First frig warm, freezer cool, now reverse

Hi @diygrace ,

A block of ice on the evaporator unit in the freezer indicates an auto defrost problem.

This could be caused by a faulty defrost heater, a faulty defrost thermostat, a faulty control thermostat or a blocked drain leading from under the evaporator unit to the evaporator fan under the compartments. All the parts shown in the links are for your model. They are just shown to give you an idea of their location. See the link below for all the parts for your model.

The auto defrost cycle which lasts about 20 minutes is as follows:

Once every 8-10 hours (time interval depends on brand/model) the control thermostat turns off the evaporator fan and the compressor and turns on the defrost heater to melt the accumulated ice build up on the evaporator unit. The melt water drains away to evaporate in the evaporator pan.

When the temperature in the freezer reaches the set temperature of the defrost thermostat it operates and disconnects the heater so that the evap unit is not damaged. The control thermostat then restarts the compressor and the evap fan to cool the temps back down again to the refrigerators set operating temps.

As the temperature drops back down to the operating temps the defrost thermostat releases so as to prepare the operate circuit for the defrost heater for the next defrost cycle some 8-10 hours later.

Start by disconnecting the power to the refrigerator and testing the defrost heater for continuity with an Ohmmeter.

If that is OK reconnect the power then check that there is power being supplied to the evaporator fan in the freezer compartment. The fan won't operate when the door is open (you don't want to blow the cold air out) so manually operate the door switch to see if the fan starts to turn and if not test for the fan power supply voltage. Be safety aware as you're testing for lethal voltage. i.e. 120V AC

Here's a link to the parts for your model which may help as there is a wiring diagram shown.

If a part is faulty click on the part to find the manufacturer's part number (not the supplier's part number in the link) and use that number to search online for other suppliers that may suit you better.

@diygrace

You are right to be cautious with electricity but it is OK if you treat it with respect and always be careful.

How cold does the evap unit feel to the touch? Wear gloves and use the back of the hand to judge so that you don't get freezer burn.

It may be that the fan is faulty as it should rotate smoothly. There is no control to vary its speed. It is either on or off.

You can bench test the fan by applying AC voltage directly to the fan connector

Here's a link that shows the fan connections (only two wire - AC active (red) and neutral (black) and its specs. If it is faulty search for 5304521244 to get results for suppliers that suit you.

Also check that the fan blade (part # 242219302) is secure on the shaft. It may be that it is slipping and that even though the motor is turning, the blade isn't.

The evaporator fan drags the air over the icy cold evap unit, cooling the air down and then it blows throughout the compartments to cool them down. Usually if the fan doesn't work or is iced up etc, then the freezer is colder because the evap unit is located there but the refrigerator is too warm because no cold air is being blown there by the fan