# Samsung Fridge Not cooling



## Wozer

Hi,

I have a Samsung French Door Fridge, with bottom Freezer. 

Recently it has been acting up, It would cool hit the temps, then it was almost like the thermometer wouldn't start reading the tempature again. I would notice the fridge was warm, Unplug, then plug back in and hit the button to see the Temp and it was up to 52, even though just before I unplugged it, it read 34.

Then the Fridge would cool again, and I would repeat the same cycle.

I placed a call into Samsung (the fridge sadly is out of warranty, just, for non compressor/evaporator issues) and they sent a guy out. He tried replacing the fan, saying that it was not cooling the compressor. But apparently this fridge needs a specific fan whereas most fans are interchangable, and that did not seem to help. He then decided it was probably the motherboard that was causing the issue. So we got a new one ordered and that was just replaced today, but the fridge will not cool. He said that the fan will turn on for 4 seconds then turn off then turn on for 4 seconds and turn off. So the thinks because the fan he put in was not specific to this fridge that might be the problem. So now we are having the fan replaced to see if it fixes it, if it doesn't he says the wires from the motherboard must be toast, and we will have to get a new fridge.

Does this seem right? or does anyone have any other thoughts? My initial thoughts was that it had something to do with the thermometer, is there a way to test the thermometer?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Chris


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## jeff1

Hi,

1) Try a different company/servicer!

2) Can't check the temps by unplugging and plugging it in....won't show correctly.

3) No model# posted but yours -sounds- eletronic controled = no "real" temp thermostat.

jeff.


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## Wozer

Hi Jeff,

Thanks for the reply for #1, This is a samsung authorized servicer who samsung sent out for us. Going to find another servicer will just add on to the 400$ that has been spent already, Is there something that the servicer is doing wrong that would make you say this? We have been without a fridge/freezer for a week waiting for another servicer to come out, would suck for that.

#2 What makes you say the temps wont show correctly, When the issue was occurring I put my instant read thermometer in there and it was reading the same temperature as the readout said on the display.

#3 the model number is RF267ABRS/XAA Yes it is a digital display. What do you mean no real temp thermo? How does it tell the current temp then?


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## jeff1

> He tried replacing the fan, saying that it was not cooling the compressor. But apparently this fridge needs a specific fan whereas most fans are interchangable, and that did not seem to help. He then decided it was probably the motherboard that was causing the issue.



Tried and probably are normally not what appliance techs do....test/diagnose is better and the odd time we may take an "educated guess".



> I put my instant read thermometer in there and it was reading the same temperature as the readout said on the display





> Unplug, then plug back in and hit the button to see the Temp and it was up to 52, even though just before I unplugged it, it read 34.



Can't unplug to check temps or settings. Acual temp and set temp are different things.



> What do you mean no real temp thermo? How does it tell the current temp then?



There is not a temp/cold control like older refrigerators....has thermistors that change resistance to tell the board what is or is not happening inside, they turn on or off nothing....the board does that.

Condensor fan motor appears to be readily available...






Condenser fan motor Manufacturer Number DA31-00020H

jeff.


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## Wozer

Thanks Jeff,

I double checked with Samsun Support and they said that pressing the Fridge/Freezer Temp set button once, it will blink and then show the current temp inside the fridge. (Support said there is a sensor inside the fridge to read the current temp) I also thought that I read this in the user manual, but maybe this is incorrect.

In your opinion does it seem like it is the condenser fan that is causing the problem?

Thanks,

Chris


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## jeff1

> He tried replacing the fan, saying that it was not cooling the compressor.





> In your opinion does it seem like it is the condenser fan that is causing the problem?



*If* the condensor fan motor was not running at the time of the service call....that definetly would have been a good place to start...the condensor fan motor helps to remove the heat from the hot condensor tubing and from the compressor. The compressor can over heat and shut off on it's built in safety device.



> I double checked with Samsun Support and they said that pressing the Fridge/Freezer Temp set button once, it will blink and then show the current temp inside the fridge. (Support said there is a sensor inside the fridge to read the current temp) I also thought that I read this in the user manual, but maybe this is incorrect.



