I have a Frigidaire, top freezer, 1998 model, that lost cold in
the bottom and
frosted the back wall of the freezer.

Hoping the defrost timer was guilty, I bought and changed the
timer
(I know, don't just change parts without diagnosis).
Hair dryered (is this a word?) the heavy ice out of the freezer to
get to the coil thermostat and heater. I pulled out the
thermostat - it had good continuity when cold, and broke
continuity when it
got hot (over a space heater). The Fluke digital ohm meter buzzed
continuity and read 27 ohms on the heating element. I do not know
what ohms it should read.

I reassembled without installing the back plate or ice maker and
ran
it long enough to get everything cold, all fans working fine. I
advanced the timer to defrost and re-checked the coil thermostat
which still showed good.

Should the heater get hot to the touch? It got warm at best, and
that required imagination. Defrost time lasted about 15 minutes.
I don't want to put this thing back together if it is not right.
I don't want to just keep changing parts though I am well ahead of
buying a new unit and the work is simple while the unit is empty.
We have a back room refrigerator so we are not desperate, but wife
is saying she'll just go buy a new unit.

I let the unit run last night. How frost free should the coil be?
I have a healthy layer on the coils.

I would appreciate the advice of a technician or someone who
really knows.

______________________________
Keep the whole world singing . . . .
DanG (remove the sevens)