RF32FMQDBSR/AA Refrigerator Not Cooling Correctly

[scgms1]

We purchased this refrigerator, as well as a Samsung range/oven, microwave, & dishwasher 10/17/2013 from Best Buy. We took delivery 11/16/2013. It's worked fairly well up to about a week ago, although I would expect that from an upper end refrigerator. That is -

 

Other than the ice maker, which sucx's...We had solid blocks of ice around the ice maker. That went out shortly after the warranty period expired and I never bothered to fix that, and it was turned off, It would have been nice, but...

 

About a week ago it was noticed that we had some food spoil in the refrigerator. I just checked the temperatures and the refrigerator is now set to 34* F and the freezers are set to -10* F, the actual temperatures are - refrigerator is 54* F and the freezers are -5* F. The freezer is pretty close, the refrigerator is not.

 

I called Samsung and they walked me through resetting the refrigerator and checking for error codes. There were no error codes. The guy on the phone told me to set the temperatures to -2* F on the freezers and 36* F on the refrigerator. Prior to this when the doors were opened the display read -10* F and 49* F on the refrigerator. This was all day yesterday. This morning the actual refrigerator temperature reads 51.6* F, but the display shows 36* F.

 

So, obviously this will need to be repaired, or replaced. Some of what I read it sounds like some consumers have been through the ringer with trying to get this model serviced, and it appears to be a fairly common problem. I take what I read on the internet with a grain of salt, so...Part of that is due to the 'Law of Numbers.' Samsung sold 5 million of these and I see 100 posts with similar faults. That looks like a huge problem, but considering the amount sold...

 

Here's the warranty information on this model -

One (1) year Parts and Labor on Refrigerator

Five (5) years Parts and Labor on sealed Refrigeration system only*

Ten (10) years Parts and Five (5) years Labor on Digital Inverter Compressor

(*Compressor, evaporator, condenser, drier, connecting tubing)

A few questions -

 

Should I take my chances with calling Samsung for service? I'm thinking there's a temperature sensor that is not reading correctly and the refrigerant levels are correct due to the freezers getting cold, is this a correct assumption?

 

Is this something I can tackle myself with the correct service information? I fix cars for a living, so I'm familiar with testing electronics and have the equipment for the electrical system, but not the refrigeration side of this.

 

Am I better off finding a professional in my area? Any experienced techs in the 92587 area?

 

 

[scgms1]

I understand this site is mostly responded to by working professionals that are taking time from their busy day to help people they don't even know. I'd appreciate any replies.

At this point I'm thinking this won't be anything covered under Samsung's warranty and I'll probably take my chances on a local company that says they work on that brand.

[lvasquez11]

On model tag .

do you see R600 as refrigerant.

Propane units are non serviceable .

Samsung to replace unit under manufacturer warranty.

Edited September 25, 2017 by lvasquez11

[johntech]

6 hours ago, lvasquez11 said:

do you see R600 as refrigerant.

Propane units are non serviceable .

R600 unit are serviceable if you have the right tools. I would reccommend service thru Samsung. At least that way you know you are getting a trained tech that has access to all the bullitens and data available. If it is something under warranty they will be able to take care of it and if it's not repairable for some reason it will be documented and there may be other options available then if it were an independent servicer.

[scgms1]

11 hours ago, lvasquez11 said:

On model tag .

do you see R600 as refrigerant.

Propane units are non serviceable .

Samsung to replace unit under manufacturer warranty.

Thanks for the reply. I've done a little more research on this. Our refrigerator was built before 6/2014. Samsung prior to that time used R-600a on the fridge compressor and R-134a on the freezer.

I pulled the bottom cover and the freezer compressor is dirty and might be leaking. The fridge compressor was clean. This doesn't match with the fridge is warmer than normal and the freezer is close to normal.

4 hours ago, johntech said:

R600 unit are serviceable if you have the right tools. I would reccommend service thru Samsung. At least that way you know you are getting a trained tech that has access to all the bullitens and data available. If it is something under warranty they will be able to take care of it and if it's not repairable for some reason it will be documented and there may be other options available then if it were an independent servicer.

That's the direction we ended up going. I called Samsung and have this scheduled to be looked at tomorrow. The lady that called me from the service center last week said she thought it was a fan for the fridge condenser. Maybe?

[rogs]

Hi: I would be interested in how this went. I had one of these this year. It had been replaced some how and I got it as a non working unit(project). The problem was a refrigeration leak in the refrigerator evaporator line near where the plastic cover screw goes through the cover, past the evaporator line, into the back screw hole. So when I got it all the R600 was leaked out. I installed a service valve, pressure tested, repaired the leak(very tiny) in the aluminum line, vacuum, recharged with R600(1.69 oz).  It has been working fine now for 8 months or so. To me the fault is that long sheet metal screw(2" or so) with really sharp threads used to mount the plastic back panel in the refrigerator. It goes very near the soft aluminum evaporator line. So fishing for the back hole to get the screw started will almost always touch the aluminum line. That is all it needs is a touch from those sharp threads. I put some electrical tape on the line there and used a piece of solder stick to align the hole to avoid this when I put it back together. Of course I am wondering why the plastic back panel was removed originally anyway but maybe the slow leak started as a scratch from the factory and developed into a small leak with start stop evaporator use. As you can see this is not a repair the factory would perform in the customer's house. I wouldn't either.

