Hotpoint 2.18 ft3 NoFrost CSX22G.

25-30 years old.

Stopped working some weeks ago, found solid ice behind freezer side back
wall, defrosted, and all was well....

....until yesterday, and now it's all iced up again.

I am thinking high probability that the self-defrosting mechanism is out to
lunch and my conundrum is whether to get it repaired or replaced.

I'm thinking $900 for a new replacement, minimum $300 to repair... maybe
more?

"Conundrum" because, before I realized it needed defrosting the first time, I
spent some hours on the phone trying to line up a repair guy. Wound up
trying Sears: $155 just to come out to the house, and then more as
parts/labor dictate. Luckily they never showed up - but also never called
to say they were not going to make it......

So much for Sears...

But I wasn't having any luck lining up any other vendors. Is large
appliance repair becoming a lost art?

Am I trying to fool Mother Nature by getting this thing fixed?

Or is 25-30 years a good time to start thinking "New" ?

--
Pete Cresswell

"(PeteCresswell)" writes:

Hotpoint 2.18 ft3 NoFrost CSX22G.

25-30 years old.

Stopped working some weeks ago, found solid ice behind freezer side back
wall, defrosted, and all was well....

...until yesterday, and now it's all iced up again.

I am thinking high probability that the self-defrosting mechanism is out to
lunch and my conundrum is whether to get it repaired or replaced.

Mine frosted up due to a leaking door seal.
I'd guess this is much more likely than any other cause.

I'm thinking $900 for a new replacement, minimum $300 to repair... maybe
more?

"Conundrum" because, before I realized it needed defrosting the first time, I
spent some hours on the phone trying to line up a repair guy. Wound up
trying Sears: $155 just to come out to the house, and then more as
parts/labor dictate. Luckily they never showed up - but also never called
to say they were not going to make it......

So much for Sears...

If I remember right, mine was fixed by a Sears contractor.
Many years ago.

But I wasn't having any luck lining up any other vendors. Is large
appliance repair becoming a lost art?

Am I trying to fool Mother Nature by getting this thing fixed?

Or is 25-30 years a good time to start thinking "New" ?

If the thing is otherwise showing it's age, might be time to replace.

--
Dan Espen

On 2/3/2018 1:44 PM, (PeteCresswell) wrote:
Hotpoint 2.18 ft3 NoFrost CSX22G.

25-30 years old.

Stopped working some weeks ago, found solid ice behind freezer side back
wall, defrosted, and all was well....

...until yesterday, and now it's all iced up again.

I am thinking high probability that the self-defrosting mechanism is out to
lunch and my conundrum is whether to get it repaired or replaced.

I'm thinking $900 for a new replacement, minimum $300 to repair... maybe
more?

"Conundrum" because, before I realized it needed defrosting the first time, I
spent some hours on the phone trying to line up a repair guy. Wound up
trying Sears: $155 just to come out to the house, and then more as
parts/labor dictate. Luckily they never showed up - but also never called
to say they were not going to make it......

So much for Sears...

But I wasn't having any luck lining up any other vendors. Is large
appliance repair becoming a lost art?

Am I trying to fool Mother Nature by getting this thing fixed?

Or is 25-30 years a good time to start thinking "New" ?


Maybe $300 today and the compressor goes the next day. At that age,
time to replace. You'll save a few bucks on electricity too. I save
$10 a month with a new fridge and that will cover the $600 difference is
five years.

[snip]

"Sears" service is sub contracted out, usually to
a group called "A and E". And yes, they charge
something like $75 - $100 to just look, and then another
$75 - $100 plus parts to do the repair. Minimum.

In my case it was the light switch that's in
the door frame. I picked up the replacement
via Sears Parts [a] for $10 or so. Reasonable.

But it was _very hard_ to pop out the old one
so I figured better to pay $100 (my initial guess)
to their service rep to do the 10 minutes of work.

The service tech who showed up insisited he had
to enter in the dual charge...

After he left I wrote a firm but polite note to
Eddie's office stating that I felt, and was comfortable,
paying the basic $100. But nothing more.

