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Electronics Repair (sci.electronics.repair) Discussion of repairing electronic equipment. Topics include requests for assistance, where to obtain servicing information and parts, techniques for diagnosis and repair, and annecdotes about success, failures and problems. |
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#1
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Hotpoint freezer fault?
I have a Hotpoint 8571, combination fridge freezer. I accidentally
left the freezer door open a fraction yesterday. I corrected after no more than 2 hours and moved switch from 'Economy' to 'Fast freeze' to compensate. But squishy ice cream today, maybe 20 hours later, pointed to some problem, which now investigating and would appreciate any advice please. I'm measuring temperatures with sensor connected to my external DVM. (Cable is thin and I reckon seal is maintained.) Fridge temp looks OK, at 5 deg C. But freezer temp is too high. After an hour, compartment below the top one is now at only -1 deg. Yet the red 'temperature warning light' is not on. The instruction book says it 'Comes on when the temperature inside the freezer compartment rises above the correct long term storage temperature.' First question is: what *should* be temperature inside a freezer? And how long do I need to leave it before regarding that as a stable temperature? More important, what is likely cause? A year or two ago I had a similar problem and engineer ended up having to remove back panel where we discovered large ice deposits. Took both of us with hair dryers a good hour to melt it. Should I suspect same this time? If so, what is *underlying* cause? Any other possibilities? I've had 8 years use from it, so maybe time has come to replace... -- Terry Pinnell Hobbyist, West Sussex, UK |
#2
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Hotpoint freezer fault?
In article ,
Terry Pinnell wrote: I have a Hotpoint 8571, combination fridge freezer. I accidentally left the freezer door open a fraction yesterday. I corrected after no more than 2 hours and moved switch from 'Economy' to 'Fast freeze' to compensate. But squishy ice cream today, maybe 20 hours later, pointed to some problem, which now investigating and would appreciate any advice please. I'm measuring temperatures with sensor connected to my external DVM. (Cable is thin and I reckon seal is maintained.) Fridge temp looks OK, at 5 deg C. But freezer temp is too high. After an hour, compartment below the top one is now at only -1 deg. Yet the red 'temperature warning light' is not on. The instruction book says it 'Comes on when the temperature inside the freezer compartment rises above the correct long term storage temperature.' First question is: what *should* be temperature inside a freezer? And how long do I need to leave it before regarding that as a stable temperature? More important, what is likely cause? A year or two ago I had a similar problem and engineer ended up having to remove back panel where we discovered large ice deposits. Took both of us with hair dryers a good hour to melt it. Should I suspect same this time? If so, what is *underlying* cause? Any other possibilities? I've had 8 years use from it, so maybe time has come to replace... It iced up so badly that the defrost cycle isn't enough. Turn it off for a while and be prepared for the drip pan to overflow. |
#3
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Hotpoint freezer fault?
Kevin McMurtrie wrote:
It iced up so badly that the defrost cycle isn't enough. Turn it off for a while and be prepared for the drip pan to overflow. Thanks Kevin. Does the defrost function apply to both units, despite the control for it being fridge (upper) sunit? And do you know where I might find the drip pan?! So far, after dismantling as much as I can in freezer (lower) unit, I can see where water drips to, but cannot access whatever it collects in. There was a lot of ice. But I still have one panel obstructing my access, and I think I'd need to take several more bits off, plus the fan, to get that off. So right now, I have a 3 kW fan heater blasting away, and I'm taking an occasional look for a flood to start spreading across floor... -- Terry, West Sussex, UK |
#4
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Hotpoint freezer fault?
Kevin McMurtrie wrote:
It iced up so badly that the defrost cycle isn't enough. Turn it off for a while and be prepared for the drip pan to overflow. Thanks Kevin. Does the defrost function apply to both units, despite the control for it being fridge (upper) sunit? And do you know where I might find the drip pan?! So far, after dismantling as much as I can in freezer (lower) unit, I can see where water drips to, but cannot access whatever it collects in. There was a lot of ice. But I still have one panel obstructing my access, and I think I'd need to take several more bits off, plus the fan, to get that off. So right now, I have a 3 kW fan heater blasting away, and I'm taking an occasional look for a flood to start spreading across floor... -- Terry, West Sussex, UK |
#5
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Hotpoint freezer fault?
In article ,
Terry Pinnell wrote: I have a Hotpoint 8571, combination fridge freezer. I accidentally left the freezer door open a fraction yesterday. I corrected after no more than 2 hours and moved switch from 'Economy' to 'Fast freeze' to compensate. But squishy ice cream today, maybe 20 hours later, pointed to some problem, which now investigating and would appreciate any advice please. I'm measuring temperatures with sensor connected to my external DVM. (Cable is thin and I reckon seal is maintained.) Fridge temp looks OK, at 5 deg C. But freezer temp is too high. After an hour, compartment below the top one is now at only -1 deg. Yet the red 'temperature warning light' is not on. The instruction book says it 'Comes on when the temperature inside the freezer compartment rises above the correct long term storage temperature.' First question is: what *should* be temperature inside a freezer? And how long do I need to leave it before regarding that as a stable temperature? More important, what is likely cause? A year or two ago I had a similar problem and engineer ended up having to remove back panel where we discovered large ice deposits. Took both of us with hair dryers a good hour to melt it. Should I suspect same this time? If so, what is *underlying* cause? Any other possibilities? I've had 8 years use from it, so maybe time has come to replace... It iced up so badly that the defrost cycle isn't enough. Turn it off for a while and be prepared for the drip pan to overflow. |
#6
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Hotpoint freezer fault?
