evap fan keeps icing up but drain clear in GE TCS18PADBRBS

[MikeInMass]

I have a GE TCS18PADBRBS bottom freezer refrigerator. It ran fine for some years with no problem except a dust-clogged drain hose once that caused the evaporator fan to ice up.

This year the evaporator fan has started icing up every couple of weeks. After it's de-iced with a blow dryer, it works fine for a couple of weeks, then I find is iced up again.

I have had two different professionals out to look at it. One replaced the defrost thermostat even though it tested good, but had no other explanation for what could be happening.

The other guy noted that the fan blade seemed pushed too far back on its shaft (toward the motor housing and drain at the back of the fridge), and guessed that this might have caused it to get stuck, stop turning, and ice up. He had no explanation for how it could have gotten pushed too far back on its shaft or how to keep it from happening again.

On each visit we have checked the drain hose, and it is completely clear.

Any thoughts?

 

[DurhamAppliance]

Is your drain tube intact and in place? 

Have you watched the water flow down the drain and into the evaporator tray under the fridge.

Door gaskets sealing properly? 

what are your fresh food and freezer temp control settings? 

what are temps in both compartments?

have you changed/tested  the defrost timer?  It may be working but intermittently. 

Have you checked your air and return vents?

 

[MikeInMass]

Thanks for getting back to me!

The drain tube and door gaskets are fine and in place. We have watched the water flow through the drain tube into the tray.

I don't know the temperatures but the last pro tech to visit said they were fine. He reset the temperature controls to mid-range.

He put a temperature logger in the fridge, picture attached. The pic is too small for me to read the temperatures but he claimed the periodic bumps in termperature show that the defrost timer is fine.

Neither professional mentioned anything air or return vents so I don't know if they checked them and they were fine, or they didn't check them.They seemed most interested in the fan, and as I mentioned one guy was stumped by the fan's position on its shaft.

What's the fan grommet I read about? Or could the motor be going? I've seen the fan spin just fine, but maybe it's not reliable?

Thanks again or any thoughts!

 

[DurhamAppliance]

Position of the fan blade is interesting as I was going to ask you some history of the fridge... has the fan ever been replaced? 

[MikeInMass]

Nope, the fan blade was never replaced. The fridge ran great for ten or more years until it started to ice up in the same spot and in the freezer: turned out the drain tube was clogged with soggy dust. After it was cleared out it ran fine for another year until this started happening with the drain tube clear.

[16345Ed]

A picture of the iced up evaporator could be helpful. 

[DurhamAppliance]

Ok,  i see the data info for the freezer but what are the temps in the fresh food compartment..... If you air returns are iced up then the fan will pull air through the freezer door causing frost buildup... on that note... is it ice (clear)  or frost( fuzy white)  that's building up? 

[MikeInMass]

Sorry for the delay replying, I was away. Here are some pictures of the ice building up on the fan.. it is solid ice, not fuzzy frost.

Still don't know the exact temps (got to find a good thermometer), but the fridge and freezer are fine for a while when I melt the ice, until a week or two later it is iced up again.

[16345Ed]

Ice, so defrost probably working.  Did you ever check the drains real good as GMF Durham suggested?

[MikeInMass]

The drain tube is clear, but I guess you mean I should check the air intake and return vents? I am embarassed to say I don't know where those are. Where should I be looking? 

And thanks!

[DurhamAppliance]

I agree with Bro 16345ED....that is clear ice which  will only form from melted condensation (defrost)  or icemaker leak. 

What's the status of the  icemaker,  if there is one?  

Are you 100 percent certain that your drain is flowing freely?  It may be clear but if all the water isn't drained before the fan motor comes on,  the water can migrate to the fan slowly but inevitably.   With some water draining and other water migrating to the fan,  drain trough will be empty and appear clear. 

Edited March 2, 2016 by DurhamAppliance

[vee8power]

These are pesky little buggers; an electric drain heater wired in parallel to the evaporator fan motor has solved it for me.

Part number: AP4503149

I glue it to the underside of the concave piece of sheet metal that runs toward the drain.

[lvasquez11]

pull unit out to get at back of unit.  remove drain grommet off .  its where drain hose attaches before heading down to drain pan .  clean grommet out .