They called me back and agreed to cut down the bill.

Anyway, enough of that. If you've got a 20 y/o refrigerator
the simple answer is that unless it's a trivial repair,
such as cleaning and recleaning the coils - including the
hidden ones - and double checking the door frame
for leaks...

Unless it's something that simple, then dump it.

Note that in many areas you can get a free pickup
and maybe even a rebate from your local utility.

[a] searparts.com is a superbly arranged
repalr parts warehouse/web interface. A great
many of the parts which you'd think should
just be $5 to $10 are, indeed, $5 to $10.

Many are more of course.

Not just Sears but lotsof other, semi associated
and affiliated, brands


--
__________________________________________________ ___
Knowledge may be power, but communications is the key

[to foil spammers, my address has been double rot-13 encoded]

On Saturday, February 3, 2018 at 1:44:29 PM UTC-5, (PeteCresswell) wrote:
Hotpoint 2.18 ft3 NoFrost CSX22G.

25-30 years old.

Stopped working some weeks ago, found solid ice behind freezer side back
wall, defrosted, and all was well....

...until yesterday, and now it's all iced up again.

I am thinking high probability that the self-defrosting mechanism is out to
lunch and my conundrum is whether to get it repaired or replaced.

I'm thinking $900 for a new replacement, minimum $300 to repair... maybe
more?

"Conundrum" because, before I realized it needed defrosting the first time, I
spent some hours on the phone trying to line up a repair guy. Wound up
trying Sears: $155 just to come out to the house, and then more as
parts/labor dictate. Luckily they never showed up - but also never called
to say they were not going to make it......

So much for Sears...

But I wasn't having any luck lining up any other vendors. Is large
appliance repair becoming a lost art?

Am I trying to fool Mother Nature by getting this thing fixed?

Or is 25-30 years a good time to start thinking "New" ?

--
Pete Cresswell

IMO, it's either fix it yourself, which you might be able to do if it's
just the defrost, or get a new one. If you're OK with it otherwise and can diagnose
it, you can figure out what the cost of the replacement parts are.

Otherwise, I'd look for a new one. If you can get a few weeks out of
this one, might be able to find a great deal. I found a Kitchenaid
stainless, side by side, for $1300 at BestBuy a few years ago. Regular
price was twice that. It was floor model and had a couple tiny dings.

The new ones draw just 90W or so when running. So you;ll save on
electric over the years too.

On 2/3/2018 12:44 PM, (PeteCresswell) wrote:
Hotpoint 2.18 ft3 NoFrost CSX22G.

25-30 years old.

Stopped working some weeks ago, found solid ice behind freezer side back
wall, defrosted, and all was well....



[snip]

But I wasn't having any luck lining up any other vendors. Is large
appliance repair becoming a lost art?

Am I trying to fool Mother Nature by getting this thing fixed?

Or is 25-30 years a good time to start thinking "New" ?

At that age, I'd just go for new. As others have said, the new are more
efficient and cheaper to run. Then too, fix the auto defrost and the
compressor will take a hike within a week.

One other consideration, check with your electric company. Here in IL,
Communist Edison is offering a bounty of $100 for older, non-green
units. They come out, pick it up and give you $100. Only caveat is
that it must be in working condition. So. . . defrost it and give them
a call and have them snag it when it's running.


---
This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software.
https://www.avast.com/antivirus

In article , lid
says...

Hotpoint 2.18 ft3 NoFrost CSX22G.

25-30 years old.

Stopped working some weeks ago, found solid ice behind freezer side back
wall, defrosted, and all was well....

...until yesterday, and now it's all iced up again.

I am thinking high probability that the self-defrosting mechanism is out to
lunch and my conundrum is whether to get it repaired or replaced.

I'm thinking $900 for a new replacement, minimum $300 to repair... maybe
more?

"Conundrum" because, before I realized it needed defrosting the first time, I
spent some hours on the phone trying to line up a repair guy. Wound up
trying Sears: $155 just to come out to the house, and then more as
parts/labor dictate. Luckily they never showed up - but also never called
to say they were not going to make it......

