This is probably the best refrigerator troubleshooting video I have ever seen. It covers various different scenario cases as well as gives a good overall understanding of how a fridge works, which is important when doing any troubleshooting.

As a technical support representative for Samsung home appliances UK, I find this video VERY helpful! A very easy troubleshooting tutorial for consumers, which can be used before requesting an engineer to come out to see your appliance. Thank you for this great video.

This video is INCREDIBLE! You clearly state all the problems that could go wrong with the defrost system, how to diagnosis the problem and how to fix it. Over the summer, I am manually defrosting every 2 weeks. When I do it again in a few days, I will get my multimeter and figure out if its a bad sensor or a bad heating element and then try to fix it myself. A repairmen said it would cost $100 just to come to my rural location and diagnose the problem. I have a receipt left by the previous home owner showing he paid $200 to have the "defrost control board" replaced 10 years ago. Thanks to this video, I can determine, myself, for free, if that repair needs to be done again or if it is something else. THANKS!

This is an old video but it’s still helping people like myself. This is the most succinct and easy to understand video I’ve come across and I’ve seen quite a few. Thank You!

This is the best description of the "defrost cycle" I have seen. It helped me fix my Maytag fridge for about $25. You have a wonderful way of describing this technical defrosting process. Thanks!

Thanks for the video, explaining where the fan was located in the freezer was spot on. Found the ice build up, the fan was hitting. Probably was my fault the vents were a bit covered. Cleaned it out, put the covers back and seems to be working fine.

By far the best video on troubleshooting a faulty fridge/freezer I've seen. Thanks so much!

This is the most informative video I've seen on KZfaq. Learned a lot from it. Thanks for posting.

Great video. Well presented. Just the right balance of tech vs common sense.

I know you posted this nearly 10 years ago, but here in 2020 you sure helped point me in the right direction! Thank you for the lesson in the basics of how the auto defrost works. I'm sure that's my problem due to the back panel of the freezer just covered with frost, and after removing that panel I found the whole coil area caked with ice. I'm getting all that ice off so I can check the thermostat and heating element.

just wanted to say thanks to this video for saving me a small fortune with my fridge freezer!

Love your video, others break down to sections which can be confusing, I watched at least 10 others with no result, some were bored as hell but yours is the best.... thank you

It is difficult to cover every variation on one video, so its nice when attention is called to other methods. Thank you!

I can imagine you've helped save many people a bunch of money! You're a legend, thanks mate

This is an absolute gold. I love this honestly. This video inspired me to get my appliance repair Springfield VA from S&E appliance repairs.

THIS VIDEO HELPED ME FIX MY FRIDGE. I HAD NO MONEY TO HIRE A REPAIR PERSON OR BUY A NEW ONE. I WATCHED THIS VIDEO, UNPLUGGED FRIDGE OVERNIGHT AND PLUGGED IN WHEN I WOKE UP. THE FRIDGE WORKS PERFECTLY! THANK YOU SO MUCH !!!!

Now THIS guy... knows how to communicate instructions. Thank you, sir!

This explains a lot. My side-by-side Frigidaire's defrost stopped working and the freezer coil turned into a block of ice. With no air movement, everything started getting warm. The fridge repairman replaced the thermostat, but also said that the "board" should also be replaced at a cost of $300. He ordered the board, but for the 3 or 4 days before the part arrived, the defrost cycle operated normally both the fridge and freezer side were nice and cold. I kept checking the coil in the freezer and there was no ice buildup. I canceled any further repairs because the board was obviously not needed.

Seriously, this video is amazing! Freezer was cold, fridge was warm, door was ajar this morning when I woke up. Wouldn't cool down even after 5 or 6 hours. I pulled the freezer door and bins out and lo and behold the entire coil was covered in ice. Hit it with a hair drier, filled nearly the entire evap pan, then emptied said pan. While I had it all apart, I checked the thermostat for continuity just to rule it out and all was good and well there! Put it all back together and everything is running ship shape! Thank you!!!!

Thanks to everyone for leaving such encouraging messages! I had a fairly difficult day on Friday and it was a big lift to see that even though nothing seemed to be going right for me I was still able to help a few other people out with these videos! Thanks for the comments!

