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My Whirlpool has for the past couple weeks has randomly stopped cooling. I unplug it let it sit for a couple minutes and plug it back in and everything is fine. But a couple days later we’ll have a pool of water on the floor from melting ice tray. I’ve read through other guides but none of them mention intermittent non cooling issues. Due to lack of time the past couple of weeks I’ve been putting it off by unplugging it and plugging it back in. But it’s time to face the facts and make time to fix it. Where do I start? To be clear both the fridge and freezer stop cooling entirely no air what so ever, not even warm and no compressor noise.
Hi, Here’s the most common problem parts for the symptoms you’re describing, taken from this website The supplier was only shown as an example to give an idea of the cost of the parts most likely to be the problem. There are other suppliers that may suit you better if you go to order parts. Just search for WSF26C2EXF01 parts to get results. Also found this link to the service manual if you wish to purchase it. I don’t know what it contains but wiring diagrams and tech sheets are usually very helpful
Hi @Clyde freeman, What is the model number of the refrigerator? From the description is seems like there is an ice build up that may be stopping the evaporator fan from operating to cool down the refrigerator. This could be caused by a faulty defrost heater or a blocked ice meltwater drain from the freezer to the evap pan under the fridge or if the fridge doesn’t go into the auto defrost cycle (at least once every 8-12 hours - depends on maker) then perhaps the defrost thermostat or the control board (depends on model) You should be able to hear the evap fan operating. It will run as long as the compressor is running and the doors (both doors) are shut. When a door is opened the fan will stop. It is located near the evap unit which is usually located behind a panel, at the back inside the freezer compartment. Do not confuse this fan with the condenser fan (if the fridge has one) which is outside the compartments near the compressor and can run whether the doors are open or not. The fan will not run when the doors are open or if the fridge is in the auto defrost cycle. the cycle lasts for about 15-25 minutes and then the fan and the compressor should start again to cool the freezer/fridge back down again
Some fridges use a small heating tube (glass with filament inside that heats up). It if stops working to defrost the freezer area, it builds up with ice. This will lead to the puddles of water as the ice melts when you unplug the fridge.