Fridge/freezer Problems

[mixed]

Our fridge/freezer has stopped working, it still makes the normal noises, but isn't cold. I'm wondering if it's just something simple like regassing that can be done at home or whether it'll need top taken to the shop.

It's only about 4 yrs old, is a Samsung and is <deleted>. I don't mind getting another one, and would appreciate recomendations.

[Lite Beer]

Our Samsung was the same. It was the compressor. 5,000 Baht for a new one or 2,000 Baht for the bloke to cut it open and service it. Village prices.

[garyh]

Is it frost free, is it cold only in the freezer? You don't give many details.

[mixed]

Is it frost free, is it cold only in the freezer? You don't give many details.

Sorry, short on details because I don't know much about freezers. It's frost free, making noise but not working in either freezer or fridge. It's a Samsung and this is the second time it's broken, plus all the plastic shelves are very brittle.

Any recommendations on a good brand?

[bonobo]

Is it frost free, is it cold only in the freezer? You don't give many details.

Sorry, short on details because I don't know much about freezers. It's frost free, making noise but not working in either freezer or fridge. It's a Samsung and this is the second time it's broken, plus all the plastic shelves are very brittle.

Any recommendations on a good brand?

I like Electrolux, but in a thread with the same question the last week or two, Hitachi and I think Panasonic also seemed to be getting positive comments.

[happylarry]

You can get bad units in any make....personally I swear by Samsung, all my tv's and my washing machine and my fridge freezer are Samsung and I have had most for over four years now without a problem.

HL

[garyh]

Is it frost free, is it cold only in the freezer? You don't give many details.

Sorry, short on details because I don't know much about freezers. It's frost free, making noise but not working in either freezer or fridge. It's a Samsung and this is the second time it's broken, plus all the plastic shelves are very brittle.

Any recommendations on a good brand?

Could be the defrost timer is stuck on defrost unless it is an electronic timer, also possibly a dead fan if there is any cold in the back of the freezer. Your first assumption may be correct also about gas. Samsung fridges have many issues, don't know what to suggest as a replacement brand but if the shelves are craking it will just keep costing you money. Do you have recycle people in your area? may be the best solution in the long run

[doctormann]

This may not help but read this anyway, just in case.

A month or so ago, my Mitsubishi fridge-freezer stopped working. It's a frost-free model and is about 3 years old. The freezer compartment wouldn't even get down to zero degrees - should be about -18C - and the fridge compartment wasn't much below ambient - should be about +4C. The compressor was running OK, it seemed.

My first thought was that it needed gas, although that would have indicated that the system was leaking and would have been a serious fault. I called out an engineer - not from Mitsubishi, just a local guy - and he was pretty clueless. Had no way of checking the gas pressure so just made sure that the doors were closing properly, checked that the compressor was running, shook his head and went away. Never saw him again. The point about the doors is important, by the way. The air circulation fans only run when the doors are shut. The interior lights should be off as well. You can maybe check this as they usually go off before the doors close completely.

Anyway, to continue, I was deciding whether of not to ditch this 20kBaht appliance, being of the opinion that even if I could find someone to fix it, it might not be cost effective. So, I prevaricated for a while and I'm glad that I did because for some reason the thing started working again. I monitored the temperatures with my digital thermometer and over the course of several days they improved until, eventually, they were about correct. The thing is now working normally and has been doing so for the last month.

I have no real explanation for this behaviour - don't think that it was a stuck thermostat - maybe a blockage in the expansion valve - maybe a stuck air flap. Don't know.

Anyway, if you can live with the problem for a few days - maybe borrow space in someone else's fridge - I suggest that you wait and see. Maybe it will 'mend' itself. Also, try unplugging from the electric supply, waiting for 30 minutes and then restarting. Didn't help in my case but you never know!

Good luck,

DM

[mauiguy90]

Is it frost free, is it cold only in the freezer? You don't give many details.