Excellent video! Informative and well produced. I actually don't think the problem my refrigerator has corresponds to the ones discussed here, but it was still interesting to learn about the problems that can occur. Added to my favorites!

Great instructions! Our fridge was not cooling for two days and I was able to identify the problem by watching your video and fix ours. Thanks for posting applianceassistant!

Excellent video. It's great how it became more understandable when you put today's newfangled machines in context with the old ones (when we had to empty the whole thing and let it completely melt) Your explanation helped me troubleshoot and am ordering a thermostat. I'll update what happens.

This is most helpful to explain how the defrost system works. I will give it one more try to unplug rather than just turn off before calling a repairman.

i'm old enough to remember my mom defrosting the fridge every month or so when i was a kid - thanks for bringing back memories.

Thanks very much. Very informative and helpful. With your video, I was able to find the broken part, replace it, and get back working again

Just want to say thank you for education us about the malfunction of the refrigerator . That was priceless . Sincerely. Thank you sir

Thank you so much for uploading this! I was able to fix our refrigerator without a call to the repairman, or my dad. :D

Amazing video. Thank you sir!

Best video I have seen thus far on fridge troubleshooting

This video helped us get our side by side fridge working when it stopped cooling. The freezer door had been left ajar (more than once). To make things worse the air conditioning broke and the room temperature was in the mid to high 80’s. We removed the crispers and found the vent going from the bottom of the fridge to the coils on the freezer side was clogged with ice. Used a blow dryer to melt the ice and it started working again.

it's so informative! thank you very much, you helped a lot! I wish you good health and good luck! 😊

@djkaneck1 Great! Just keeping the settings on "factory recommended" in the middle should be good. Main maintenance tips would be... 1. to clean the dust out of the black coils under the refrigerator with a vacuum from time to time. 2. make sure the doors are not getting blocked from closing all the way by some rogue catchup bottle or ice cream container. Thanks again for watching, commenting, and sharing!

Really great video!, lays out the most likely scenario for refrigerator failure and some basic understanding of the circuitry involved…

EXCELLENT VIDEO, thank you!!! Amazing to find something so well made and informative in an age when KZfaq is becoming saturated with useless videos.

Well it was worth a shot... : ) that's a tough one to recognize because have not had a refrigerator noise compared with a old truck idling in a driveway before so I have no point of reference... that's a great description though! Can you post a short video or audio clip?

I was just freaking out because my ice cream was melting and my ice maker wasn't making ice. This explains a lot. You know what they say! Now I know, and knowing is half the battle!

Somewhere around four years ago my refrigerator had stopped the defrost cycle. I've replace the defrost timer, heater and even the refrigerator thermostat, with no avail. I've been defrosting it manually for the whole time since; about every six months. Thanks to you sharing this video, I was able to locate the part that I believe I need to get it back on track. The bi-metal thermostat. Once it arrives, hopefully this will fix the problem. Thank you for sharing this video! You may have saved me $500 or more.

This video may have saved Christmas at our house. Now we can buy gifts and not a fridge! The instructions were easy to follow and in terms I could understand. Awesome!

thank you sir. my Samsung side by side 6 year old fridge is not cooling. freezer is ok. now i have the basics

Tha'ts awesome! Watch very closely in the next few days to a week for frost accumulating on the back wall of the freezer! If you see frost it's an early warning that you have a mechanical problem and food loss is soon to follow. Hopefully you don't need it, but if you do, I have a lot of refrigerator troubleshooting content on my website. The link is in the description of the video. Thanks for commenting!

Thanks for doing this video, really helped me figure out how to diagnose and repair my old side by side fridge. My local appliance parts store was able to match me up with equivalent or universal parts that I needed, even though they were discontinued and not available.

Thank you👍. The refrigerator was practically the exact refrigerator I was troubleshooting.🙂👍

Thanks for the tips!

I use a hair dryer to defrost mine every month. My refrigerator cost me 80 bucks and I am okay with it. It keeps a temperature of 40 degrees on a normal setting. Thanks for the video though it was thorough explanation. 👌🏼

An excellent presentation here. My only mistake was not watching this one first. Two thumbs up!!!