So much for Sears...

But I wasn't having any luck lining up any other vendors. Is large
appliance repair becoming a lost art?

Am I trying to fool Mother Nature by getting this thing fixed?

Or is 25-30 years a good time to start thinking "New" ?

Anything around the house is a throw away when it comes to repair costs
for items less than $ 1000 or so unless you can do the repair yourself.

Being frozen up tends to indicate a bad fan motor, self defrosting mode
messed up or part controlling it bad.

On Saturday, February 3, 2018 at 3:56:17 PM UTC-5, Ralph Mowery wrote:
In article , lid
says...

Hotpoint 2.18 ft3 NoFrost CSX22G.

25-30 years old.

Stopped working some weeks ago, found solid ice behind freezer side back
wall, defrosted, and all was well....

...until yesterday, and now it's all iced up again.

I am thinking high probability that the self-defrosting mechanism is out to
lunch and my conundrum is whether to get it repaired or replaced.

I'm thinking $900 for a new replacement, minimum $300 to repair... maybe
more?

"Conundrum" because, before I realized it needed defrosting the first time, I
spent some hours on the phone trying to line up a repair guy. Wound up
trying Sears: $155 just to come out to the house, and then more as
parts/labor dictate. Luckily they never showed up - but also never called
to say they were not going to make it......

So much for Sears...

But I wasn't having any luck lining up any other vendors. Is large
appliance repair becoming a lost art?

Am I trying to fool Mother Nature by getting this thing fixed?

Or is 25-30 years a good time to start thinking "New" ?

Anything around the house is a throw away when it comes to repair costs
for items less than $ 1000 or so unless you can do the repair yourself.

Being frozen up tends to indicate a bad fan motor, self defrosting mode
messed up or part controlling it bad.

You got me thinking. How about some paper or something blocking the
path where the air is supposed to flow? Might as well start with the
easiest, cheapest things first. He could go to one of the online
parts sites and look for diagrams of how it's put together and how
it works.

On Sat, 3 Feb 2018 13:01:41 -0800 (PST), trader_4
wrote:

On Saturday, February 3, 2018 at 3:56:17 PM UTC-5, Ralph Mowery wrote:
In article , lid
says...

Hotpoint 2.18 ft3 NoFrost CSX22G.

25-30 years old.

Stopped working some weeks ago, found solid ice behind freezer side back
wall, defrosted, and all was well....

...until yesterday, and now it's all iced up again.

I am thinking high probability that the self-defrosting mechanism is out to
lunch and my conundrum is whether to get it repaired or replaced.

I'm thinking $900 for a new replacement, minimum $300 to repair... maybe
more?

"Conundrum" because, before I realized it needed defrosting the first time, I
spent some hours on the phone trying to line up a repair guy. Wound up
trying Sears: $155 just to come out to the house, and then more as
parts/labor dictate. Luckily they never showed up - but also never called
to say they were not going to make it......

So much for Sears...

But I wasn't having any luck lining up any other vendors. Is large
appliance repair becoming a lost art?

Am I trying to fool Mother Nature by getting this thing fixed?

Or is 25-30 years a good time to start thinking "New" ?

Anything around the house is a throw away when it comes to repair costs
for items less than $ 1000 or so unless you can do the repair yourself.

Being frozen up tends to indicate a bad fan motor, self defrosting mode
messed up or part controlling it bad.

You got me thinking. How about some paper or something blocking the
path where the air is supposed to flow? Might as well start with the
easiest, cheapest things first. He could go to one of the online
parts sites and look for diagrams of how it's put together and how
it works.


I'd try some DIY items before scrapping it :
: completely thaw it out
: thoroughly clean coils & fan & air-flow areas
: thoroughly clean the chamber/tube that joins
the freezer to the fridge compartments
: thoroughly clean the condensate drainage
: check the price of a new defrost timer and
replace it if it's a cheap one.
can be under $ 20. or well over $ 100.

https://www.amresupply.com/part/5304...-Defrost-Timer

https://www.amresupply.com/part/215846604-USE-CC922

John T.

