Maytag Refrigerator- Model MSD2756GEB- Freezer OK, Fridge section not cool

[tcape]

Got a call today from a lady who told me her Maytag fridge, about 10 years old is having a problem with the refrigerator section, she says the freezer seems to be ok but the fridge section is not cool.
I am going to look at it tomorrow around 10AM. At this point without having seen it, I'm speculating either a defrosting issue or a bad fan motor.

As a side note, I am a self employed HVACR tech and I work on some appliances for the fun of it. If I can't fix the appliance or have no clue, and if the customer needs it fixed asap, I won't charge them. I usually don't have too many problems with refrigerators I can't fix since I do commercial refrigeration service. I don't generally work on washing machines....just mine.

I will post my findings sometime tomorrow after I have seen the fridge.


Thanks so much for the manual!!

Tony

[AJ]

I will post my findings sometime tomorrow after I have seen the fridge.

Sound good, thanks!

Thanks so much for the manual!!

Your welcome, thanks for posting. 

[tcape]

Please note, I am not appliance tech, and I may not be doing things exactly the way a real appliance tech would, but I am open to suggestions on how to better perform my job in cases like this.


When I got there this morning I asked the customer how everything was and she said now the freezer seems to be thawing. I opened the freezer door and I could see frost on the lower panel that sits in front of the evaporator. That was kind of tell tale for me. I removed three baskets and took the two screws out and removed the plastic upper and lower metal panel and sure enough, the evap was blocked with frost. I turned the thermostat down to "off" so the fan would shut off and used my heatgun and defrosted the coil. While I was in the middle of that the customer stated that the flap to her ice dispenser had been stuck open for weeks and just had that fixed on the previous Saturday and it was shortly after this she noticed the problem with rising temps(not sure why she called me for this when she called someone else for that). She asked if the open flap could have caused it, since she said there was frost forming at the opening. I told her I wasn't 100% sure, but it would be the same as having the freezer door cracked open and you could get excess moisture forming. After thawing the coil I checked to make sure the heater ohmed out and it did. I'm thinking I should have checked the defrost thermostat, but after the defrosting, it would have been open anyway.

At this point I let her know that it might be a defrosting problem and I explained how it worked. I told her if the problem occurred again, she might be looking at a new defrost control...

I also noticed on the left side near the bottom where the heater sits, it was up against the aluminum splash guard and it looks like it was heating it enough that it actually discolored the plastic and cracked it from the heat right above where the aluminum stopped.


I did not get a chance to read the defrost control yet in the manual, so when/if this problem happens again, I will know how much of a pain it will be to test the control.


That's it for now!!

[theoldstoveguy]

I check the defrost thermostat and heater for continuity, if they are goo (while frosted over) bad ADC. I have honestly never seen ( in a newer  SxS Maytag ) a bad heater or defrost thermostat. Always ADC .Has anyone else?

[PARTech]

Defrost thermostat, yes, calrod heater, no. 

[tgoods]

Might as well just head on back with an ADC, 61005988. It's located in the upper right rear of the fridge.  Short the L1 and test pins with a screwdriver.  If it doesn't go into defrost, it's bad.

[tcape]

So far, there have been no calls about this fridge not working. I called her a week after I was there and everything was still working fine. I agree, I figured it would have froze up again within a few days and I'd be back out there.

Shouldn't it have "overfrosted the evap coil" by now?

If not, how long will they work before it restricts airflow?

[JWWebster]

Takes 3 or four weeks to completely block if it is defrosting by the adc but the heater ain't workin. You'll be back. LOL

[RegUS_PatOff]

MSD2756GEB
 "old" ADC's ... momentarily Jumper L1 to TEST on the ADC Board.
 You may have the "newer" version of the Maytag ADC
 which don't have L1 and TEST
 To enter Defrost Mode, cycle the Freezer Cold Control ON / OFF 3 times within 6 seconds, then leave on max cold.