[scgms1]

4 hours ago, rogs said:

I had one of these this year. It had been replaced some how and I got it as a non working unit(project).

Hi rogs,

Are you a repair tech? I'll get to the reason I'm asking later.

Samsung sent out the first company and they determined it was a sealed system problem on the fridges compressor and contacted Samsung. A few more calls and they arrange service with another company. I won't go into all the details, but this wasn't exactly a painless procedure at any step of the junction.

The next company comes out and determined the same thing as the first company. I was told (by Samsung) that they work on this system with R-600a and they would be coming with parts for what they expected to see. I'm not home, but my wife calls and I talk to the guy...It's not repairable as it's got a flammable refrigerant...Um, I thought we were past that. Nope, we don't work on that system. He tells me to contact the Refunds & Exchange Department.

For brevity I'll get to the part where I'm at Samsung's forum and the amount of customers that are still waiting to get a refund. I'm not sure why they had a problem, but I want to make sure that I'm not going to be one of them, (if I can help it) and do everything that I'm told to so I can get the refund. Part of that is decommissioning the old unit and taking off the tag with the model and serial numbers and sending Samsung pictures. 

We purchased a new Kitchenaid refrigerator from Pacific Sales. Delivery was set up for 5 days later.

Because the freezer still worked I left it plugged in until the new refrigerator arrived. I pulled the tag off with the serial number and left the cutting of the power cord to company BB/PS contracts with for deliveries and disposal of old units - XPO Logistics. There was some funny business here. The guy tells my wife that's a nice refrigerator. He ends up pulling the back cover off and he substituted another power cord off of something else, but it wasn't a fridge power cord and for certain it's not the old cord off my old refrigerator.  My wife takes pictures of what the guy did so we can send that to Samsung.

She mentions to me that she thought something funny was going on. There was, but Samsung didn't pick up on it and we got the refund check. So, to get back to the beginning, I had a feeling that XPO Logistics was selling this refrigerator to...That would be the only logical explanation of why the guy pulled the unit apart, put another cord in there, and cut that.

Honestly I wouldn't care what they did with it, but to jeopardize me getting a refund - pissed me off.

Is that how you ended up with this, from a company that was paid to haul away an old unit?

To answer your questions, I have no idea why, or where the leak was in the sealed system, but as you mentioned it was only 1.69 oz. I've got a butane can here that I fill my soldering iron with and that's 6 oz. It's not like I'm scared to death of working with that. The new refrigerants on cars are possibly in the same classification of isobutene. R-1234yf can be ignited. I'd be more concerned about what happens to the gas when ignited than the actual flame.

[rogs]

Hi: Yea I got it because of this sequence of events. The guy that originally had it I never met. I got it from a neighbor of the original owner who bought it non working from the original owner for $100. I assume the original owner had an experience like yours and Samsung replaced/refunded some or all of it. The original owner was at least allowed to keep it or got stuck with it. Well his neighbor has refrigeration employees in his company and so the neighbor bought it for 100 bucks thinking to make a high end garage refrigerator out of it. Then after months the employees could not fix it and so he was trying to sell it. I come on the scene and decide to offer him a 150 for it non working and he jumped on it. I might not ever do that again but I was curious to learn about these dual compressor dual evaporator R600 things. I am not a service employee as you asked. I do this on the side of my employment in an automation controls company. I also have an associate degree in HVAC, a state license in refrigeration, teach in the lab at the local college evenings in the HVAC department. So I have access to people to ask questions and have interest in learning some about these things. I advertise locally and on craigslist, Facebook, and a neighborhood App to pickup non working refrigerators when I want some for projects. That gets me some junkers but some easy fix gems also. Anyway back to the Samsung RF32FMQDBSR/AA. So with the 150 invested I spend quite a few hours in my garage learning about this thing and finally determining the refrigeration system and finding that it had a leak. Fixing the leak fixed it all. It ran for months in my garage, I hooked up the water and the ice maker was functioning correctly as well. Oh yea I bought a 14 oz can of R600 for like 80 bucks. Way over paid but I have a valve on it so I can still use the remainder. I suppose I used close to 2+ oz or so getting that 1.69 into the system. Well when I was convinced it run solid after shut downs and restarts in my garage for months I sold it. I got $1000 bucks for it. So it worked out OK and I know it is still working fine for those folks. Yea the funny stuff going on there with yours may have been the haul off folks wanting to take a stab at fixing it on their own. I can fix most of them but would not try it in a customer home with the family food waiting in the balance. I like to get them for nothing and give it a shot on my own. Some are too expensive while some like the refrigerant leak mostly cost many hours and some bucks. Here's my current opinion. Stay away from the dual evaporator refrigerators no matter how modern they sound. The single freezer evaporator blowing air into the refrigerator side has worked very well for a long time now. For sure stay away from the dual compressors. IMHO. The R600(& R290) is coming and very widely used in Europe because they can use it and ship it without and hazard nightmare like we have here. Therefore it is very cheap over there and little goes a long way. It can cool a huge refrigerator with a few ounces, a small efficient compressor, and so it is good and not likely to blow any houses even if it leaks out the small amount. Like you said about your butane soldering iron, a few ounces are not very scary. Heck folks light cigarettes with nearly than much butane under their nose everyday  . Well the lighter is fractional ounces but still. Thanks, I much appreciate the followup discussion and I am glad you took the steps and was refunded for the non working high end refrigerator. It seems like your unit had a similar problem. I was curious about that. I very seldom buy the extended warranty on things but I do currently recommend it on these new expensive refrigerators.