"Terry Pinnell" wrote in message ... I have a Hotpoint 8571, combination fridge freezer. I accidentally left the freezer door open a fraction yesterday. I corrected after no more than 2 hours and moved switch from 'Economy' to 'Fast freeze' to compensate. But squishy ice cream today, maybe 20 hours later, pointed to some problem, which now investigating and would appreciate any advice please. I'm measuring temperatures with sensor connected to my external DVM. (Cable is thin and I reckon seal is maintained.) Fridge temp looks OK, at 5 deg C. But freezer temp is too high. After an hour, compartment below the top one is now at only -1 deg. Yet the red 'temperature warning light' is not on. The instruction book says it 'Comes on when the temperature inside the freezer compartment rises above the correct long term storage temperature.' First question is: what *should* be temperature inside a freezer? And how long do I need to leave it before regarding that as a stable temperature? More important, what is likely cause? A year or two ago I had a similar problem and engineer ended up having to remove back panel where we discovered large ice deposits. Took both of us with hair dryers a good hour to melt it. Should I suspect same this time? If so, what is *underlying* cause? Any other possibilities? I've had 8 years use from it, so maybe time has come to replace... -- Terry Pinnell Hobbyist, West Sussex, UK Have you tried making a visual inspection of the radiator responsible for rejecting the refrigerator heat to ambient? My fridge uses forced air cooling to keep this radiator cool. Last time we made a move we noticed this radiator was utterly clogged with fuzz and dust. I was amazed it still worked at all, it must have had much reduced cooling capacity and efficiency. Sounds to me like this might be your ailment. Since you reclosed the door have you noticed the compressor/cooling fan/other noise making objects continuously running? Or does it periodically shut off as if it believes the internal temperature is regulated properly? Also, what happens when you try to just use economy cool instead? My theory is your fridge is fine, the radiator just needs cleaning. It has probably been operating very marginally for quite a long time now with much reduced cooling capacity and efficiency, but you never noticed it because it was never seriously stressed enough to make a big enough difference. I don't imagine most people wake up in the morning one day (with the fridge working flawlessly) and spontaneously declare to their spouse, "Say our fridge is XYZ years old and noone has ever tried cleaning the cooling coils. I bet it is due. I think I will do that today." I imagine in most households they are quite neglected. |
#7
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Hotpoint freezer fault?
Terry Pinnell wrote:
I have a Hotpoint 8571, combination fridge freezer. I accidentally left the freezer door open a fraction yesterday. I corrected after no more than 2 hours and moved switch from 'Economy' to 'Fast freeze' to compensate. But squishy ice cream today, maybe 20 hours later, pointed to some problem, which now investigating and would appreciate any advice please. I'm measuring temperatures with sensor connected to my external DVM. (Cable is thin and I reckon seal is maintained.) Fridge temp looks OK, at 5 deg C. But freezer temp is too high. After an hour, compartment below the top one is now at only -1 deg. Yet the red 'temperature warning light' is not on. The instruction book says it 'Comes on when the temperature inside the freezer compartment rises above the correct long term storage temperature.' First question is: what *should* be temperature inside a freezer? And how long do I need to leave it before regarding that as a stable temperature? More important, what is likely cause? A year or two ago I had a similar problem and engineer ended up having to remove back panel where we discovered large ice deposits. Took both of us with hair dryers a good hour to melt it. Should I suspect same this time? If so, what is *underlying* cause? Any other possibilities? I've had 8 years use from it, so maybe time has come to replace... Sometimes if a door is left open even for only a few hours, enough ice can "grow" to impede the door seal. This creates a snowball effect. Sorry, couldn't resist it. I usually expect a proper freezer to be at least (sic) -15, but more likely -20 to -25. -30 or more (sic) will be noticeable as things will take significantly longer to thaw, and is probably OTT in a domestic environment. Fridges with freezer compartments and fridge / freezers have common compressors and may not be so well controlled. This thread is beginning to sounds like John Peel's Home Truths. -- Mike Page BEng(Hons) MIEE www.eclectic-web.co.uk |
#8
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Hotpoint freezer fault?
"Terry Pinnell" wrote in message ... I have a Hotpoint 8571, combination fridge freezer. I accidentally left the freezer door open a fraction yesterday. I corrected after no more than 2 hours and moved switch from 'Economy' to 'Fast freeze' to compensate. But squishy ice cream today, maybe 20 hours later, pointed to some problem, which now investigating and would appreciate any advice please. I'm measuring temperatures with sensor connected to my external DVM. (Cable is thin and I reckon seal is maintained.) Fridge temp looks OK, at 5 deg C. But freezer temp is too high. After an hour, compartment below the top one is now at only -1 deg. Yet the red 'temperature warning light' is not on. The instruction book says it 'Comes on when the temperature inside the freezer compartment rises above the correct long term storage temperature.' First question is: what *should* be temperature inside a freezer? And how long do I need to leave it before regarding that as a stable temperature? More important, what is likely cause? A year or two ago I had a similar problem and engineer ended up having to remove back panel where we discovered large ice deposits. Took both of us with hair dryers a good hour to melt it. Should I suspect same this time? If so, what is *underlying* cause? Any other possibilities? I've had 8 years use from it, so maybe time has come to replace... -- Terry Pinnell Hobbyist, West Sussex, UK Have you tried making a visual inspection of the radiator responsible for rejecting the refrigerator heat to ambient? My fridge uses forced air cooling to keep this radiator cool. Last time we made a move we noticed this radiator was utterly clogged with fuzz and dust. I was amazed it still worked at all, it must have had much reduced cooling capacity and efficiency. Sounds to me like this might be your ailment. Since you reclosed the door have you noticed the compressor/cooling fan/other noise making objects continuously running? Or does it periodically shut off as if it believes the internal temperature is regulated properly? Also, what happens when you try to just use economy cool instead? My theory is your fridge is fine, the radiator just needs cleaning. It has probably been operating very marginally for quite a long time now with much reduced cooling capacity and efficiency, but you never noticed it because it was never seriously stressed enough to make a big enough difference. I don't imagine most people wake up in the morning one day (with the fridge working flawlessly) and spontaneously declare to their spouse, "Say our fridge is XYZ years old and noone has ever tried cleaning the cooling coils. I bet it is due. I think I will do that today." I imagine in most households they are quite neglected. |
#9
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Hotpoint freezer fault?
