Fix It: The Freezer is Not Freezing, The Fridge is Not Cold

I recently came across this post in our appliance repair forum, and thought it may help some of you out.

Q: “Ok, so the ice maker has been leaking for about 2 years now, just an inconvenience. Today, freezer is thawing out, fridge at 70′.  Took a hair dryer to back inside of freezer, seems like a lot of ice melted.  Fan seems to be running more than before.”

“I have seen that the ice maker water valve needs replacing. Is that it, or do I need to remove the inside of the freezer compartment and replace all those parts too?”

“I have it plugged back in for about an hour now.  Freezer getting cold, nothing in fridge compartment/ any suggestions would be appreciated. It’s 8 years old.”

One of our regular posters, applianceman, generously offered this advice:

A: “When you tried to defrost it with the hair dyer did you remove the back panel of the freezer? If not you need to go back and remove it and melt all the ice behind it (if there is any).”

“You say the ice maker is leaking but is it leaking in the freezer or in the floor? If it is leaking in the freezer the water from the ice maker may have leaked on the coils, froze and blocked airflow. If this seems to be the case melt all the ice, clean out the tube that feeds the ice maker water and replace the ice maker.”

“If the ice that is on the coils didn’t seem to come from the ice maker you may have a defrost problem. Which would be the defrost control, defrost heater or defrost thermostat.”

For appliance repair help, visit the Appliance Repair Forum and post your questions or visit our Repair Library.

For additional information on freezer maintenance, questions or general information, visit our freezer information page.

Amana replacement icemaker not working

Here’s a question and answer from our appliance repair forum. If you have an appliance repair question, sign up for a forum account (free) and ask your question for free!

This question was asked on the Icemaker Repair Forum.

Question: My ice maker quit. I removed it and found ice in the fill tube. I thawed it out and order a new Amana  replacement ice maker, Model Number: arse667bw, because the old icemaker’s non-stick coating was peeling out. I installed the new ice maker but still nothing. Any suggestions of what to do next?

Answer: Several things could be happening to prevent your replacement Amana icemaker from working:

Water Pressure is too low: The water pressure for icemakers needs to be at least 40 psi, and up to about 120 psi for proper operation. You can test your icemaker’s water pressure with an Icemaker Water Flow Tester.

Freezer is not at the correct temperature: Freezer must get below 15ºF before the thermostat inside the icemaker will close and then the icemaker will run/turn on.

Icemaker arm is not on/arm is raised or in the “off” position: make sure the feeler arm of the icemaker is down and not blocked by any ice cubes. If it’s raised, it has turned the icemaker off. This arm needs to be in the lowered position to activate the icemaker. An over-abundance of ice in the bin will make the arm stay up as a safety feature to keep the icemaker from making more ice than the bin can hold.
The water inlet tube is frozen: On occasion, the water inlet tube will freeze where it enters the icemaker. This can happen because the water is dripping slowly, or the freezer is just set too cold. A hair blow dryer can be used to thaw this, but be careful around the plastic tubing. You don’t want it to crack or deform. You may want to turn the thermostat up a little bit if this is a regular occurrence. If you have a constant, regular drip, you may want to invest in a new water control valve.

For more help:

• Icemaker repair center
• Icemaker Repair Forum
• Icemaker Parts

Appliance Repair Questions?

Is your washing making a strange thumping noise?  Does your refrigerator not stay cold?  Why isn’t your dryer turning on?  For these questions and more visit AP Wagner’s Appliance Repair Forum for knowledgeable answers.  For best results know your appliance model number.  AP Wagner has been a trusted source for appliance parts since 1928!  Right answers, right parts, right away!

Visit the Appliance Repair Forum Today!

Keep your Stainless Steel Appliances Shining

Don’t you hate when your kitchen looks great, but your stainless steel refrigerator, is looking a little dull?  Make it shine!  KitchenAid brand Stainless Steel Appliance Polish will keep your appliances look like the day you got them! 

You can find it at AP Wagner.com

Check out AP Wagner for all your appliance parts, and appliance repair needs!