Great video - thanks for posting it, and for being so on top of responding to comments! Very informative stuff. I had no idea what the inner workings of a fridge looked like/how they functioned. I started paying attention when my fridge died due to the compressor crapping out. I didn't repair it myself, but learned about some sounds. No 'old truck' sounds, but it had an interesting buzzing. I posted my own "what is this?" video and got good responses

Awesome! I don't have the money to buy a new fridge, and I was about to look into calling a repair man. But now I don't have to. Very helpful! Lol

Outstanding layman terms.

Thankyou so much! You have saved my fridge freezer! Can’t thank you enough

Thanks a lot! Your video helps me understand what's wrong with our Zipel side by side fridge. It seems like in the freezer section, the heater does not activate to defrost the coils that's why the ice builds up and blocks the vents that blows cool air all the way to the top. Great video!

@MrMindShifter The defrost cycle should happen every 8 to 10 hours of compressor run time which is usually every few days depending on how often you open the door. If the food is frozen generally you are okay. Ice cream is an excellent indicator of proper freezer temperatures because it changes consistency very rapidly depending on temperatures. It's also a great reason to stock some ice cream :) Mechanically the thermostat is the only thing that may be causing large temp swings...

So a few months ago my fridge turned off one day and didn't turn back on. I learned about the defrost timer and how turning it with a screwdriver/giving it a tap can get it going again, which worked for me for a while. However, recently my fridge no longer goes into defrost mode, and the freezer/fridge have gotten warmer. The freezer part is cold enough to preserve food and get drinks cold but can't keep ice frozen and the fridge is only slightly below room temp. I've recently replaced the temp control thermostat but that didn't work. The screwdriver in the defrost timer no longer does anything but turn the fridge off after turning it a few times. Could replacing the defrost timer be the fix or did the issue get worse? Your video quality is very good btw, you are a real professional.

Your description of how side by side freezers/refrigerators work gave me the information I needed to fix my refrigerator. The compressor was working fine, the freezer was cold, but the fridge was not. I was able to find the frozen over area behind a panel in the fridge section and melt away the ice with a hair dryer. Thanks so much, you've saved us a ton of time and money!

Thank you. your video is clear, concise and easy to understand.The electronics are still confusing, I don't know exactly how to use a multimeter. But thank you, this is really helpful in understanding how the defrost cycle functions.

You took me from zero to hero! I fixed the fridge a couple weeks ago! I've since referred many people/friends/family to it as well :) Question -- my friend left the door open overnight :/ Frost has been growing on the back freezer wall over the past 24-36 hours. I'm guessing that the defroster isn't given enough time on the cycle to melt it all away, hence the growing? What can I do besides transferring all the food and airing it out? Can I manually advance multiple melt-cycles in a row?

I just want to say that your information is and was a good start but my issue was the Fan motor had fail. This should be considered as well because the defrost was working. So please check to see if the fan is turning.

Thanks you for helping me understand how a fridge works. Just saved me couple hundreds dollars.

Thank you very much. My Frigidaire is not cold enough and I am going to check out this information. I really appreciate your assistance.

There’s something about the American accent when spiked with intellect that really relaxes me

Yesterday, I defrosted my freezer by removing the back panel & using a hair dryer to melt the build-up. My fridge works again, but I noticed more build-up this morning. What can I do to prevent this from recurring? Thanks in advance!

This is the best video to explain the fundamentals, THanks

Thanks! Very intelligently explains! because of lack of knowledge few things goes over my head.

Here is a simpler way that we use instead of all these voltage checks, through on a amperage gauge, compressor running and cold air coming out should draw 1 to 2 amps, now turn the defrost timer till it click, on comes the heater 1 to 2 amps, now heater will run till cold temp thermostat reaches 45 degrees off goes the heater element, and you tested all that with out taking off anything. Wow.

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@applianceassistant thanks for the reply and sorry for not getting back to you sooner but the holidays were insane as usual. we did end up getting a new fridge. we got a good deal and could not be happier. thanks again for your time.

Thanks for taking the time to comment! Glad it helped!