[Krambo]

Hi ROGS!  Hope you are still able to get this message.  We have same fridge and believe same problem.  My husband is pretty handy and we usually fix things ourselves.  We got this fridge in a not-so-great craigslist deal and want to make most of it.  My husband also has always wanted to learn more about the coolant systems.  Anyways, you are the only one I can find that has even attempted to fix yours.  I just find a lot of complaints.  Would you be able to tell me what equipment you used?  Also any other info you can provide.  Thank you!

[Wx4usa]

Just an FYI on an old post to future users: 

On Samsung bulletin ASC20150701001 dated 7/1/2015 on RF32FMQDBSR units produced before June 2014 .

• This refrigerator contains 2 complete sealed systems with 2 compressors, one for the freezer and variable room and a separate one for the fresh food section.

• The Fresh Food sealed system and compressor use the refrigerant R600a.

• If the problem is with the sealed system in the FF section, the unit is non-repairable.

• If the R600a system (identified by red paint on the tubing) is leaking or the compressor has failed, do not attempt to repair. Contact Samsung Tech Support from the home for further instruction.

  Beginning with June, 2014 production, R600a is no longer used in any Samsung Refrigerator sold in the USA.

[AdamB]

Just like Krambo's husband in the post above, I'm pretty handy when it comes to the refrigerant refill activities and have been experimenting on my "piece of crap" Samsung 4-door fridge.  Here's what I did so far as per reading Rog's description of what to do:

1.) Bought r600a refrigerant from Amazon ($40): Link here

2.) Bought these 2 self-piercing valves from Amazon $14: Link here

3.) Ordered this JUST in case to have for the self-piercing valves to ensure a tight and leak-free fit around the pierced location for $14: Link here

4.) I will be ordering this next for $130 - it's a vaccum/pump for the refrigerant: Link here

5.) I will be ordering this as well - a digital scale to make sure I only put 1.69oz of refrigerant: Link here

I'll take off the back cover INSIDE the fridge and put one of the 2 piercing valves at the tail end of the evaporator.   I'll take off the back cover and as per the PDF above, look for the Fresh Food side of the fridge's compressor and put the 2nd piercing valve there.  That way, I can do the vaccum after it's been evacuated.  I'm not sure if there's any gas left given that the Fresh Food side doesn't cool that much at all (it's stays at 50ish degrees so I imagine it's low).  If there's any left, I might just do the "irresponsible and totally non-recommended activity" of releasing out what's left into the atmosphere outside the house since I don't know anyone around me that can:

1.) Service this thing

2.) Even want to touch this thing

I'm relegated to try to fix it myself so unless anyone else has any ideas, I'll just let it "go to zero" after I put the piercing valves in.  This will vacate the system of the old refrigerant and get me to status quo.  Then, I'll do the vacuum process as per (believe it or not) using what this guy Chris at Chrisfix did to his car (Link here) as the concepts are the same except he already has taps to vacate the system AND he has the SAME exact vacuum/pump I will be ordering.  The thought is that you'll be creating a vacuum, making sure it isn't leaking via a vacuum that holds for an hour, running that vacuum for another 45 mins, and then refilling the system with refrigerant (1.69oz as per Rogs' post above which is way less than one can) and closing up the new taps you made with the self-piercing valves (essentially making a Samsung sealed system, unsealed).  My warranty is way past the expiry date so everything here is experimentation and could lead to a very bad problem but I have this fridge sitting outside in an open area for my outdoor kitchen so I am only doing this because I REALLY think this will work.

I'm hoping people still read this forum and could provides pointers/guidance to let me know whether I am off my rocker or if this sounds "sound" and I'll post back on my results soon.  I am just waiting for the vacuum and scale and will be performing this as soon as they come in.  Looks like a few days away.