Pressing the button(s) is one thing, removing power is another.

jeff.


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## Wozer

Jeff,

I think you are misunderstanding me with the current temp. I wasn't unplugging to get a read out. What am trying to convey is that it seems like the Internal temp was not being read correctly. So I would wake up in the morning, press the button to see the internal temp and it would read -2 for the freezer and 34 for the Fridge. My instant read thermometer was reading the fridge as 52 degrees. If I then unplugged the fridge, waited a few seconds, then plugged it back in, then press the button to read the internal temperature, It was reading 52 for the fridge and 21 for the freezer. A few minutes later the fridge would start cooling again until it hit the desired temps (-2 and 34) and then the cycle would start over again.

This is why I am questioning if it really is the fan, I don't think tech who we have out her, or the Samsung techs are understanding this point. Why would the fan make the temp readout incorrect? I could understand the motherboard, but that has been replaced.

Chris


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## jeff1

I understand what you are saying....but it still doesn't tell us anything. Needs to be checked when this is occuring rather than after unplugging it.....could have been in a defrost cycle and unplugging it stopped that, etc.

Hopefully the new tech/company can catch it at the spot where you are concerned and check it out from there 

jeff.


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## yuchai

Wozer - If possible, can you let me know what ended up being the culprit? I have a different model fridge than you do, but the symptoms are identical as what you described so am interested in what the problem was.


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## Wozer

Yuchai,

They tried replacing the Motherboard as well as the Fan, neither worked, we ended up having an extended warranty with Lowes and used that to get a new fridge.

Sorry I cant help any more than that.

Chris


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## yuchai

Wozer said:


> Yuchai,
> 
> They tried replacing the Motherboard as well as the Fan, neither worked, we ended up having an extended warranty with Lowes and used that to get a new fridge.
> 
> Sorry I cant help any more than that.
> 
> Chris



Actually that's really helpful, as your experience could save us a lot of money and agony with repairs that won't work. Thanks!


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## nealtw

Without any knowledge of refridgerates, I was just thinking. The thermicouple measures temps at all times and resets when the plug was pulled, you know it is working. When you push the button, the lite comes on and gives the last known reading. That button must also have a function to reset the thermicouple for a new reading or where those wires go. That's where I would be looking.


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## yuchai

I seem to have resolved the problem. The culprits are the defrost (bi-metal) thermostat and the defrost temp sensor. It seems that the problem is that because these components were faulty that the fridge enters defrost mode but never comes out of it. Once power is pulled, the system resets and begins the refrigeration cycle again. However, once the scheduled defrost cycle begins (in 4 hours for my model), it is stuck there and there is no more cooling.

I replaced both items for both fridge and freezer last night, and this morning was the first time that my fridge was still cooling after about 9 hours. I am hopeful that it will still be running when I get home from work today.

Just for documentation, I have a Samsung RB1855SL. The items that I used are Bi-Metal (DA47-10160H) and defrost temp sensor (DA32-00006W)

Replaced both for fridge & freezer compartments (4 items total). Both are fairly easy to get to once the evaporator covers are open. I would suggest anyone encountering this problem to give this solution a try as the components don't cost that much.

Edit: Just to add - the temperature sensors that allow for detection of actual temp in the fridge/freezer are actually fine. The system shows the set temps rather than actual temps when in the defrost cycle, even if the actual temps are significantly higher (this is confirmed in the service manual for my model).


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## nealtw

:trophy: Thanks for the update.


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## Techidon441

I have a Samsung RS253-BABB, side by side. Twin evaporators; fridge side had frozen coils. It turns out that the defrost heater is built onto the evaporator coil as a unit. Did an ohms test on the heater coil & got NO continuity. Another poster elsewhere bought the evap./heater assy. & swapped out the heater coil from new to old evap.to avoid breaking the freon system. I can see it would take some effort, but much less than the alternative. They Do Not sell the defrost coil separately, hence the buy & swap method.


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