SubZero 550 Refrigerator Coils Freezing

this subzero freezer compartment did not free, but stayed cool. The problem was that defrost limit switch went bad, so when it was going to defrost cycle heater never came on, so it builded up snow and ice on evaporator coils and air stopped circulate. I replaced that little thermostat, and melted down ice.

Hi,

Check out these tips...they can help you figure out what is going wrong withyour refrigerator and why it is not cooling

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heatman101

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Hello,

If your chest refrigerator is showing signs of age, it may begin leaking. There are a few methods for troubleshooting faulty refrigerator but knowing some of the obvious signs of why it might leak can be very useful if you need to fix it yourself. Leaking is not limited to older models so be aware that certain maintenance procedures can help prevent leaks in newer models.

Understanding Changeable Parts Prior to Troubleshooting
There are not that many serviceable or changeable parts inside a refrigerator. A refrigerator works on a very simple basis. It contains evaporator coils, condenser coils, a compressor, a compressor overload, a relay and a thermostat. These are the basic moving parts of a refrigerator but some of them are not serviceable.

The condenser coils condense the water and the evaporator coils disperse excess water caused by the freezing process. The compressor is a heating component which compresses excess water and recycles it through the system.

Defrosting
Remove the contents of your refrigerator and place them in an alternative area to keep them frozen. Unplug and defrost your chest refrigerator before you do any troubleshooting or maintenance. Wipe and clean the inside of the refrigerator so that when you plug it back in it, will free of any grime or loose bits of debris. A clean refrigerator will also help to promote visibility when it comes to fixing leaks.

Where is the Leak?
Once you have defrosted your refrigerator, you need to establish which part of the refrigerator the leak is coming from. It could be coming from the inside of the refrigerator and this would indicate a thermostat issue. Alternatively, it could be coming from the freezing unit at the back of the refrigerator. Water always finds a way to escape so your leak could be restricted to one place but the actual cause could be elsewhere. Locate the drain tube which is normally found at the back of the refrigerator. You will probably have to unscrew or un clip the backing panel.

Check the Drain Hole
If the drain hole on your refrigerator has become blocked for any reason, you will need to clear it thoroughly to continue getting the best performance from your chest refrigerator. The drain hole is a component within the lower works of the refrigerator through which excess water runs to be recycled.

Compressor Issues
Your refrigerator contains a compressor which evaporates the excess water from the refrigerator. The refrigerator will defrost excess ice and the water flows down the drain tube to a pan where the heat of the compressor evaporates the water. If your compressor has failed, the leak will be caused by the water failing to evaporate. Have a repair contractor replace your compressor or, if this is not cost-effective, you may need to buy a new refrigerator.

Thermostat
If your refrigerator is not freezing at all and is dispersing water in several places, you may well have a thermostat failure. Check that your refrigerator is cycling correctly prior to making changes or altering the thermostat. Only if the refrigerator is not cycling are you likely to need to change the thermostat. If you have checked all the parts of your refrigerator and you still cannot locate the leak, calling in a service technician might be the best answer.


Hope this will help in solving....

Amana refrig have 2 main problems . 1 is the defrost bimetal ( 1" cylinder at the top right on the freezer coils with 2 wires ) and the other is a refrigerant leak where the copper tubing joins the aluminum tubing at the freezer coils ( evaporator coils ) . If your freezer fan is not working and you have frost on the freezer coils then replace the bimetal as this also controls the defrost heater ( defrost thermostat ) . If you have no frost on the coils ( for both checks , you will have to remove the inside rear freezer panel , maybe 12 screws ) , then a refrigerant leak has happened and the best solution would be to replace the refrig .

I believe this is normal behaviour in all auto defrost (which means virtually all modern) fridges. In fact, this short heating period is usually programmed to happen 2 to 3 times a day. You might rightly ask why the refrigerator compartment needs to undergo "defrost" cycles when the compartment is, if the refrigerator is operating correctly, above freezing? The reason is although the compartment is above freezing, its cooling coils are well below freezing temperature, and it's these coils that need the frequent defrosting, before they build up so much frost on them that they "ice up" and no longer allow the fan blown air that cools the refrigerator compartment to pass through them.

If it is similar to mine at home (Model 550) the condensor fan is designed to run continuously, even when both the freezer and refrigerator are shut off. There is no control or switch in the fan circuit, so it just runs whenever the fridge is plugged in to the wall. It uses about 56 watts.

2 posibles problems. if the ice is only about 4 an 8 inches you have a seal system problem.(evaporator freon leak) need replace the evaporator asap. if the ice cove a big part of the back wall you have a thermostat problem. for replace the evaporator better call a tech. remember to call a subzero factory authorized company. maybe still under some warrantty> good luck LEAVE YOUR COMMENT IF IT WAS GOOD FOR YOU....... THANKS

defrost problem ... do you have frost or ice?

I had same problem very recently.  The problem with both the refrigerator and freezer on the 550 is that the drain line that takes condensation and water from the defrost cycle to the drain pan freezes up. Sub Zero parts suppliers will sell you a fix-it kit which I used for the refrigerator.  The kit is simply a heater wire that you plug into one of the existing circuits and runs down the length of the drain pipe to keep it from freezing up.  When my freezer started doing the same thing I ordered the kit for the freezer but the wire was too fat for the drain pipe so a Sub Zero rep gave me a better and more elegant solution.  You need a length of bare 12 guage copper wire, about 24 inches.  Run it through the drain pipe with about 6 inches exposed at each end.  On the underside of the fridge, wrap the end of the copper wire a few times around the black heater coil that you will see running back and forth.  At the upper end, wrap the copper wire around the black heater coil that defrosts the freezer coil.  The heat generated by the two coil will simply conduct heat through the copper wire and keep your drain line from freezing up.  There is a 90 degree bend in the drain line which makes it difficult to feed the copper wire through.  I suggest using guitar string or picture hanging wire as a snake.  Feed that through first, then us it to pull the copper wire through.  Good Luck!

Make sure the condensor is clean, blow some Air though the Condensor to make sure good Air flow towards Compressors. also, you might have a bad defrost timer or Freezer Control... worst case you might have a bad Compressor... hope I can help....