Help with my Fridge......any heating and cooling guys out there?

[B-Dub]

I have a Kitchen Aid 2005 SS fridge that is used for fermentation and crash cooling.

The problem is the temperature doesn't seem to get below 50-55 right now and is slow to do that.

Any ideas on how I can fix this myself? Or should I bit the bullet and call the repair company?

Thanks for any help,

BW

 

[certaut]

most of the time the condenser coils are clogged cleaning the hairballs out might help
most kitchenaid's have it at the bottom.

 

[B-Dub]

Thanks. Brewing today, so I will have some time to work on it.

BW

 

[heckels]

Where is your fridge and where are you? If your fridge is sitting in a 100F garage it may not be able to get much below that.

 

[B-Dub]

I live on the coast of CA and the Summers are foggy. Highs in the garage are 65-75 on average.

 

[Dunerunner]

Also, check your door seals and if they are stiff and not sealing, replace them. You should be able to drive the refirgerator temperature down to at least 35 degrees without any problem.

I agree that checking and cleaning the condenser coils should be first on the to do list.

 

[B-Dub]

Nice to hear from a fellow Oregonian! Born, breed and left to brew in CA.

Took a look at the coils from the front and they look about halfway covered in crap. I cleaned the front part with a coil cleaning brush. Yes, they make such a thing. If that doesn't work I think I will have to putt in on it's back to reach the inter coils.

Cooling my Saison right now!! Yeah, I love brewing!!

BW

 

[B-Dub]

After further inspection it seems that the air from the freezer is not making down to the fridge section. Fans are running and blowing air out from under the unit and into the freezer. The air coming in the freezer is cool to cold, but not as cold as I would think it should be.

Any other ideas??

I would rather spend my money on grain, hops and yeast!

Thanks,

BW

 

[JayWeezie]

After further inspection it seems that the air from the freezer is not making down to the fridge section. Fans are running and blowing air out from under the unit and into the freezer. The air coming in the freezer is cool to cold, but not as cold as I would think it should be.

Any other ideas??

I would rather spend my money on grain, hops and yeast!

Thanks,

BW

I had the same problem. I cleaned the coils to no avail.

Try turning the unit off for a day or two and let it thaw. The ice will melt out of the vents. Mine dropped 10° after doing this. From 59° to 49° still not cold enough but better.

 

[chemman14]

My fridge wasn't getting cool enough after cleaning the coils, etc. I took off the back panel and found a receipt was stopping the fan from running. Who would of known that a receipt was enough to stop a fan from spinning.

 

[Junkster]

If you can't reach the condenser coils good enough with the brush, try spraying the coil with water. A garden pump sprayer will work and a shallow pan beneath will catch most of the water / debris.

Have you put a thermometer in the freezer section to see what temperature it settles in at? If you haven't manually defrosted it, the evaporator could be frozen due to a defective defrost heater or its control. If you are getting good temps in the freezer then there could be a problem in the part that diverts cold air into the fresh food compartment. If it has a motorized damper, it may be hanging up or not running at all.

Does this unit have all electronic controls?

 

[B-Dub]

The unit has been off for weeks at a time between brewing. I only use it for fermenting and crash cooling; then the beer gets racked to kegs and placed in a different fridge.

I will check the freezer temp when the batch of Saison is done and needs cooling. No digital controls; just the dials inside the door.

Only got the front coils cleaned before putting the carboys in there. I will have to work on my cooling problem around fermenting.

Might be a problem in getting air into the bottom fridge portion. Very little air is flowing through from the freezer. The is a part the can go bad between the two halves?

I will try and work on this tomorrow after I bottle 15 gallons of sour Blond.

Thanks all,

BW

 

[B-Dub]

Freon leak. Sent it to the recycle and bought a new one. Spent $125 on craig's list, not bad, but with more time I could have done better.

BW