Common problems with range vent hoods

Here are a few problems range vent hoods have and some answers on how to fix them:

Why is there no power to my range vent hood at all?

Fan and Light Switch Kit Maytag 12001128 -Sale price: $28.71

Most range vent hoods are designed to be wired directly into the household power supply, so if you have no power, check your fuse box or circuit breaker panel.

Why doesn’t my range vent hood fan work?

If the light is coming on, but the fan isn’t, your problem is with the fan switch or the fan motor. You can access these from under the hood, without removing it. Check the fan switch (in the on position) for continuity. If there is continuity, then replace the fan motor.

Why is my vent fan running at only one speed?

Aluminum Range Vent Hood Filter Set Misc 97007893, sale price $19.06

The first thing to check are the filters on your range vent hood. If these are full of grease, they could stop the flow of air and the fan may sound like it is only running at one speed. Once your filters are clean, you can check the fan switch and the fan motor to see if they are the problem. You can get to these from under the hood, without removing it.

Why is my fan moving air, but it’s not going outside?

Many vent hoods circulate air, but not all push the air outside of the home. You can tell if yours is a circulate-only, a vent-type hood, or a convertible hood by close examination of it.

Models with vent openings near the top front that the air blows through could be a circulate-only type of hood or a convertible type hood.

Models that have duct work coming out the top or back are probably a vent-type hood. Close examination will reveal what type you have.

If your hood has the vents in the front and the metal ductwork, then it is convertible. Careful inspection of the control panel may show a switch or lever to change where the range vent hood directs the air.

More Information:

• Range Vent Hood Repair Tips
• Range Hood Appliance Parts
• Locate the model number on your appliance
• Get diagrams of your range vent hood in order to fix it
• Charcoal Range Vent Hood Filters

Congratulations to all our winners in our “Help Fill Up Our Appliance Repair Forum and Win!” Contest

Sadly, we have come to the end of our “Help Fill Up Our Appliance Repair Forum and Win!” Contest. You can see a list of winners on our website.

We would like to thank everyone who took the time to enter and contribute valuable content to our Appliance Repair Forum. Please keep posting those appliance repair questions.  We also welcome any knowledgeable appliance repair experts to our forum, to help answer appliance repair questions. We want our appliance repair forum to be a source of knowledge for people to help them repair their household appliance themselves.

We also want do-it-yourselfers to know about our online Appliance Repair Library where you can find answers to frequently asked questions about  refrigerator repairs, gas stove, range, oven repairs, washing machine repairs and more. Visit the Appliance repair Library to find answers to your appliance repair problems.

Appliance Repair Help:

• “Help Fill Up Our Appliance Repair Forum and Win!” Contest Winners
• Appliance Repair Forum
• Appliance Repair Library

Why doesn’t my dryer drum tumble?

Dryers have a belt that turns the drum. If the belt is worn or broken, it

Idler Arm Assembly Frigidaire 5303212849 - Sale price: $19.95

can’t move the drum. Just replace the belt, and while you’re doing that, you may want to check the idler pulley. Wear on the idler pulley can cause the belt to break. Worn out glides and rollers can also create extra stress on the belt by making the drum harder to turn. If the drum is harder to turn, the extra stress could have broken the belt.

Clothes Dryer Drum Roller Maytag 31001096 - Sale price: $34.03

Normally, you can hear the motor running, especially if it’s the belt or idler pulley that’s the problem. If you don’t hear the motor, and you hear a buzzing sound instead, the motor may be seized and you’ll probably need to replace the motor or motor start capacitor. Remove the belt, then check for any blockages in the blower fan housing and try to turn the shaft on the motor by hand.

If it’s too hard or impossible to turn the motor shaft, and the blower fan housing has no obstructions; odds are that you need to replace the

Clothes Dryer Motor Whirlpool 279811 - Sale - $156.28

motor.

If the motor turns easily, run it for a few seconds. If it runs good without the belt, you may have a problem with the idler pulley or the drum rollers. Try rotating the drum by hand. If it’s hard to move, fix any problem with the idler pulley, glides, or drum rollers, reassemble the dryer, and test it again.