Terry Pinnell wrote:
I have a Hotpoint 8571, combination fridge freezer. I accidentally left the freezer door open a fraction yesterday. I corrected after no more than 2 hours and moved switch from 'Economy' to 'Fast freeze' to compensate. But squishy ice cream today, maybe 20 hours later, pointed to some problem, which now investigating and would appreciate any advice please. I'm measuring temperatures with sensor connected to my external DVM. (Cable is thin and I reckon seal is maintained.) Fridge temp looks OK, at 5 deg C. But freezer temp is too high. After an hour, compartment below the top one is now at only -1 deg. Yet the red 'temperature warning light' is not on. The instruction book says it 'Comes on when the temperature inside the freezer compartment rises above the correct long term storage temperature.' First question is: what *should* be temperature inside a freezer? And how long do I need to leave it before regarding that as a stable temperature? More important, what is likely cause? A year or two ago I had a similar problem and engineer ended up having to remove back panel where we discovered large ice deposits. Took both of us with hair dryers a good hour to melt it. Should I suspect same this time? If so, what is *underlying* cause? Any other possibilities? I've had 8 years use from it, so maybe time has come to replace... Sometimes if a door is left open even for only a few hours, enough ice can "grow" to impede the door seal. This creates a snowball effect. Sorry, couldn't resist it. I usually expect a proper freezer to be at least (sic) -15, but more likely -20 to -25. -30 or more (sic) will be noticeable as things will take significantly longer to thaw, and is probably OTT in a domestic environment. Fridges with freezer compartments and fridge / freezers have common compressors and may not be so well controlled. This thread is beginning to sounds like John Peel's Home Truths. -- Mike Page BEng(Hons) MIEE www.eclectic-web.co.uk |
#10
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Hotpoint freezer fault?
- Terry Pinnell -
I have a Hotpoint 8571, combination fridge freezer. I accidentally left the freezer door open a fraction yesterday. I corrected after no more than 2 hours and moved switch from 'Economy' to 'Fast freeze' to compensate. But squishy ice cream today, maybe 20 hours later, pointed to some problem, which now investigating and would appreciate any advice please. I'm measuring temperatures with sensor connected to my external DVM. (Cable is thin and I reckon seal is maintained.) Fridge temp looks OK, at 5 deg C. But freezer temp is too high. After an hour, compartment below the top one is now at only -1 deg. Yet the red 'temperature warning light' is not on. The instruction book says it 'Comes on when the temperature inside the freezer compartment rises above the correct long term storage temperature.' First question is: what *should* be temperature inside a freezer? And how long do I need to leave it before regarding that as a stable temperature? More important, what is likely cause? A year or two ago I had a similar problem and engineer ended up having to remove back panel where we discovered large ice deposits. Took both of us with hair dryers a good hour to melt it. Should I suspect same this time? If so, what is *underlying* cause? Any other possibilities? I've had 8 years use from it, so maybe time has come to replace... - Nehmo - Most refrigerators function properly well past eight years. Since the problem developed after you used the economy/fast freeze switch (is that a switch or setting on a dial thermostat?), I would suspect the problem is there. Does it work properly when you turn it back to the "Economy" setting? Try doing that, and defrost the whole fridge all the way. And you can remove the ice deposits, if they are there, simply by unplugging the fridge and waiting long enough. -- ******************* * Nehmo Sergheyev * ******************* |
#11
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Hotpoint freezer fault?
"Nehmo Sergheyev" wrote in message news - Terry Pinnell - I have a Hotpoint 8571, combination fridge freezer. I accidentally left the freezer door open a fraction yesterday. I corrected after no more than 2 hours and moved switch from 'Economy' to 'Fast freeze' to compensate. But squishy ice cream today, maybe 20 hours later, pointed to some problem, which now investigating and would appreciate any advice please. I'm measuring temperatures with sensor connected to my external DVM. (Cable is thin and I reckon seal is maintained.) Fridge temp looks OK, at 5 deg C. But freezer temp is too high. After an hour, compartment below the top one is now at only -1 deg. Yet the red 'temperature warning light' is not on. The instruction book says it 'Comes on when the temperature inside the freezer compartment rises above the correct long term storage temperature.' First question is: what *should* be temperature inside a freezer? And how long do I need to leave it before regarding that as a stable temperature? More important, what is likely cause? A year or two ago I had a similar problem and engineer ended up having to remove back panel where we discovered large ice deposits. Took both of us with hair dryers a good hour to melt it. Should I suspect same this time? If so, what is *underlying* cause? Any other possibilities? I've had 8 years use from it, so maybe time has come to replace... This is Turtle. i did not see your post but till after Nehmo answered your post and then I saw it. If these things are true , then do this to cure it. Is the refrigerator frost free? Is it a refrigerator and freezer combo? did this problem start after you left the door open? If yes to all these do this. Fill about 3 gallons of water in containers and put them in the refrigerator section and not the freezer. wait 24 hours and expect about -32șC or [ -37șC to -27șC ] . I don't feel like explaining all this but if you want post back here and I will explain it. TURTLE P.S. Yea , turn the switch back to eco. setting to let it just run. |
#12
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Hotpoint freezer fault?
