GE Profile Fridge PSS26SGRESS — 115° Detected at Freezer Door Seal

[lothian.mcadam]

GE Profile Artica Side-by-Side
Model: PSS26SGRESS

The front-facing surface of the center partition btwn fridge/freezer compartments measures a 115° from top to bottom. The consistency in temperature leads me to believe this is by design, perhaps auto-defrost or similar, though no one in this family of four has ever noticed the phenomenon over the years. 

I used an IR camera to confirm extents of heated surface. Heat is NOT detected in door, at or near the thru-door dispenser and limited to door seal mating surface of freezer compartment. I used a IR thermometer to confirm 115° surface temperature along cabinet partition. The parts diagram shows no heat elements in the cabinet. Unit documentation doesn't advise the possibility of feeling heat from the fridge surfaces beneath the door seals. Were the heat caused by a defrost cycle, I would expect it to disappear. However, the surface has been hot to the touch for the past three days.

I'm stumped.

Thoughts? Suggestions?

 

[Budget Appliance Repair]

That's called the Mullion heater - it keeps condensation/moisture from building up on that strip, some have a low wattage electric heater others run the hot gas tubes around that area to use the heat that has been removed from inside the unit and trapped in the refrigerate to be used for second purpose.

115 sounds kind of on the high side - that is usually an indication of condenser coils needing cleaning or the condenser fan is no longer working, (condenser is the coil next to or near the compressor in the compressor compartment).

[lothian.mcadam]

Thank you, Willie! I removed the rear cover and found, just as you predicted, a non-working condenser fan and a completely gunked up condenser coil! 

Swapping the fan seems straightforward enough, but thoroughly cleaning years of accumulated detritus from the coils seems more challenging. Shame this thing isn't more accessible.

[certified tech group 51]

A hot stile is a dead giveaway of a over-heated  condenser coil......You have to get your eyes on the problem, pull the refer......... The tubing running thru the stile is called a "Yoder Loop".....

[Budget Appliance Repair]

Replacing the frozen motor is going to take care of the main problem.

A good shop vac and a paint brush - most of the build up on the coil will come off OK.  As long as you can remove the coating over the area you can see it's going to be OK.  It's been a long time since I've cleaned one of those, (never had to replace a condenser fan on one of those but with it out do the cleaning then you can get to the side of the coil that really isn't accessible from cleaning from the inside of the coil.