On Saturday, February 3, 2018 at 12:44:29 PM UTC-6, (PeteCresswell) wrote:
Hotpoint 2.18 ft3 NoFrost CSX22G.

25-30 years old.

Stopped working some weeks ago, found solid ice behind freezer side back
wall, defrosted, and all was well....

...until yesterday, and now it's all iced up again.

I am thinking high probability that the self-defrosting mechanism is out to
lunch and my conundrum is whether to get it repaired or replaced.

I'm thinking $900 for a new replacement, minimum $300 to repair... maybe
more?

"Conundrum" because, before I realized it needed defrosting the first time, I
spent some hours on the phone trying to line up a repair guy. Wound up
trying Sears: $155 just to come out to the house, and then more as
parts/labor dictate. Luckily they never showed up - but also never called
to say they were not going to make it......

So much for Sears...

But I wasn't having any luck lining up any other vendors. Is large
appliance repair becoming a lost art?

Am I trying to fool Mother Nature by getting this thing fixed?

Or is 25-30 years a good time to start thinking "New" ?
--
Pete Cresswell


It could be something as simple as a worn out defrost timer. They're not that expensive and the timer on your fridge could be in the front, behind a narrow grill. You can turn it with a flat blade screwdriver and listen for the clicks and compressor shutdown. **Scratch that!** I just did a little search and the darn defrost feature is built into the main control board. If you can do a bit of troubleshooting and measure the output of the control board you could determine if it's bad. The control board is $225.00. Here's a link to the different repair parts. ^_^

https://www.repairclinic.com/Shop-Fo...igerator-Parts

[8~{} Uncle Fridge Monster

On Saturday, February 3, 2018 at 2:07:06 PM UTC-6, Ed Pawlowski wrote:

Maybe $300 today and the compressor goes the next day. At that age,
time to replace. You'll save a few bucks on electricity too. I save
$10 a month with a new fridge and that will cover the $600 difference is
five years.


I think you nailed it.

On Sat, 03 Feb 2018 13:44:21 -0500, "(PeteCresswell)"
wrote:

Hotpoint 2.18 ft3 NoFrost CSX22G.

25-30 years old.

Stopped working some weeks ago, found solid ice behind freezer side back
wall, defrosted, and all was well....

I would suspect the door seals too. Also make sure the circulation fan
is running and the ports are clear. Don't stack things in front of the
louvers. Beyond that I agree I would not spend a lot of money on a
fridge that old.

In alt.home.repair, on Sat, 03 Feb 2018 13:44:21 -0500,
"(PeteCresswell)" wrote:

Hotpoint 2.18 ft3 NoFrost CSX22G.

25-30 years old.

Stopped working some weeks ago, found solid ice behind freezer side back
wall, defrosted, and all was well....

...until yesterday, and now it's all iced up again.

I am thinking high probability that the self-defrosting mechanism is out to
lunch and my conundrum is whether to get it repaired or replaced.

I'm thinking $900 for a new replacement, minimum $300 to repair... maybe
more?

"Conundrum" because, before I realized it needed defrosting the first time, I
spent some hours on the phone trying to line up a repair guy. Wound up
trying Sears: $155 just to come out to the house, and then more as
parts/labor dictate. Luckily they never showed up - but also never called
to say they were not going to make it......

So much for Sears...

But I wasn't having any luck lining up any other vendors. Is large
appliance repair becoming a lost art?

Am I trying to fool Mother Nature by getting this thing fixed?

Or is 25-30 years a good time to start thinking "New" ?

If Dan is right about the door seal, they're are MO surprisingly
expensive at about $100, but still plenty cheap compared to even the 300
dollar repair you think it might be.

Check out the seal, and if you find a bad area, you can patch it with
silicone sealant, the stuff that bends even when "dry" and if that
mostly fixes the problem, buy a new one for your particular model.