- Terry Pinnell - I have a Hotpoint 8571, combination fridge freezer. I accidentally left the freezer door open a fraction yesterday. I corrected after no more than 2 hours and moved switch from 'Economy' to 'Fast freeze' to compensate. But squishy ice cream today, maybe 20 hours later, pointed to some problem, which now investigating and would appreciate any advice please. I'm measuring temperatures with sensor connected to my external DVM. (Cable is thin and I reckon seal is maintained.) Fridge temp looks OK, at 5 deg C. But freezer temp is too high. After an hour, compartment below the top one is now at only -1 deg. Yet the red 'temperature warning light' is not on. The instruction book says it 'Comes on when the temperature inside the freezer compartment rises above the correct long term storage temperature.' First question is: what *should* be temperature inside a freezer? And how long do I need to leave it before regarding that as a stable temperature? More important, what is likely cause? A year or two ago I had a similar problem and engineer ended up having to remove back panel where we discovered large ice deposits. Took both of us with hair dryers a good hour to melt it. Should I suspect same this time? If so, what is *underlying* cause? Any other possibilities? I've had 8 years use from it, so maybe time has come to replace... I did not see your post till after Turtle seen Nehmo's answer to your post and then I saw it. It sounds like the evaporator (cooling) coil in the freezer may be too frosted up now to allow proper cooling. If it is a frost free model, it may even be too bad for the auto-defrost system to handle quickly. Turing power off to the refrigerator and leaving both doors open for 12-24 hours may allow any accumulation to defrost and allow it to work properly afterward. JMO Dan O. - Appliance411.com http://ng.Appliance411.com/?ref411=Hotpoint+fridge =Đ~~~~~~ |
#13
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Hotpoint freezer fault?
- Terry Pinnell - I have a Hotpoint 8571, combination fridge freezer. I accidentally left the freezer door open a fraction yesterday. I corrected after no more than 2 hours and moved switch from 'Economy' to 'Fast freeze' to compensate. But squishy ice cream today, maybe 20 hours later, pointed to some problem, which now investigating and would appreciate any advice please. I'm measuring temperatures with sensor connected to my external DVM. (Cable is thin and I reckon seal is maintained.) Fridge temp looks OK, at 5 deg C. But freezer temp is too high. After an hour, compartment below the top one is now at only -1 deg. Yet the red 'temperature warning light' is not on. The instruction book says it 'Comes on when the temperature inside the freezer compartment rises above the correct long term storage temperature.' First question is: what *should* be temperature inside a freezer? And how long do I need to leave it before regarding that as a stable temperature? More important, what is likely cause? A year or two ago I had a similar problem and engineer ended up having to remove back panel where we discovered large ice deposits. Took both of us with hair dryers a good hour to melt it. Should I suspect same this time? If so, what is *underlying* cause? Any other possibilities? I've had 8 years use from it, so maybe time has come to replace... I did not see your post till after Turtle seen Nehmo's answer to your post and then I saw it. It sounds like the evaporator (cooling) coil in the freezer may be too frosted up now to allow proper cooling. If it is a frost free model, it may even be too bad for the auto-defrost system to handle quickly. Turing power off to the refrigerator and leaving both doors open for 12-24 hours may allow any accumulation to defrost and allow it to work properly afterward. JMO Dan O. - Appliance411.com http://ng.Appliance411.com/?ref411=Hotpoint+fridge =Đ~~~~~~ |
#14
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Hotpoint freezer fault?
"Nehmo Sergheyev" wrote in message news - Terry Pinnell - I have a Hotpoint 8571, combination fridge freezer. I accidentally left the freezer door open a fraction yesterday. I corrected after no more than 2 hours and moved switch from 'Economy' to 'Fast freeze' to compensate. But squishy ice cream today, maybe 20 hours later, pointed to some problem, which now investigating and would appreciate any advice please. I'm measuring temperatures with sensor connected to my external DVM. (Cable is thin and I reckon seal is maintained.) Fridge temp looks OK, at 5 deg C. But freezer temp is too high. After an hour, compartment below the top one is now at only -1 deg. Yet the red 'temperature warning light' is not on. The instruction book says it 'Comes on when the temperature inside the freezer compartment rises above the correct long term storage temperature.' First question is: what *should* be temperature inside a freezer? And how long do I need to leave it before regarding that as a stable temperature? More important, what is likely cause? A year or two ago I had a similar problem and engineer ended up having to remove back panel where we discovered large ice deposits. Took both of us with hair dryers a good hour to melt it. Should I suspect same this time? If so, what is *underlying* cause? Any other possibilities? I've had 8 years use from it, so maybe time has come to replace... This is Turtle. i did not see your post but till after Nehmo answered your post and then I saw it. If these things are true , then do this to cure it. Is the refrigerator frost free? Is it a refrigerator and freezer combo? did this problem start after you left the door open? If yes to all these do this. Fill about 3 gallons of water in containers and put them in the refrigerator section and not the freezer. wait 24 hours and expect about -32șC or [ -37șC to -27șC ] . I don't feel like explaining all this but if you want post back here and I will explain it. TURTLE P.S. Yea , turn the switch back to eco. setting to let it just run. |
#15
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Hotpoint freezer fault?
