not complete the defrost cycle, and while in the defrost cycle, the compressor doesn't run, so when I shut it off while it was in the defrost cycle, it just got hotter and hotter in the fridge. I changed it so that the timer motor still runs while the defroster circuit is disabled. Only the defrost heater circuit is disabled. Works well now.

[Nick Badame Refrig/ACC]

Hi Jack,

Then you should have a black control box most likely bottom front. The box is about 6"x8" and is secured with

1- 5/16" nut. This box is a printed curcuit board with no serviceable parts.

As mentioned above, there may be a defrost thermister/sensor that inisheates the cycle. And is a direct link to

your board. At this point, give me your Mo# & Ser# and I will better instruct you what to do.

Good luck
Nick-

[Nick Badame Refrig/ACC]

Hi Jack,

Here is the link to Frigidaire on-line manuals
http://www.frigidaire.com/support/manuals.asp?NewSearch=New+Search

Nick-

[JackConrad]

    Before I go any further, I just want to confirm what I think are the right components actually are.  Looks like I have the old style timer. With the refrigerator off, I turned the slotted shaft until it clicked. when I turned the refrigerator on by turning the cold setting knob, it would not come on. I then turned the timer again and the refrigerator started running. Does the timer keep the refrigerator off when in defrost mode?  When in defrost mode, what temperature activates the defroster thermostat? Can I jump the wires on the thermostat without damaging anything?  Can I disconnet the heater and connect 120 AC to the 2 leads from the ends of the heater to test it? 
Here is a li nk to the parts manual, the wiring schematic is on page 10 of the PDF parts manual.Thanks Jack
ftp://ftp.electrolux-na.com/ProdInfo_PDF/Anderson/5995466140.pdf

[Don4107]

Jack,

Yes, the defrost clock turns off the compressor when in the defrost cycle.

The defrost thermostat has to be cold to turn on.  It will open the circuit when it reaches its set point, which can be as warm as 70 degrees for the old type that was clipped right onto the evaporator.

So, plug it in and turn it on.  Then when its good and cold turn the defrost clock around several times until you can recognize the point just before the defrost time.  Then set back and wait for the clock to advance to the defrost time.  If it does then after a couple minutes check the heating coils.  Careful!  May be very hot! Then wait to see if the clock advances back to normal run.  If it doesn't heat then check the continuity of the clock contacts the heating element and the thermostat.  Best to check at the clock terminals than to disturb the (sometimes) moisture resistant connections near the condenser.

Some times just manually turning the clock will cause them to run again, at least for a while. 

You can check everything with an ohm meter with power disconnected.  Just remember that the thermostat must be cold to close.  Back in the day a squirt of <oh my God> freon or freeze spray.

Good luck
Don 4107

[gumpy]

Jack, the timer just goes round and round, and once every cycle, it activates the defroster. When the defroster is on, the compressor does not run (see the red vs. brown wires coming off the defroster timer in the diagram). It's not necessarily a 24 hour timer, either.

Check for continuity across the defroster coil and thermostat (when cold). If you have continuity, it's probably the timer switch. You can check that, too, by turning with the screwdriver. If you determine a bad timer switch, you could bypass the defroster timer with a 3 way 120 v wall switch. Put the lt blue wire on the common terminal, the red wire (compressor) on one side, and the brown wire (defroster) on the other side. If it's the defroster thermostat,  you will need to replace it, or bypass it.

craig

[Nick Badame Refrig/ACC]

Hi Jack,

These guy's are right on..

There are three componets to the defrost system. The timer, defrost termination stat, and the heater.

If you have continuity through the termination stat and the heater, the timer is bad.

The timer activates the defrost cycle, usually 30 min to 1 hr. If the evaporator coil reaches 70 deg.

before the timer cycle ends, the defrost termination switch cuts off the heater to prevent melt down

of your plastic refrig....

Good Luck
nick-