Hotpoint Refrigerator Not Cooling

[TechnicianBrian]

Model #CTX16BYBNRAA, this unit had been sitting for a few months before being moved into it's new location, and the customer noticed right away that the freezer section was cool, but the fresh food section was warmer than it should be. Often when serviceing appliances, your senses can point you in the correct direction of a problem, and as long as they are working, you might as well use them.



Looking it Over Being an older refrigerator usually isn't a problem in itself, but being a few years on it, and having sat for the last few months can take its toll. Just walking up to the unit I could hear (or not hear in this case) the normal sounds a refrigerator makes. The compressor was running (usually a low hum), but there was no sound a fan running from inside the freezer section, just the small gurgles and pops of the sealed system.

What's the fan for? Refrigerators that have a freezer and fresh food section require some way to move air through the cavity in order to maintain an acceptable temperature throughout. Refrigerators utilize a fan, usually near the evaporator to create this air movement and if this fan is running slow, or has stopped, the indication will usually be a warm fresh food section along with a very quiet refrigerator.

Fixing the Proglem I removed the rear air vent in the freezer and found the evaporator fan blades sitting idle and locked up. A quick spin got the fan moving again, but this is most likely a short term fix, because due to the age (and rust) on the fan shaft, it was going to happen again. Installed a new fan motor into this unit, and now it's moving air, and cooling again as it has for all it's years so far.

CTX16BYBNRAA

[JWWebster]

On this particular ice box does the fan come right on or does the terminator have to be cold before she kicks in Brian? A dude been calling me this week says he put a new motor in but the fan motor ain't came on even after 24 hours.

[TechnicianBrian]

Hey JW,

This fan comes on with the compressor, but even the ones (Amana) that run the defrost terminator in series should have the fan running within 15 minutes.  If it's been 24 hours, my guess is something else might be wrong.

[JWWebster]

That was my guess too. I told him to replace the terminator and I have yet to hear back from him on the outcome.