whirlpool at 50 degrees ??

[vonleyser]

I have a whirlpool (no frost) ( model # EHT181AKNR1 )about 15 years old,it is not cooling to a lower tempture then 50 degrees.I have made sure the coils are clean.

What else should I check??

Is it worth taking to a repair shop to have them check the freon??
and what might I expect to pay for having this done?

Thanks in advance for all who help me save a few dollars as I am not a rich man.

Mark

[LazyPup]

It is very highly unlikely that your problem is Freon related. Due to enviromental concerns modern refrigeration equipment has been redesigned to work with extremely small amounts of refrigerant, typically 4 to 8 oz total. Even a microscopic leak would result in complete system failure in a relatively short time.

In a domestic refrigerator all cooling takes place in the freezer compartment, then a small portion of the cooled air is diverted to the food compartment.

The most common causes of the problems you are exhibiting would be:

1. Evaporator Fan Motor not working: The evaporator fan motor will be found in the back wall of the freezer compartment. If that fan motor is burned out, or perhaps obstructed by ice buildup it cannot circulate the air throughout the freezer/food compartment.

2. Defrost Heater burned out. The defrost heater is an electrical strip heater that is attached to the evaporator coil. During the defrost cycle the refrigeration system is turned off and the heater is turned on to melt any excess ice that may have formed on the coils. Due to the relative fragile nature of the evaportor coils replacing a defrost heating element is best left to a trained technician.

3. Defective Defrost timer: The defrost timer is a small box containing a clockworks motor and a set of plastic cams to activate microswitches. Typically the defrost time will allow the refrigeration process to run for 8 hrs, then the refrigeration is turned off and the defrost heater is turned on for a period of 15 to 20 minutes. At the end of the 15 or 20 minutes the heater is turned off and the refrigeration on again. It will continually repeat this cycle.

4.Defrost Termination switch burned out. The Defrost termination switch is an open on rise thermostat attached to the evaporator coils. The switch is connected in series between the defrost timer and the defrost heater. The defrost timer will stop the cooling and turn on the heater circuit for 15 to 20 minutes, however if there is little or no ice present on the coils the coils will be defrosted quickly and the coil will begin to warm up from the heater. As the coil warms up the defrost termination switch senses that the coil is de-iced and it will turn the heater off while the timer runs out the remainder of the 15 minute cycle.

5.Defective Food Compartment Damper- As stated before, all the cooling function takes place in the freezer. The temperature control for the food compartment is actually a small plastic damper that restricts how much cold air is transferred from the freezer to the food compartment. If that damper happens to be stuck closed it will prevent the proper flow of air from the freezer to the food compartment.

6. Defective door alignment or door gasket- allows warm ambient air to enter the food compartment faster than the system can cool it.

7. Defective Thermostat

[Dan O.]

** it is not cooling to a lower temperature then 50 degrees **

Neither fridge section NOR freezer???

Besides LazyPup's suggestions, you can read of some cooling problem possibilities at this link:

- My frost free refrigerator is not cooling properly. What might be the problem?
LINK > http://www.appliance411.com/links/jump.cgi?ID=659

JFYI

Dan O.

https://www.Appliance411.com/?ref411=Whirlpool_Fridge

The Appliance Information Site
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