I've had to replace the fan just below the freezer compartment, $20 or
30, and the thermostat there, same price. Both were very easy repairs,
from the front. In addition the fan underneath it got jammed up, and it
was weeks before I got around to taking out what had jammed it. (I had
assumed the fan had broken, but it started spinning as soon as it was
free.) I thought the compressor would be overworked during that time,
but that was years ago and it's still fine. Another time a rug got
pushed up against the front bottom which must have kept the air from
circulating, but again, it's fine. All the plastic parts inside are
fine too.

Mine is 39 years old and working as well as new. Sears Kenmore, which
I think is Whirlpool.

Don't I read here that new appliances only last a few years. I know
I've read that washers are like that, 5-9 years??? but seems to me other
appliances including refrigerators were included in that. Maybe others
remember, or search the archves and see.

I wouldn't be surprised if my fridge is still working 20 years after
those new ones have failed.

In alt.home.repair, on Sat, 03 Feb 2018 13:49:43 -0500, Dan Espen
wrote:

"(PeteCresswell)" writes:

Hotpoint 2.18 ft3 NoFrost CSX22G.

25-30 years old.

Stopped working some weeks ago, found solid ice behind freezer side back
wall, defrosted, and all was well....

...until yesterday, and now it's all iced up again.

I am thinking high probability that the self-defrosting mechanism is out to
lunch and my conundrum is whether to get it repaired or replaced.

Mine frosted up due to a leaking door seal.
I'd guess this is much more likely than any other cause.

My seal is splitting in one area (or more) at the outer side and nearest
the door, but it doesn't actually open up and when the door is shut,
it's squeezed even tighter, so I don't think that's a problem yet**.

Dan, yours was worse, I suppose??

**No frosting. Even when I've failed to shut the door to the fridge, 2
or 3 times, all night, there is water condensed inside it, but no
frosting. Oh, that was another thing I thought might cause the
compressor to burn out, but it is still working fine.


I'm thinking $900 for a new replacement, minimum $300 to repair... maybe
more?

"Conundrum" because, before I realized it needed defrosting the first time, I
spent some hours on the phone trying to line up a repair guy. Wound up
trying Sears: $155 just to come out to the house, and then more as
parts/labor dictate. Luckily they never showed up - but also never called
to say they were not going to make it......

So much for Sears...

If I remember right, mine was fixed by a Sears contractor.
Many years ago.

But I wasn't having any luck lining up any other vendors. Is large
appliance repair becoming a lost art?

Am I trying to fool Mother Nature by getting this thing fixed?

Or is 25-30 years a good time to start thinking "New" ?

If the thing is otherwise showing it's age, might be time to replace.

In alt.home.repair, on Sat, 03 Feb 2018 16:37:08 -0500,
wrote:

self.

Being frozen up tends to indicate a bad fan motor,

Real easy repair, whether it's the one just below the freezer, or the
one at the bottom. My bottom one is right near the back, and I think
most of these things are built the same way, regardlss of brand.

self defrosting mode
messed up or part controlling it bad.

You got me thinking. How about some paper or something blocking the
path where the air is supposed to flow? Might as well start with the
easiest, cheapest things first. He could go to one of the online
parts sites and look for diagrams of how it's put together and how
it works.


I'd try some DIY items before scrapping it :
: completely thaw it out
: thoroughly clean coils & fan & air-flow areas

Good idea. After about 30 years, I finally cleaned my coils with a
brush** or a vacuum cleaner, alhthough for some strange reason they
weren't dirty. They must be the only part of my house that isn't dusty.


**They sell special coil brushes, narrow enough to go between them iiuc,
but I'm not sure they'd be any better than a vacuum, especially a
shop-vac. You should be able to see the dust, and how much less there
is after you clean.

: thoroughly clean the chamber/tube that joins
the freezer to the fridge compartments

good idea.

: thoroughly clean the condensate drainage
: check the price of a new defrost timer and
replace it if it's a cheap one.
can be under $ 20. or well over $ 100.

Amazing. Yours are either $13 or 134!! And they look about the same.

