On Fri, 16 Jun 2006 20:36:35 GMT, Samson wrote:

I've been noticing for over a year that the sides around both doors of
the refrigerator (top freezer, kitchen-aid, circa 1994) have at times
been hot to the touch. I also notice that both doors don't close well
on their own. They need some help to make sure they are sealed closed
and even then sometimes I can feel some cool air escaping.

Make sure the refrigerator is leveled so that the door closes by
gravity until the magnetic gasket contacts. Check the inside for
shelves/drawers that obstruct the door.

If it has an "Energy Saver" switch, this heats the outside of the
cabinet so that it does not sweat in hot weather. This may be what you
feel. I keep mine "Off".

So I got down and took a look and saw that there is a piece of thick
flexible cardboard that was buckled up and interfering with the fan.
So I pushed the cardboard back to where it should be and now the fan
is working. He says that isn't going to fix the problem.

Have seen several bad fans that did not hurt the compressor. Run it.
It probably isn't hurt.

So if the condensor fan was not working because it was stuck and now
it is unstuck, is it possible that I will have fixed my overheating
problem? It's only been less than an hour since I got the fan turning
but the compressor still feels quite hot, but the refrigerator is
working and the sides feel okay, but that might be just because I made
sure they were closed well.

Some dust accumulation in the condenser coils may be impeding the
cooling. Blow/vacuum CAREFULLY to remove all the dust you can but do
not flex or spread the coils. The cardboard on the rear has to be
there to direct the air flow properly.
--
Mr.E