The best most useful video i've ever seen !! i understood everything and it wasn't long and boring, thank you

Thanks so much for your video's!!....after watching several I was confident in taking on the project. Your step by step trouble shooting really gave me the confidence and expertise to properly repair my fridge and I know I saved allot of money because I didn't have to call the repair guy.....again Thanks so much, I'll be back:)

Very good explanation of how the non-frost fridge funtions. Nice speaking pace. GREAT video - thx.

Explained very well. Lots of detail. Thanks.

You just increase my fridge knowledge by over ninethousand points. Was able to clean it up proper (drain was clogged by ice) but i don't know if it's the de-icing cycle that's not working or if it was just the clog that caused the issue.

This has provided me a lot of info but I would still book for a technician. Thanks for posting this one.

FANTASTIC explanation!

Awesome, awesome video. You just saved me a ton of hassle and spoiled food. Thank you!

Thank you for giving your knowledge in such a way that is easy to understand. I do have a problem with my Kenmore Frig. The freezer has not been freezing right for a little while. It is on the bottom of the system and I just thought that when we shut the frig part that the freezer door would open and that was causing the problem. While the other night the outside of the freezer part was very hot to touch. I pulled it out and the dust that was on the back was as thick as a piece of felt.

Honest, Simple and to the point. Now I can show this to wife so she realises what/why I have been singing about keeping door closed in modern fridges. :p

Thank you. This helped me to get my fridge running again.

Thank you! If you are getting frost up near the front by the door you may to check the door seals... But yes probably it will work. Just make sure the door is closing and sealing well. Good luck! Thanks for the question!

Thank you for your time and effort to create this useful video.

You video is awesome, I should have watch it before working on my freezer. My upright freezer would get slightly cold when plugged in, but the fan would not spin even after I changed out the evaporator fan motor, relay and capacitor already but it worked for a few days only. It's making me crazy.

I want to say. I first watched your video in 2011, and 3 years later, it still comes in handy, let me explain how. We have the same Whirlpool-made Top-Freezer model that you showed in this video. We have one of those outdoor cabanas, and early this year our freezer door would bind just before fully closing, and none of us noticed it for a while, so, considering it is outside, you can only imagine how much humidity was going into the freezer. The ice got so bad, that it blocked off the drain hole, and when the refrigerator went into defrost, the water from the melted ice started going though the air-return slots and making puddles on the refrigerator shelves below. Since we didn't have any thing that can spoil in it yet, I took one of the steps in this video. I shut it off by the circuit breaker (because it is easier than pulling it out to unplug it) and kept it off for 2 days, because I kept the doors closed due to pollen outside. I came back to it then, and the ice was all gone, and everything was nice and dry again, so I turned it back on. 2 weeks later, there is no more huge ice build up, or puddles on the shelves. Thanks again!

What a great video uploaded! Amazing work dear friend. Thanks for sharing such a nice video.

Really good concise video.

This video is perfect! What fortune that they're working on my exact model of fridge!

Wow awesome video! Your time and knowledge are appreciated !

Thank you very much, the bottom vent in my fridge side was covered with Ice and air was not circulating causing my fridge to not cooling. I check many videos before you and I was ready to go out and buy a new one. I just save a little more than $1000 buck

Very professional and informative.

Very informative for DIY to save money. Thanks!

My pleasure, I'm glad it helped! Thanks for the comment!

Thank you! DIY troubleshooting rocks.

Outstanding video. Thank you very much!

Great overview of the refrigerator

Thanks this was great. My side by side fridge is not working as well as it should be. My bi-metal thermostat was closed when tested. Once I warmed it up out of the block of ice it opened. I also had resistance on the heat elemenet. So it has to be the defrost timer.

Nice video. Clear and easy. Kudos.

@applianceassistant , untill now is working great , i did the defrost manualy unplugging the refrigerator also empty the water conteiner that was completely full and was obstructing the way for more water to come down( because the end of the tube finish in side the conteiner not above ). also pulled out the panel from the refrigerator and helped the deforst with a hair dryer . thanks again and a happy new year !!!!!!!!!!!!

It is really instructive enough. Thanks

EXCELLENT descriptive video !

Great videos! If you're ever needing appliance repair in Springfield, Branson, or Joplin. Give Hancock Appliance a call. Keep up the great videos!

That's what it's all about my friend! Good for you! and thanks for the comment!