2 replies to this topic

[Rackshaw]

Hello,

We have a weekend place that has a ten year old roper Refrigerator/Freezer (RT 18 DKXAW00). We leave the thing running all year round, with its anti-condensation switch turned on. Every summer when the humidity increases, though, the thing will freeze up, such that no cold air gets blown into the refrigerator compartment. What I do is unplug the unit, put everything in the freezer into coolers, tear apart the freezer compartment, run a hairdryer in the coils, melting away all the ice, clean up all the water on the floor, put everything back together again, plug the unit back in the wall and I'm good for another year (unless the humidity is super high and my wife and daughter leave the refrigerator door open while they search in vain for something they like to eat or drink).

My question: Is there anyway (outside of buying a new refrigerator) to avoid this yearly ritual? AdvTHANKSance.

[Samurai Appliance Repair Man]

[user=55]Rackshaw[/user] wrote:

My question: Is there anyway (outside of buying a new refrigerator) to avoid this yearly ritual?

Yes, fix the defrosting system.

[Rackshaw]

Okay, but what confuses me is that this problem only occurs once a year for the most part. Once manually defrosted, it works for another year.

The unit does cycle periodically. If the heater wasn't working wouldn't freeze up occur more frequently? If the heater is working, doesn't that indicate that the defrost timer is working (i.e. it the thing that turns the heater on). That leaves the themostat, doesn't it?

Does the fact that the refrigerator spends most of its time powered on but closed (only in use on weekends and during the summer) have anything to do with freeze up? Thanks!