9 replies to this topic

[dukebravo]

Hi, this Avanti Refrigerator seems to always have hot sides near the freezer compartment and compressor runs a lot. I removed the back and found the defrost timer. Can any of you tell me which wire I should unplug to see if the defrost timer shuts off? I turned the knob on the back and it did not trip the compressor off, nor seem to turn off the defrost, but I may have not waited long enough before feeling it. Thanks guys, cheers!

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[jumptrout]

You turn the knob clockwise slowly until it clicks off. If it never clicks off the timer has failed.

[dukebravo]

Okay, thank you. I pulled the white wire and the defrost must have turned off then because the sides cooled and the compressor got its first rest in a long time!

[KurtiusInterupptus]

I don't believe the hot sides have anything to do with the defrost cycle...
you need to make sure your condenser is clean and the fan is running back there...

Not familiar with this unit ,some have the condenser built into the side walls...mostly freezers though...

[dukebravo]

The condenser has no fan on this unit! It's kind of a teeny little fridge, a lot of things are unconventional. The only fan I can tell is in the freezer. The hot sides did cool off around 30 degrees after pulling the white wire.

[KurtiusInterupptus]

Sounds like normal operation to me...
you didn't mention if you had any issues except excessive run time
does it keep the beer cold?

[dukebravo]

Haha! Yes, it does, I just think that the defroster fighting the compressor is a battle the compressor may not win!

[Budget Appliance Repair]

You're going to need to hook that white wire back up or it will never defrost and your temps will start to raise.

This isn't that simple of a diagram and I know you're thinking from reading it that the defrost heater is going to be on at the same time as the compressor but it isn't.

These and the cheap Magic Chef smaller apartment size refrigerators use this same system.

When the system is in normal run mode the power is just being passed thru the heater to power the defrost timer motor, (the heater doesn't actually heat in this mode, just shunts power thru it).

When the timer clicks into the defrost cycle, the defrost timer stops advancing, (the timer only has an 8 minute defrost period but will not run for any of this 8 minutes until the defrost bi-metal opens), once all the ice has melted off the evaporator and the bi-metal opens then the defrost timer runs and counts down its 8 minute defrost cycle then clicks back into run mode.

The condenser coils are built into the walls of the refrigerator so it is normal for the sides to feel warm. If it is never cycling off then the walls may get much hotter then with normal operations. You may have a defrost problem that is causing the evaporator to plug up with ice so the cold air can't circulate over and thru the coils to the refrigerator section were the t-stat is that is measuring the temp that you have it set at.

You need to pull the evaporator cover, (rear freezer panel), and check the frost pattern on the evaporator and get some actual temp readings from the freezer and refrigerator after it has been running and closed for 24 hours.

Seems to be defrost timers that go bad in this style of unit more so than the defrost heater/fuses/bi-metal.

When turning the defrost timer with a screwdriver to try and put it into a defrost cycle you have to turn real slow, just a click at a time, or you can easily click it right past the short 8 minute defrost section and right back into run mode.

Edited by Budget Appliance Repair, 06 April 2012 - 07:22 AM.

[dukebravo]

Sensei, Thanks for a thorough and educational post. This fridge's sides cooled off shortly after pulling the white wire and never get that hot now that the compressor is cycling normally. I have ordered a universal defrost timer and I also am thinking about installing a small PC cooling fan to blow on the compressor all the time. It would seem that cooling it down would help it run better and live longer.

[jumptrout]

Units without condenser fans are without condenser fans for a reason. If it is not working correctly you must diagnose and repair from existing parts.