3 replies to this topic

[AlexM]

This GE Fridge Model# TFX22JAYA is a really simple fridge, but i've managed to not understand how it works.  I took a call that it wasn't cooling, defrosted the evaporator and installed a new heater, limit and defrost timer and left (I left both contols in the middle position 5 and C). 

 

This morning the customer called back and said that the fridge wasn't cool enough. I went back out to find the 'fresh food' side at 9-the coldest setting. and the Freezer control at 'E' the coldest setting.  The freezer was -5 degrees and the fresh food side was 48 degrees. 

 

I took apart the mechanical damper and looked at how it works, when the 'Freezer' is on 'E' the coldest setting, the damper is closed all the way, this makes the fresh food side warm, right?  It seems like the 'Fresh Food' label and 'Freezer' labels are backwards?

 

Is the capillary tube supposed to be coiled up right behind the contol in the fresh food section?

 

I left the job today with the mechanical damper all the way to the right, or toward the 'A' so the damper was wide open and hopefully the fresh food side will get to 37degrees. I left the knob at '5' for what they are calling the fresh food section.

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[kdog]

Yes the damper control capillary looks right, if in doubt jam the door open with pencil etc to see if it cools down. Anything above 37 degrees in r/c is not good, the A to E settings will only make a few degrees difference. You may want to examine further the evaporator frost pattern and fan operation to see if there's an issue there.  Coils should be frosted evenly and fan should run free - although it's difficult to eyeball a fan thats just lagging.

[DurhamAppliance]

The controls are not backwards. This is common on a lot of older fridges. Your freezer will get colder because the vast majority of cold air will stay in the freezer since the damper is closed making the freezer colder and thus your fridge will get warmer. Usually you will find this in fridges where the fresh food control turns the compressor off while the freezer control only operates a damper. I have repaired countless of these "out of balance" fridges by simply returning the controls to the recommended setting. If the controls were maxed out over a long period of time, it can cause a freeze up situation in the freezer that may resemble a defrost problem. One of the first things I ask the customer is whether the controls were changed recently or changed in response to a warm up situation. Many times the controls were changed just so their beer is colder. They move the freezer to coldest....then max out fridge controls to compensate. Fridge controls the compressor and it will continuously run trying to sastisfy the cold control in the fresh food section which is receiving less cold air from freezer.

Some dampers have a small hole in them so that at least some air will pass. Many of them completely shut off the cold air. This same principle occurs in some top freezer models that have a freezer control knob in the freezer. Turn it to coldest setting and it restricts air to the fridge. Usually this type doesn't shut the air off completly. I always admonish my customers about randomly messing with fridge controls. The warning on many fridges to "wait 24 hours between adjustments" means to wait 24 hours between moving a control by one and only one setting point. Then wait 24hrs so the fridge can adjust and so the customer can see if the problem is solved. If not, move it only one setting point and wait another 24 hrs. This will help keep you from creating an out of balance fridge. The manufactures of these type also expects you will move the freezer control only if you want to adust temps in the FREEZER and adjusts the fresh food control to adjust fresh food. Ie adjusting Freezer setting to make your beer colder is illogical and would not happen. Real world experience suggests this is untrue and therefore a bad design.
E

Edited by DurhamAppliance, 24 December 2012 - 08:39 PM.

[AlexM]

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!  You have no idea how much this explination helped.  I didn't understand the logic, now I do.  Thanks again and Happy Holidays!