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Well I have a whirlpool refrigerator, with the double doors on top, and a slide out freezer door at the bottom. I noticed within the last day, or so. The refrigerator isn’t cooling at all. So I checked the freezer below, and everything is staying cold in the freezer, and I put my hand near the vent, at the back. I felt coolness, however air flow wasn’t that strong. At this point I was thinking it might be the fan not working. After that, I looked up the refrigerator by model number, and found you can run different test’s, including checking the fan. So I did the fan test, and when I hit the button to turn the fan on. I heard something start running, and sounded normal. So it seems the fan is running, still I feel the air flow in the freezer should be much stronger. Being that the fan is located right where the freezer vent is. After this, I decided to pop the cover off the front of the refrigerator vent, and behind the vent, is where the diffuser(?) is located. which at the time the door flap was open, in the state of allowing air flow into the refrigerator. However there was zero air flow, or even coolness back there. So I’m now at the point of wondering… Why is the refrigerator getting zero air flow to it? I actually turned the refrigerator off, and the diffuser(?) closed the door, which I expected, and after turning it back on, it opened again. So that all seems to be working as intended. I was reading of a possible blockage due to ice, and such. Which earlier I turned it off for 3-4 hours, after turning it back on, and waiting a little while. Nothing has changed the same problem is still happening. I plan to turn the fridge off overnight tonight, and see what happens in the morning. So with all this said.. Anyone have any added idea’s what might be my issue? I’m trying to fix this problem myself, as having someone out really isn’t an option right now. My next step will be removing the freezer door, and getting access to the evaporator fan motor. Anyways I figure I should include the model number of my refrigerator, for anyone curious. I would link to it on the whirlpool site, but I don’t know the exact rules of posting. So I will just link the model number, and anyone can look it up on their site if needed. Model# GX5SHDXVA00
Hi, Which “fan” did you test? The compressor fan or the evaporator fan? It seems as though the evaporator fan is not working. Either due to being blocked with ice or a faulty fan motor perhaps. It might take more than 3-4 hours to melt the ice, especially if you had the freezer section closed. If the evaporator fan does work in the morning due to the fridge being off overnight then you’ll have to start looking at the defrost system, i.e. defrost heater, defrost thermostat. If the fan doesn’t work then check the fan motor first. Update (04/17/2018) Hi, Check the defrost heater first. Use an Ohmmeter (function found in a DMM (Digital Multimeter - adequate ones available <$20 at larger hardware warehouses - sorry if you know all this) to test continuity of heater itself. Do all testing with power disconnected and heater disconnected. If heater OK check defrost thermostat. Some parts replacement companies offer a good return policy if the part you order does not fix the problem. Worse comes to worse if you end up suspecting the control board, you may be able to get it and if it doesn’t fix it return it for only a small cost to you. Worth checking their policy or asking them before you get it . Re the doors I’ve found that if you raise the fridge at the front enough so that the doors automatically shut from 1/2 to 3/4 open position that it solves a lot of problems, especially caused by people who don’t check the door is shut. ;-) ps. Just occurred to me that you said you ran a test and the fan was OK. just wondering if it was “iced up’ at the time how it would turn. Can’t figure that out yet unless it was struggling to turn, therefore minimal airflow or slipping fan blades perhaps. Don’t know.
Hi @ brian bowersox, What is the make and model number of the refrigerator? Have you checked that the evaporator fan blade is actually rotating and not slipping on the fan motor shaft? Mark a vane on the fan blade with a marker pen and check if it has moved position after doing a diagnostic check or setup a phone’s camera to record if it moves or not as someone else once did on this forum ;-) The diagnostics probably only rely on current flowing through the fan motor and not testing for airflow
@rjr0877 You didn’t say what was getting too warm, the freezer compartment, the refrigerator compartment or both. Also which thermostat did you change? If you haven’t already done so check that the bi-metal defrost thermostat, part #6 airflow parts diagram is OK Here’s a video that shows how to test it.