Normal Freezer temps are 0 deg f (-17.7c), and refrigerator 40 deg f (4.4c).
cheers "Terry Pinnell" wrote in message ... I have a Hotpoint 8571, combination fridge freezer. I accidentally left the freezer door open a fraction yesterday. I corrected after no more than 2 hours and moved switch from 'Economy' to 'Fast freeze' to compensate. But squishy ice cream today, maybe 20 hours later, pointed to some problem, which now investigating and would appreciate any advice please. I'm measuring temperatures with sensor connected to my external DVM. (Cable is thin and I reckon seal is maintained.) Fridge temp looks OK, at 5 deg C. But freezer temp is too high. After an hour, compartment below the top one is now at only -1 deg. Yet the red 'temperature warning light' is not on. The instruction book says it 'Comes on when the temperature inside the freezer compartment rises above the correct long term storage temperature.' First question is: what *should* be temperature inside a freezer? And how long do I need to leave it before regarding that as a stable temperature? More important, what is likely cause? A year or two ago I had a similar problem and engineer ended up having to remove back panel where we discovered large ice deposits. Took both of us with hair dryers a good hour to melt it. Should I suspect same this time? If so, what is *underlying* cause? Any other possibilities? I've had 8 years use from it, so maybe time has come to replace... -- Terry Pinnell Hobbyist, West Sussex, UK |
#16
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Hotpoint freezer fault?
- Terry Pinnell -
I have a Hotpoint 8571, combination fridge freezer. I accidentally left the freezer door open a fraction yesterday. I corrected after no more than 2 hours and moved switch from 'Economy' to 'Fast freeze' to compensate. But squishy ice cream today, maybe 20 hours later, pointed to some problem, which now investigating and would appreciate any advice please. I'm measuring temperatures with sensor connected to my external DVM. (Cable is thin and I reckon seal is maintained.) Fridge temp looks OK, at 5 deg C. But freezer temp is too high. After an hour, compartment below the top one is now at only -1 deg. Yet the red 'temperature warning light' is not on. The instruction book says it 'Comes on when the temperature inside the freezer compartment rises above the correct long term storage temperature.' First question is: what *should* be temperature inside a freezer? And how long do I need to leave it before regarding that as a stable temperature? More important, what is likely cause? A year or two ago I had a similar problem and engineer ended up having to remove back panel where we discovered large ice deposits. Took both of us with hair dryers a good hour to melt it. Should I suspect same this time? If so, what is *underlying* cause? Any other possibilities? I've had 8 years use from it, so maybe time has come to replace... - Nehmo - Most refrigerators function properly well past eight years. Since the problem developed after you used the economy/fast freeze switch (is that a switch or setting on a dial thermostat?), I would suspect the problem is there. Does it work properly when you turn it back to the "Economy" setting? Try doing that, and defrost the whole fridge all the way. And you can remove the ice deposits, if they are there, simply by unplugging the fridge and waiting long enough. -- ******************* * Nehmo Sergheyev * ******************* |
#17
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Hotpoint freezer fault?
Normal Freezer temps are 0 deg f (-17.7c), and refrigerator 40 deg f (4.4c).
cheers "Terry Pinnell" wrote in message ... I have a Hotpoint 8571, combination fridge freezer. I accidentally left the freezer door open a fraction yesterday. I corrected after no more than 2 hours and moved switch from 'Economy' to 'Fast freeze' to compensate. But squishy ice cream today, maybe 20 hours later, pointed to some problem, which now investigating and would appreciate any advice please. I'm measuring temperatures with sensor connected to my external DVM. (Cable is thin and I reckon seal is maintained.) Fridge temp looks OK, at 5 deg C. But freezer temp is too high. After an hour, compartment below the top one is now at only -1 deg. Yet the red 'temperature warning light' is not on. The instruction book says it 'Comes on when the temperature inside the freezer compartment rises above the correct long term storage temperature.' First question is: what *should* be temperature inside a freezer? And how long do I need to leave it before regarding that as a stable temperature? More important, what is likely cause? A year or two ago I had a similar problem and engineer ended up having to remove back panel where we discovered large ice deposits. Took both of us with hair dryers a good hour to melt it. Should I suspect same this time? If so, what is *underlying* cause? Any other possibilities? I've had 8 years use from it, so maybe time has come to replace... -- Terry Pinnell Hobbyist, West Sussex, UK |
#18
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Hotpoint freezer fault?
Most likely the freezer is working properly. When the door was open it
allowed enough ice built up on the freezing coil to impede the air flow. The temp sensor then doesn't report the temp of circulating air (which is very little) but rather the temp near the now frozen coil. The solution is to do a complete and thorough defrost. If necessary use a hair dryer to make sure the coils are completely dry before turning back on. This was a very common problem in some early window air conditioner units about 30 to 40 years ago. Let us know what you find out. "Terry Pinnell" wrote in message ... I have a Hotpoint 8571, combination fridge freezer. I accidentally left the freezer door open a fraction yesterday. I corrected after no more than 2 hours and moved switch from 'Economy' to 'Fast freeze' to compensate. But squishy ice cream today, maybe 20 hours later, pointed to some problem, which now investigating and would appreciate any advice please. I'm measuring temperatures with sensor connected to my external DVM. (Cable is thin and I reckon seal is maintained.) Fridge temp looks OK, at 5 deg C. But freezer temp is too high. After an hour, compartment below the top one is now at only -1 deg. Yet the red 'temperature warning light' is not on. The instruction book says it 'Comes on when the temperature inside the freezer compartment rises above the correct long term storage temperature.' First question is: what *should* be temperature inside a freezer? And how long do I need to leave it before regarding that as a stable temperature? More important, what is likely cause? A year or two ago I had a similar problem and engineer ended up having to remove back panel where we discovered large ice deposits. Took both of us with hair dryers a good hour to melt it. Should I suspect same this time? If so, what is *underlying* cause? Any other possibilities? I've had 8 years use from it, so maybe time has come to replace... -- Terry Pinnell Hobbyist, West Sussex, UK |
#19
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Hotpoint freezer fault?
