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can a fridge go out and not the freezer

by Carlotta Wehner DVM Published 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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No, you can't turn the freezer off and expect your fridge to keep running. In fact, the coldness in the fridge comes from the freezer. They share the condenser and cooling technology, so the freezer must remain on.

Full Answer

How does a refrigerator control temperature?

The temperature of the refrigerator compartment is controlled by a damper on the supply air duct from the freezer compartment to the refrigerator compartment. In my case, the damper for the supply air duct would open, but no airflow could flow between the compartments because the return air duct was blocked.

What happens when water freezes in refrigerator?

The condensate (water) eventually froze up in the return air duct between the refrigerator compartment and the freezer compartment. The amount of ice built up in the duct stopped all air movement between the freezer compartment and the refrigerator compartment.

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Stack Exchange network consists of 178 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow, the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers.

How many reputations do you need to answer a highly active question?

Highly active question. Earn 10 reputation (not counting the association bonus) in order to answer this question. The reputation requirement helps protect this question from spam and non-answer activity.

Do you need to warm up the freezer for ice to melt?

Ironically, you need to warm up the freezer for the ice to melt.

Can a freezer compressor run on ice?

Generally the cheaper the fridge/freezer the more likely it is to only have a single compressor. An alternative is that the freezer ran for so long that the air vent from the freezer to the fridge has frozen over with ice, so no cold air can get from the freezer to the fridge.

How Much Money Could I Really Lose?

Good question. I was curious about the same thing and I found an interesting article in the Chicago Tribune that suggested it was $247.03. There you go! I don’t know about you, but I’m not throwing away that much money of I don’t have to.

How Long Does Food Last?

Why? FSIS says because bacteria can grow rapidly in temperatures between 40°F and 140°F, doubling in number just 20 minutes.

How to store breast milk?

What About Breast Milk? 1 Insulated cooler. Freshly expressed breast milk can be stored in an insulated cooler with ice packs for up to one day. 2 Refrigerator. Freshly expressed breast milk can be stored in the back of the refrigerator for up to five days in clean conditions. However, use or freezer storage within three days is optimal. 3 Deep freezer. Freshly expressed breast milk can be stored in the back of a deep freezer for up to 12 months. However, using the frozen milk within six months is optimal.

How long can a refrigerator last without power?

How long can a refrigerator last without power? An un-opened refrigerator will last no more than 4 hours. A half-full freezer will last around 24 hours and a fully packed freezer can last 48 hours. Opening the refrigerator or freezer during that time will impact the longevity.

How to make ice packs with ziplock bags?

Fill zip lock bags with water and lay them flat in the freezer so you can stack them. These make great ice-packs and when they melt use the water for hydration, cooking, and more.

How to keep food cold during an outage?

Make ice like there’s no tomorrow. Ice will help you keep your food cold and if contained properly — it melts into drinkable water.Dump your ice trays into ziplock bags and let the refrigerator make more.

Why do you put ziplock ice packs in a feezer?

Keeping them in your feezer helps maintain the temperature in the event of a power loss. CAUTION: If you’re transferring raw meat into a cooler. Make sure any ziplock ice packs are above the meat. You don’t want cross contamination problems when you want to drink the melted ice packs later.

Why does my freezer keep leaking water?

If the water is coming from the freezer itself, it may be due to the condensation pan overfilling. This will normally be due to: Excessive amount of frost forming on the evaporative coils. When the freezer goes through a defrost cycle, it’s producing more water than the drain pan can hold.

Why does my freezer keep freezing?

Frost building up solely on the back of the freezer section, where the evaporator coil is located, indicates an issue with the defrost cycle. Depending on the appliance, this could be either a defective heater, bimetal, defrost sensor, defrost timer or control board. Further troubleshooting is needed to pinpoint what exactly is needed to resolve the issue.

Why is my freezer door open?

The freezer door might have been left open if the frost is everywhere and is hard and icy. At first, the frost will form closer to the door area but will eventually cover the entire interior. In most cases, correcting the issue that caused the frost buildup and allowing the freezer to go through a couple of defrost cycles will clear up the excessive frost, and the appliance will be back to normal.

Why does my freezer make a noise?

Noises coming from the freezer may also be caused by: Clicking sounds from the ice maker as it harvests a batch of ice. Sizzling sounds as the appliance goes through a defrost cycle. Gurgling sounds as water drains off the evaporative coil during the defrost cycle.

What temperature should a freezer be set at?

The moisture will turn to “snow” before the appliance starts the next cooling cycle. Make sure the freezer temperature is around 0°F (-18°C) and the refrigerator is around 37°F (3°C).

How to check if an outlet is good?

Make sure the appliance has power going to it. This can be done by verifying interior lighting or checking if the user interface display is on or if the appliance can dispense water or ice. If there’s no power going to the appliance, check to see if the outlet is good by plugging in something else, like a hairdryer or lamp. If that device also doesn’t work, then the outlet doesn’t have power going to it. Look for a tripped circuit breaker or tripped GFI outlet. A licensed electrician should be contacted for more serious electrical problems.

What happens if a condensation pan is cracked?

The condensation pan will need to be repaired or replaced if it’s cracked and leaking.

Why is my refrigerator cold but my freezer warm?

There are a variety of issues that may cause your refrigerator warm, but freezer cold issue. We’ve narrowed the list down to three of the most common ones, including frozen evaporator coils, broken thermostat, or faulty evaporator fan.

Why does my refrigerator stop cooling?

Much depends on the make, model, and brand of your refrigerator, but there are a few more common failures that lead to a failing fridge. Repairs range from defrosting refrigerator evaporator coils to replacing the refrigerator thermostat.

How to fix ice on refrigerator coils?

You can typically fix this issue yourself by manually defrosting the refrigerator evaporator coils. Use a hair dryer to melt the frost or ice that has accumulated on the coils. Once they are defrosted, let your refrigerator run normally, and check back to see if ice starts to form again. If not, you’re good to go.

What happens if the thermostat is broken in a refrigerator?

If the refrigerator thermostat is broken or has some kind of fault, the temperature cannot be regulated. Thus, the refrigerator is warm but freezer is cold. The faulty thermostat will need to be replaced.

What does an evaporator fan do?

The evaporator fan circulates cold air through your refrigerator, helping the contents inside stay at their optimal temperature. However, if the evaporator fan is broken or has some other issue, the air cannot be pushed around enough to cool the unit properly.

What happens if you squeeze too much food into the refrigerator?

If you squeeze too many items into the fresh food section, it could cause a blockage between compartments and restrict the flow of cool air.

Where is the thermostat located on a refrigerator?

Your owners manual will tell you where the thermostat is located, but it’s usually on the back of side-by-side units and beneath the unit on over/under units . Be careful if you attempt to remove the old thermostat and replace it with a new one yourself, as there is some wiring that will need to be done. Consult your manual or call a local refrigerator repair company.

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