(Even the connectors look about the same, though the cheap one doesn't
have a color code. I wonder if it uses the same code as the expensive
one, 1=blue,2=red. 3=brown, 4=black. )

Is there a heater that does the defrosting? If so, the contacts are
probably 2 AC contacts and a normally open switch for the heater. Would
that leave cooling competing with the heating or would the 40 or 50
degree warm freezer walls not really compete with the cold air?

Or is the compressor turned off when the defrosting is going on?

Isn't there a wiring diagram on the back of a fridge, or somewhere else?
And once the OP knows the wiring, can't he test the AC supply to the
defrost timer, the defrost timer itself, and the defrost heater coils,
if any?


https://www.amresupply.com/part/5304...-Defrost-Timer

My mother had a self-defrosting fridge that I think my father bought in
1953. She woudl still have it but decided it was too expensive to move
when she moved in 1966.

She always complained that it didnt' defrost when she wanted it to, and
the last year she had it I read the label that surrounded the knob
(behind a metal panel) and she was supposed to set that knob to the
current time, instead of the time she wanted it to defrost. So I
guess it always defrosted at whatever time it was when she had set the
knob.

Other than that it worked perfectly.

https://www.amresupply.com/part/215846604-USE-CC922

"This timer will activate for 21 minutes every 6 hours."

My mother's only defrosted once per day (at 3AM, if you set the clock
right).

John T.

micky writes:

In alt.home.repair, on Sat, 03 Feb 2018 13:49:43 -0500, Dan Espen
wrote:

"(PeteCresswell)" writes:

Hotpoint 2.18 ft3 NoFrost CSX22G.

25-30 years old.

Stopped working some weeks ago, found solid ice behind freezer side back
wall, defrosted, and all was well....

...until yesterday, and now it's all iced up again.

I am thinking high probability that the self-defrosting mechanism is out to
lunch and my conundrum is whether to get it repaired or replaced.

Mine frosted up due to a leaking door seal.
I'd guess this is much more likely than any other cause.

My seal is splitting in one area (or more) at the outer side and nearest
the door, but it doesn't actually open up and when the door is shut,
it's squeezed even tighter, so I don't think that's a problem yet**.

Dan, yours was worse, I suppose??

Put a piece of paper in the door and close it.
You should be able to pull it out but you'll
feel pretty strong drag.
Try in a few places.

My door was mounted a bit off.
The hinges needed to be adjusted.

--
Dan Espen

In alt.home.repair, on Sat, 03 Feb 2018 13:44:21 -0500,
"(PeteCresswell)" wrote:

Hotpoint 2.18 ft3 NoFrost CSX22G.

25-30 years old.

Stopped working some weeks ago, found solid ice behind freezer side back
wall, defrosted, and all was well....

...until yesterday, and now it's all iced up again.

I am thinking high probability that the self-defrosting mechanism is out to
lunch and my conundrum is whether to get it repaired or replaced.
-

If you do end up getting rid of it. we all went for 50 years with
fridges that required defrosting, and still would if they hadn't
invented better. There are still plenty of people who are willing to do
that chore if they could have a free or $40 fridge.

There are second hand appliance stores in the poor part of town, in most
cases. They will come pick it up. My only fear there is that the guy
would sell it as if every feature worked. At the least you should get
his word he won't do that, but better than that might be to shop in his
store yourself first, and see if he admits to any non-visible
broken-ness. Don't shave, wear old clothes, and maybe drink a little
whiskey before you go, or you won't get an accurate read.

Even then you might not. I think Goodwill Industries etc. might have
stopped handling large appliances, because they're so heavy for their
staff to move. Maybe they have a bulletin board where you can describe
it accurately, or maybe there is a pennysaver or supermarket bulletin
board in the poor n'hod, or craigslist (I'm not sure how many people
with internet would want it without autodefrost, but otoh, putting up a
craiglist ad is so easy. OT3H, a used appliance dealer wil probably
respond. Save him for later in case you can't come up with anyone
else.).