"Linear" wrote:
Most likely the freezer is working properly. When the door was open it allowed enough ice built up on the freezing coil to impede the air flow. The temp sensor then doesn't report the temp of circulating air (which is very little) but rather the temp near the now frozen coil. The solution is to do a complete and thorough defrost. If necessary use a hair dryer to make sure the coils are completely dry before turning back on. This was a very common problem in some early window air conditioner units about 30 to 40 years ago. Let us know what you find out. Thans for all the input guys. It proved to be as Linear suggested. I probably went OTT by dismantling the panels, but that hastened the thaw. Used hair dryer, then placed 3 kW fan heater in position for an hour. Re-assembled and set it to Fast Freeze. An hour later it was going well, down to -7C, and this morning -25C! Now returned to normal setting. I can put away the catalogues for a while now g. Much appreciated the help. -- Terry Pinnell Hobbyist, West Sussex, UK |
#20
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Hotpoint freezer fault?
"Linear" wrote:
Most likely the freezer is working properly. When the door was open it allowed enough ice built up on the freezing coil to impede the air flow. The temp sensor then doesn't report the temp of circulating air (which is very little) but rather the temp near the now frozen coil. The solution is to do a complete and thorough defrost. If necessary use a hair dryer to make sure the coils are completely dry before turning back on. This was a very common problem in some early window air conditioner units about 30 to 40 years ago. Let us know what you find out. Thans for all the input guys. It proved to be as Linear suggested. I probably went OTT by dismantling the panels, but that hastened the thaw. Used hair dryer, then placed 3 kW fan heater in position for an hour. Re-assembled and set it to Fast Freeze. An hour later it was going well, down to -7C, and this morning -25C! Now returned to normal setting. I can put away the catalogues for a while now g. Much appreciated the help. -- Terry Pinnell Hobbyist, West Sussex, UK |
#21
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Hotpoint freezer fault?
Most likely the freezer is working properly. When the door was open it
allowed enough ice built up on the freezing coil to impede the air flow. The temp sensor then doesn't report the temp of circulating air (which is very little) but rather the temp near the now frozen coil. The solution is to do a complete and thorough defrost. If necessary use a hair dryer to make sure the coils are completely dry before turning back on. This was a very common problem in some early window air conditioner units about 30 to 40 years ago. Let us know what you find out. "Terry Pinnell" wrote in message ... I have a Hotpoint 8571, combination fridge freezer. I accidentally left the freezer door open a fraction yesterday. I corrected after no more than 2 hours and moved switch from 'Economy' to 'Fast freeze' to compensate. But squishy ice cream today, maybe 20 hours later, pointed to some problem, which now investigating and would appreciate any advice please. I'm measuring temperatures with sensor connected to my external DVM. (Cable is thin and I reckon seal is maintained.) Fridge temp looks OK, at 5 deg C. But freezer temp is too high. After an hour, compartment below the top one is now at only -1 deg. Yet the red 'temperature warning light' is not on. The instruction book says it 'Comes on when the temperature inside the freezer compartment rises above the correct long term storage temperature.' First question is: what *should* be temperature inside a freezer? And how long do I need to leave it before regarding that as a stable temperature? More important, what is likely cause? A year or two ago I had a similar problem and engineer ended up having to remove back panel where we discovered large ice deposits. Took both of us with hair dryers a good hour to melt it. Should I suspect same this time? If so, what is *underlying* cause? Any other possibilities? I've had 8 years use from it, so maybe time has come to replace... -- Terry Pinnell Hobbyist, West Sussex, UK |
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Hotpoint freezer fault?
In article ,
Terry Pinnell wrote: I have a Hotpoint 8571, combination fridge freezer. I accidentally left the freezer door open a fraction yesterday. I corrected after no more than 2 hours and moved switch from 'Economy' to 'Fast freeze' to compensate. But squishy ice cream today, maybe 20 hours later, pointed to some problem, which now investigating and would appreciate any advice please. [snip] More important, what is likely cause? A year or two ago I had a similar problem and engineer ended up having to remove back panel where we discovered large ice deposits. Took both of us with hair dryers a good hour to melt it. Should I suspect same this time? If so, what is *underlying* cause? Any other possibilities? We had this happen a couple of years ago, exactly as you described, even to the extent of having to remove the inner lining and use hair driers. A Hotpoint service engineer later explained that this was a common problem with 'frost free' fridge-freezers. The freezer compartment is kept cold by a fan circulating air, from the cold coils behind the inner lining and through the compartment. If the air circulation is blocked or stopped then two things start to happen, the cold coils ice up, and the compartment loses its supply of cold air. The icing-up itself then reduces the air flow, which causes more icing-up, and so on. Our fridge-freezer had a solid block of ice behind the inner lining, from top to bottom. The most common trigger is blocking the air flow by simply having too much stuff in the freezer compartment. Other triggers are fan failure or, in your case, leaving the door slightly open. -- Tony Williams. Change "nospam" to "ledelec" to email. |
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Hotpoint freezer fault?
Tony Williams wrote:
We had this happen a couple of years ago, exactly as you described, even to the extent of having to remove the inner lining and use hair driers. A Hotpoint service engineer later explained that this was a common problem with 'frost free' fridge-freezers. The freezer compartment is kept cold by a fan circulating air, from the cold coils behind the inner lining and through the compartment. If the air circulation is blocked or stopped then two things start to happen, the cold coils ice up, and the compartment loses its supply of cold air. The icing-up itself then reduces the air flow, which causes more icing-up, and so on. Our fridge-freezer had a solid block of ice behind the inner lining, from top to bottom. The most common trigger is blocking the air flow by simply having too much stuff in the freezer compartment. Other triggers are fan failure or, in your case, leaving the door slightly open. Thanks Tony. As you'll have seen from my follow-up, happily all now OK. Last night I was reconciled to spending most of today getting a new one, so it's good news. The build-up was nowhere near as bad this time as last. Then, like you, we had to remove an entire slab of ice. One thing outstanding: where is the drip pan or whatever it's called? I just can't remember what happened about the water last time, and this time the volume has been much smaller. But, as mentioned previously, I've found nothing I can access to empty anyway. -- Terry Pinnell Hobbyist, West Sussex, UK |
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Hotpoint freezer fault?