• Clothes Dryer Repair Help
• Find a Part for your Clothes Dryer by Make and Model
  
• Clothes Dryer Appliance Parts

Keep small parts handy with the MagnoGrip Magnetic Wristband

Here’s a clever tool useful to people that work with small metal parts which have a habit of rolling away or getting lost.  The MagnoGrip  Magnetic Wristband helps you keep tools on you while you work. It’s ideal for holding small parts like nails, screws, bolts, drill bits, fasteners, and small tools.

Keep track of small parts like nails, screws, bolts, drill bits, fasteners

Just simply hold the metal part close to the pad of the MagnoGrip and industrial-strength magnets hold it in place, leaving your hands free to work.  With the MagnoGrip there is no need to stick nails in your mouth or hunt around for missing screws or parts, the strong magnet located within the wristband keeps nails, screws and even a small hammer within in your reach.  Small, metal parts will easily attach to the strong magnet inside the wristband and stay there till you need them.

The MagnoGrip’s durable, heavy duty canvas is breathable and lightweight enough, so you can wear it all day with comfort.

The MagnoGrip’s durable, heavy duty canvas is breathable and lightweight enough, so you can wear it all day with comfort. The adjustable, secure Velcro strip, allows you to adjust it easily and quickly for comfort and wear.

The MagnoGrip Magnetic Wristband is rugged and durable enough for professional mechanics, contractors, and installers. It’s also a great gift for the do-it-yourselfer and for those that like to work on cars and boats in their spare time.

The MagnoGrip Magnetic Wristband is available for $7.95 online at APWagner.com.

You can learn a lot by a person just by looking at their refrigerator door

Here’s a fun article from the Lawrence Journal World and News online, “Magnetic appeal: What does your refrigerator decor say about you?”, talking about the different ways people decorate their refrigerator doors and what it says about them.

For example, Mildred Munjanganja, vice president of LifeOrganizers.com says, “Artists might have artwork, writers might have quotes, thrifty people might have coupons, and cooks might have favorite recipes.”

So what’s on your refrigerator door? Is it a simple shopping list? Magnets from places you have vacationed? Family photos and doctor appointments?

Mildred Munjanganja, vice president of LifeOrganizers.com offers some refrigerator door organizations tips including:

• Place the most important items on the left-hand side of the fridg
• Place least important items toward the botto
• If items are meant for a child, place it close to the bottom where he or she is able to read them.
• Read the rest of her tips and the complete article online.

Of course, all this family artwork, magnets and other items, can scratch the refrigerator door’s paint and finish. Luckily, appliance touch-up paints allow you to get rid of unsightly scratches.

If your refrigerator is stainless steel, Scratch-B-Gone, a product that removes scratches, rust and other marks from stainless steel appliances, will help you keep your appliances looking like new.

First week winners receive a $50 Visa Gift Card

Congratulations to our first-week winners in the “Help Fill Up Our Repair Forum and Win!” Contest. Congratulations APWagner Appliance Repair Forum winners: Tec3, Jeff1, Repairmandan. Each member will each receive a $50 Visa Gift Card.

It’s not too late to enter the contest; in fact we have three more weeks left and will be giving away nine more Visa Gift Cards each worth $50 and good wherever Visa is accepted.

It’s free to enter our contest, here’s how: Create an account on the APWagner.com Appliance Parts and Appliance Repair Forum.

Post an original, relevant appliance repair question, or answer an appliance repair question already posted on our forum. If you post an appliance repair question, be sure to include the appliance type, the make and appliance’s model number.

The more original questions you post, and the more detailed answers you give to existing questions, the more times you are entered and the more chances you have to win! Users will receive one entry for each original question posted, or answer given to a question, under their username.

Visit our Appliance Repair Forum and start posting now!

Rules

Winners will be chosen at random and notified by email.

To win you must have a qualified question or give a qualified answer. Read the rules to see what qualifies. You can also download a PDF version of the contest rules.

Download PDF format of contest rules now.

Read the official contest rules.

Ready to enter? Visit the APWagner Appliance Repair Forums Now!

Visit our contest page to see all the winners!