This is an MSD2356 side by side. It is running all the time and the
freezer is far too too cold but the refrigerator temperature appears
normal (possibly on the warm side) regardless of thermostat settings.
Any suggestions apart from the obvious, thermostat.

Can anyone provide info on how temperature is regulated in a typical
side by side setup. I am assuming the main thermostat regulates the
freezer temperature by controlling the comopressor. The refrigerator
temperature is controlled by regulating the airflow from the freezer
to refrigerator side. Is this correct?

Thanks,
Dave

"DaveH" wrote in message
Can anyone provide info on how temperature is regulated in a typical
side by side setup. I am assuming the main thermostat regulates the
freezer temperature by controlling the comopressor. The refrigerator
temperature is controlled by regulating the airflow from the freezer
to refrigerator side. Is this correct?

Thanks,
Dave

Yes, and if the airflow is impeded, it will not cool properly. You can have
a defective evaporator fan, or blocked coil.
www.repairclinic.com

Hi,

MSD2356

That is part of a full model#.

It is running all the time and the
freezer is far too too cold but the
refrigerator temperature appears
normal (possibly on the warm side)

Make sure there is no frost building up on the back wall of the
freezer.

Can anyone provide info on how
temperature is regulated in a typical
side by side setup.

Nothing is typical

But this may help...a copy:

*If you open the fresh food compartment of your fridge (the non-freezer
compartment), you will most likely see two different controls. One
refers to the refrigerator temperature and the other refers to the
freezer. Different manufacturers use different wording, but the idea is
the same.

The first thing you need to know in order to understand what these
controls really do is that all the cold air in the entire refrigerator
is made in the freezer compartment. A portion of that cold air is then
blown into the fresh food compartment. How much cold air gets blown in
is controlled by the "freezer" control, which is really just an air
baffle that opens or closed to let more or less air into the fresh food
compartment. The "refrigerator" control is actually a thermostat that
feels the temperature inside the fresh food compartment and turns the
compressor on and off according to the temperature that the thermostat
feels.

Let's run through an example. Suppose you decide that your ice cream
isn't hard enough. You adjust the "freezer" control to make your
freezer colder. What you're actually doing is restricting the amount of
cold air that gets blown from the freezer into the fresh food
compartment and so keeping more of the cold air in the freezer. As a
result, the freezer will get colder but also the fresh food compartment
will tend to get warmer because its cold air supply has been
diminished. The "refrigerator" control (the thermostat) will feel this
increase in temperature inside the fresh food compartment and will keep
the compressor running longer in order to maintain the temperature
setting on the "refrigerator" control. So, you can see that any change
you make to one control will affect the other.

Many people then wonder, "Well, how do I know what the correct setting
on the controls should be?" Since the temperature inside a refrigerator
will vary according to lots of external factors such as frequency and
duration of door openings, it is impossible to say where your controls
should be set all the time in order to maintain a desired temperature
in the freezer and fresh food compartments without knowing the actual
temperature inside both compartments. For this reason, you should place
two thermometers in your refrigerator: one in the fresh food
compartment (the big one) and the other in your freezer. The controls
should then be adjusted to achieve -5 to +5=BAF in the freezer and
between 36 and 38=BAF in the fresh food compartment.

Keep in mind, too, that it takes 24 hours for any change in the
controls to work through the system and reach steady state so don't
look for instantaneous changes in temperature when you make control
setting changes. Knowing the actual temperature inside your
refrigerator compartments is also a great way to save money on your
power bill since you can adjust the controls to avoid running your
compressor longer than needed to keep your food cold.*

jeff.
Appliance Repair Aid
http://www.applianceaid.com/

Sounds like either defrost problems or air flow.

--

Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
www.mormons.com


"DaveH" wrote in message
om...
This is an MSD2356 side by side. It is running all the time and the
freezer is far too too cold but the refrigerator temperature appears
normal (possibly on the warm side) regardless of thermostat settings.
Any suggestions apart from the obvious, thermostat.

Can anyone provide info on how temperature is regulated in a typical
side by side setup. I am assuming the main thermostat regulates the
freezer temperature by controlling the comopressor. The refrigerator
temperature is controlled by regulating the airflow from the freezer
to refrigerator side. Is this correct?

Thanks,
Dave

Yes, and if the airflow is impeded, it will not cool properly. You can have
a defective evaporator fan, or blocked coil.
www.repairclinic.com

Thanks, the coil was frozen solid. I defrosted it with a hairdryer so
we're back in business (at least for a couple of days). This model
uses the Maytag adaptive defrost control which appears to not be
working for sure since the test mode does not work as per the
instructions found he-

http://fixitnow.com/2003/05/applianc...dapting-to.htm

Now how do I test the heater? This is wired in series with a
"thermostat". The "thermostat" resistance reads 240K, which is what it
should be according to the Maytag wiring diagram. The heater cold
resistance is 24R which seems reasonable. What is confusing me is how
this arrangement works. This "thermostat" must be more than a simple
bi-metallic on-off switch. Any suggestions as to what is might be?

I would simply connect this circuit across the line. This is, after
all, what the controller is doing via a relay. I would fisrt like to
undestand what this "thermostat" really is and how it is working.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Dave