In article ,
Terry Pinnell wrote: One thing outstanding: where is the drip pan or whatever it's called? I just can't remember what happened about the water last time, and this time the volume has been much smaller. But, as mentioned previously, I've found nothing I can access to empty anyway. There are heated funnelled channels behind the inner lining that drain into a tube going downwards. This tube empties into a little plastic cup that sits on top of the compressor assembly. The heat from the compressor evaporates the water. How do I know all that? Because during re-assembly I dropped one of the little screws onto a funnel and it instantly shot down the drain hole. I had to pull the whole fridge away from the wall and scrabble around the back, dismantling the drainpipe assembly. -- Tony Williams. Change "nospam" to "ledelec" to email. |
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Hotpoint freezer fault?
Tony Williams wrote:
In article , Terry Pinnell wrote: One thing outstanding: where is the drip pan or whatever it's called? I just can't remember what happened about the water last time, and this time the volume has been much smaller. But, as mentioned previously, I've found nothing I can access to empty anyway. There are heated funnelled channels behind the inner lining that drain into a tube going downwards. This tube empties into a little plastic cup that sits on top of the compressor assembly. The heat from the compressor evaporates the water. How do I know all that? Because during re-assembly I dropped one of the little screws onto a funnel and it instantly shot down the drain hole. I had to pull the whole fridge away from the wall and scrabble around the back, dismantling the drainpipe assembly. Thanks for solving that mystery. As soon as I spotted that drain hole below my unscrewing area, I just knew that the usual would happen if I didn't take precautions. This time I paused long enough to stuff some cardboard into it! -- Terry Pinnell Hobbyist, West Sussex, UK |
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Hotpoint freezer fault?
Terry Pinnell wrote: Tony Williams wrote: In article , Terry Pinnell wrote: One thing outstanding: where is the drip pan or whatever it's called? I just can't remember what happened about the water last time, and this time the volume has been much smaller. But, as mentioned previously, I've found nothing I can access to empty anyway. There are heated funnelled channels behind the inner lining that drain into a tube going downwards. This tube empties into a little plastic cup that sits on top of the compressor assembly. The heat from the compressor evaporates the water. How do I know all that? Because during re-assembly I dropped one of the little screws onto a funnel and it instantly shot down the drain hole. I had to pull the whole fridge away from the wall and scrabble around the back, dismantling the drainpipe assembly. Thanks for solving that mystery. As soon as I spotted that drain hole below my unscrewing area, I just knew that the usual would happen if I didn't take precautions. This time I paused long enough to stuff some cardboard into it! I assume you are talking about a side-by-side? If you have an ice machine in the freezer, be sure to turn this OFF until you return to normal operation. |
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Hotpoint freezer fault?
Terry Pinnell wrote: Tony Williams wrote: In article , Terry Pinnell wrote: One thing outstanding: where is the drip pan or whatever it's called? I just can't remember what happened about the water last time, and this time the volume has been much smaller. But, as mentioned previously, I've found nothing I can access to empty anyway. There are heated funnelled channels behind the inner lining that drain into a tube going downwards. This tube empties into a little plastic cup that sits on top of the compressor assembly. The heat from the compressor evaporates the water. How do I know all that? Because during re-assembly I dropped one of the little screws onto a funnel and it instantly shot down the drain hole. I had to pull the whole fridge away from the wall and scrabble around the back, dismantling the drainpipe assembly. Thanks for solving that mystery. As soon as I spotted that drain hole below my unscrewing area, I just knew that the usual would happen if I didn't take precautions. This time I paused long enough to stuff some cardboard into it! I assume you are talking about a side-by-side? If you have an ice machine in the freezer, be sure to turn this OFF until you return to normal operation. |
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Hotpoint freezer fault?
Tony Williams wrote:
In article , Terry Pinnell wrote: One thing outstanding: where is the drip pan or whatever it's called? I just can't remember what happened about the water last time, and this time the volume has been much smaller. But, as mentioned previously, I've found nothing I can access to empty anyway. There are heated funnelled channels behind the inner lining that drain into a tube going downwards. This tube empties into a little plastic cup that sits on top of the compressor assembly. The heat from the compressor evaporates the water. How do I know all that? Because during re-assembly I dropped one of the little screws onto a funnel and it instantly shot down the drain hole. I had to pull the whole fridge away from the wall and scrabble around the back, dismantling the drainpipe assembly. Thanks for solving that mystery. As soon as I spotted that drain hole below my unscrewing area, I just knew that the usual would happen if I didn't take precautions. This time I paused long enough to stuff some cardboard into it! -- Terry Pinnell Hobbyist, West Sussex, UK |
#29
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Hotpoint freezer fault?
In article ,
Terry Pinnell wrote: One thing outstanding: where is the drip pan or whatever it's called? I just can't remember what happened about the water last time, and this time the volume has been much smaller. But, as mentioned previously, I've found nothing I can access to empty anyway. There are heated funnelled channels behind the inner lining that drain into a tube going downwards. This tube empties into a little plastic cup that sits on top of the compressor assembly. The heat from the compressor evaporates the water. How do I know all that? Because during re-assembly I dropped one of the little screws onto a funnel and it instantly shot down the drain hole. I had to pull the whole fridge away from the wall and scrabble around the back, dismantling the drainpipe assembly. -- Tony Williams. Change "nospam" to "ledelec" to email. |
#30
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Hotpoint freezer fault?
Terry Pinnell wrote in message . ..