Sorry, short on details because I don't know much about freezers. It's frost free, making noise but not working in either freezer or fridge. It's a Samsung and this is the second time it's broken, plus all the plastic shelves are very brittle.

Any recommendations on a good brand?

Call the Sam Sung service center to have them diagnose the problem properly. They will have the OEM parts and you won't have to worry about them jacking up the prices for parts. Installation should be covered by a basic service fee. The service center number should be on the back of the fridge, if not call 1188 and they will give you the local service center number.

If you decide to use a local repairman, you will probably be gouged for second hand parts, overcharged for the diagnosis and installation of the replacement parts and then in case of continued trouble, will charge you again for replacing a bad part they installed.

Electrolux has the best service that I know of. Mitsubishi is also good. If you buy refrigerators from either of these companies, they will take care of your servicing needs until the body of the refrigerator rusts out.

[mixed]

Got someone to look at it, they say it's leaking gas and will be B1,400 to fix today.

Thanks for the help.

[lopburi3]

Good luck - first they have to schedule an appointment which will be a day or two later and if they find something wrong they have no way to know if part is in stock or not without leaving and checking and they do not keep many spare parts here is seems as they had to order a door close switch from Singapore and claimed it would take 3 weeks. Actually only took a week but in meantime could only use to keep ants out as temp was in the 50's or so. This was official Samsung service center.

[garyh]

This may not help but read this anyway, just in case.

A month or so ago, my Mitsubishi fridge-freezer stopped working. It's a frost-free model and is about 3 years old. The freezer compartment wouldn't even get down to zero degrees - should be about -18C - and the fridge compartment wasn't much below ambient - should be about +4C. The compressor was running OK, it seemed.

My first thought was that it needed gas, although that would have indicated that the system was leaking and would have been a serious fault. I called out an engineer - not from Mitsubishi, just a local guy - and he was pretty clueless. Had no way of checking the gas pressure so just made sure that the doors were closing properly, checked that the compressor was running, shook his head and went away. Never saw him again. The point about the doors is important, by the way. The air circulation fans only run when the doors are shut. The interior lights should be off as well. You can maybe check this as they usually go off before the doors close completely.

Anyway, to continue, I was deciding whether of not to ditch this 20kBaht appliance, being of the opinion that even if I could find someone to fix it, it might not be cost effective. So, I prevaricated for a while and I'm glad that I did because for some reason the thing started working again. I monitored the temperatures with my digital thermometer and over the course of several days they improved until, eventually, they were about correct. The thing is now working normally and has been doing so for the last month.

I have no real explanation for this behaviour - don't think that it was a stuck thermostat - maybe a blockage in the expansion valve - maybe a stuck air flap. Don't know.

Anyway, if you can live with the problem for a few days - maybe borrow space in someone else's fridge - I suggest that you wait and see. Maybe it will 'mend' itself. Also, try unplugging from the electric supply, waiting for 30 minutes and then restarting. Didn't help in my case but you never know!

Good luck,

DM

More than likely the defrost timer, and it will most likely do it again. If I where you I would order the part and fit it the job is not difficult or gewt Som Chai to do it. The defrost imer is a little unit with a motor and a series of gears that drive a cam that switches on the defrost elemet every 12 hours or so to melt the ice out. If it gets stuck in the defrost postition the fridge and freezer will come to room temperature, the heater will turn off at 5 degrees C.

[garyh]

Good luck - first they have to schedule an appointment which will be a day or two later and if they find something wrong they have no way to know if part is in stock or not without leaving and checking and they do not keep many spare parts here is seems as they had to order a door close switch from Singapore and claimed it would take 3 weeks. Actually only took a week but in meantime could only use to keep ants out as temp was in the 50's or so. This was official Samsung service center.

Some Samgsung products are very good, others are less than desirable, lots of issues with software in electronic fridges and as Loburi3 says service could be much better. LG are much easier to get along with and there parts are also much cheaper.