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Whirlpool GS5SHAXNB02 side-by-side fridge. The freezer side maintains a temp of about 50°. The evaporator coils (cooling) have NO frost on them, only the very top line where the thermostat clips on is frosted. The condenser fan sounds like it is running, what now?
Great pic. It says a lot! The issue is in the sealed system. Either there is a refgerant leak, a restriction in the flow of refrigerant or the compressor isn’t pumping properly. The frost pattern on the evaporator coils is very helpful in diagnosing a sealed system issue. Unfortunately, it’s not a repair that an average DIYer can do. The EPA requires that only certified technicians can enter the sealed system. You would need to have a quialified refrigeration technician to do the repairs. .
Hi @tommysparks1 , Have you checked the thermometer? ;-) What is the temperature in the refrigerator section? Is the compressor running? Have you checked that the refrigerator is not is the defrost cycle? The compressor and evaporator fan will be switched off for 15-25 minutes to defrost the evap unit. After this the compressor and fan will be switched on again to cool things back down. This takes a bit of time to achieve but the freezer should never be at 50 F. If the compressor is not running then the defrost thermostat may be the problem. It should operate at 32 F to tell the control board to turn off the defrost cycle and to start the compressor/evap fan again The condenser fan, near the compressor can operate in the defrost cycle. If the compressor is running, is the evaporator fan operating? With the freezer door open, manually operate the freezer door switch. The light should go out and the fan should start operating.
The condenser on mine started failing and caused the same problem. Part of the problem was my fur babies shedding and blocking the coils underneath the fridge. The repairman was great and installed a larger condenser, reset the freezer to 0 Fahrenheit and fridge at 36. He showed me the condenser he took off my fridge which he explained was way underpowered. Now it is much quieter and keeps everything perfect. Hope this helps you.
Check the damper motor. The refrigerator is cooled by the freezer through the damper door. If the damper is stuck closed due to a bad motor, the cold air from the freezer can’t get to the refrigerator side. Do this before replacing the control board.