Tony Williams wrote: The freezer compartment is kept cold by a fan circulating air, from the cold coils behind the inner lining and through the compartment. If the air circulation is blocked or stopped then two things start to happen, the cold coils ice up, and the compartment loses its supply of cold air. The icing-up itself then reduces the air flow, which causes more icing-up, and so on. Our fridge-freezer had a solid block of ice behind the inner lining, from top to bottom. One thing outstanding: where is the drip pan or whatever it's called? I just can't remember what happened about the water last time, and this time the volume has been much smaller. But, as mentioned previously, I've found nothing I can access to empty anyway. Hello Terry, as you have worked out by now this is not a complex engineering problem (well, the mechanism is, but the cure is simple - and I must clean my fridge/freezer as well, now its been mentioned). Leaving the door open was enuff to tip it over the edge - it prcipitated moisture in the air, probably on top of the thermostat hence the -1 degree reading. Frost free fridges dont have drip trays - during the defrost cycle, the waste water is evaporated to the atmosphere so no problem. What I would suggest for maintenance is have a loook at the fridge compartment drain tube - its under the freezing coils in the back, probably got a simple trough arrangement to feed waste water to it. This gets blocked and things start to grow in the fridge - usually behind the 5 year old bottles of (whatever) that live there. Use a piece of insulated elictrical cable to ream it out. Makes a difference to efficiency, hygiene, and is "good for the environment" - chant this as you do a dirty mucky job, makes you feel more socially responsible.... de VK3BFA Andrew. |
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Hotpoint freezer fault?
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Hotpoint freezer fault?
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Hotpoint freezer fault?
Terry Pinnell wrote in message . ..
Tony Williams wrote: The freezer compartment is kept cold by a fan circulating air, from the cold coils behind the inner lining and through the compartment. If the air circulation is blocked or stopped then two things start to happen, the cold coils ice up, and the compartment loses its supply of cold air. The icing-up itself then reduces the air flow, which causes more icing-up, and so on. Our fridge-freezer had a solid block of ice behind the inner lining, from top to bottom. One thing outstanding: where is the drip pan or whatever it's called? I just can't remember what happened about the water last time, and this time the volume has been much smaller. But, as mentioned previously, I've found nothing I can access to empty anyway. Hello Terry, as you have worked out by now this is not a complex engineering problem (well, the mechanism is, but the cure is simple - and I must clean my fridge/freezer as well, now its been mentioned). Leaving the door open was enuff to tip it over the edge - it prcipitated moisture in the air, probably on top of the thermostat hence the -1 degree reading. Frost free fridges dont have drip trays - during the defrost cycle, the waste water is evaporated to the atmosphere so no problem. What I would suggest for maintenance is have a loook at the fridge compartment drain tube - its under the freezing coils in the back, probably got a simple trough arrangement to feed waste water to it. This gets blocked and things start to grow in the fridge - usually behind the 5 year old bottles of (whatever) that live there. Use a piece of insulated elictrical cable to ream it out. Makes a difference to efficiency, hygiene, and is "good for the environment" - chant this as you do a dirty mucky job, makes you feel more socially responsible.... de VK3BFA Andrew. |
#34
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Hotpoint freezer fault?
Tony Williams wrote:
We had this happen a couple of years ago, exactly as you described, even to the extent of having to remove the inner lining and use hair driers. A Hotpoint service engineer later explained that this was a common problem with 'frost free' fridge-freezers. The freezer compartment is kept cold by a fan circulating air, from the cold coils behind the inner lining and through the compartment. If the air circulation is blocked or stopped then two things start to happen, the cold coils ice up, and the compartment loses its supply of cold air. The icing-up itself then reduces the air flow, which causes more icing-up, and so on. Our fridge-freezer had a solid block of ice behind the inner lining, from top to bottom. The most common trigger is blocking the air flow by simply having too much stuff in the freezer compartment. Other triggers are fan failure or, in your case, leaving the door slightly open. Thanks Tony. As you'll have seen from my follow-up, happily all now OK. Last night I was reconciled to spending most of today getting a new one, so it's good news. The build-up was nowhere near as bad this time as last. Then, like you, we had to remove an entire slab of ice. One thing outstanding: where is the drip pan or whatever it's called? I just can't remember what happened about the water last time, and this time the volume has been much smaller. But, as mentioned previously, I've found nothing I can access to empty anyway. -- Terry Pinnell Hobbyist, West Sussex, UK |
#35
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Hotpoint freezer fault?
In article ,
Terry Pinnell wrote: I have a Hotpoint 8571, combination fridge freezer. I accidentally left the freezer door open a fraction yesterday. I corrected after no more than 2 hours and moved switch from 'Economy' to 'Fast freeze' to compensate. But squishy ice cream today, maybe 20 hours later, pointed to some problem, which now investigating and would appreciate any advice please. [snip] More important, what is likely cause? A year or two ago I had a similar problem and engineer ended up having to remove back panel where we discovered large ice deposits. Took both of us with hair dryers a good hour to melt it. Should I suspect same this time? If so, what is *underlying* cause? Any other possibilities? We had this happen a couple of years ago, exactly as you described, even to the extent of having to remove the inner lining and use hair driers. A Hotpoint service engineer later explained that this was a common problem with 'frost free' fridge-freezers. The freezer compartment is kept cold by a fan circulating air, from the cold coils behind the inner lining and through the compartment. If the air circulation is blocked or stopped then two things start to happen, the cold coils ice up, and the compartment loses its supply of cold air. The icing-up itself then reduces the air flow, which causes more icing-up, and so on. Our fridge-freezer had a solid block of ice behind the inner lining, from top to bottom. The most common trigger is blocking the air flow by simply having too much stuff in the freezer compartment. Other triggers are fan failure or, in your case, leaving the door slightly open. -- Tony Williams. Change "nospam" to "ledelec" to email. |
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