I would move the old fridge out of the house myself, because nothing is
more annoying than giving something away to be nice, and then having the
recipient gouge a groove in your wall or door while he's taking it out.
Arrange first to give the old one away and then when you get the new one
delivered, they will at least take the old one outside where the other
party can pick it up.



Actually, my friend showed me a second hand appliance store in a mostly
well-to-do or upper-middle income suburb (and the rest middle-middle
income. Reisterstown), with only iirc big, fancy, stainless steel
models. For some reason he bought the cheapest one they had, which was
still 500 or more, and I can't remember why, since he doens't own any
residential rental property. Even a store like that might pick up your
fridge and since they have a reputation to uphold, in a way they might
be more likely to tell the truth to a buyer, or even do it for their
cost of pickup and delivery, as an act of kindness, if indeed they knew
of anyone too poor to spend 500.

In other words, you dont' have to scrap it if all that is wrong is that
it doesn't SELF defrost.

In alt.home.repair, on Sat, 03 Feb 2018 19:12:57 -0500, Dan Espen
wrote:

micky writes:

In alt.home.repair, on Sat, 03 Feb 2018 13:49:43 -0500, Dan Espen
wrote:

"(PeteCresswell)" writes:

Hotpoint 2.18 ft3 NoFrost CSX22G.

25-30 years old.

Stopped working some weeks ago, found solid ice behind freezer side back
wall, defrosted, and all was well....

...until yesterday, and now it's all iced up again.

I am thinking high probability that the self-defrosting mechanism is out to
lunch and my conundrum is whether to get it repaired or replaced.

Mine frosted up due to a leaking door seal.
I'd guess this is much more likely than any other cause.

My seal is splitting in one area (or more) at the outer side and nearest
the door, but it doesn't actually open up and when the door is shut,
it's squeezed even tighter, so I don't think that's a problem yet**.

Dan, yours was worse, I suppose??

Put a piece of paper in the door and close it.
You should be able to pull it out but you'll
feel pretty strong drag.
Try in a few places.

Okay.

My door was mounted a bit off.
The hinges needed to be adjusted.

That's even cheaper!

In alt.home.repair, on Sat, 03 Feb 2018 18:46:24 -0500, micky
wrote:


My mother had a self-defrosting fridge that I think my father bought in
1953. She woudl still have it but decided it was too expensive to move
when she moved in 1966.

She always complained that it didnt' defrost when she wanted it to, and
the last year she had it I read the label that surrounded the knob
(behind a metal panel) and she was supposed to set that knob to the
current time, instead of the time she wanted it to defrost. So I
guess it always defrosted at whatever time it was when she had set the
knob.
-
Well, almost. It was supposed to defrost only once per day at 3AM.

Say it was 4PM when she adjusted the knob, which she set, say, for 2AM.
Now the fridge thinks it's 2AM and it plans to defrost at 3AM, which it
thinks is an hour later, which is in fact 5PM. So it defrosts at 5PM,
just when she was most likely to notice it.

So it always defrosted within an hour or two of the time she set the
clock.

I guess one should read the manual, and the plate that surrounded the
knob.


Other than that it worked perfectly

On Sat, 03 Feb 2018 13:44:21 -0500, "(PeteCresswell)"
wrote:

Hotpoint 2.18 ft3 NoFrost CSX22G.

25-30 years old.

Stopped working some weeks ago, found solid ice behind freezer side back
wall, defrosted, and all was well....

...until yesterday, and now it's all iced up again.

I am thinking high probability that the self-defrosting mechanism is out to
lunch and my conundrum is whether to get it repaired or replaced.

I'm thinking $900 for a new replacement, minimum $300 to repair... maybe
more?

"Conundrum" because, before I realized it needed defrosting the first time, I
spent some hours on the phone trying to line up a repair guy. Wound up
trying Sears: $155 just to come out to the house, and then more as
parts/labor dictate. Luckily they never showed up - but also never called
to say they were not going to make it......

So much for Sears...

But I wasn't having any luck lining up any other vendors. Is large
appliance repair becoming a lost art?

Am I trying to fool Mother Nature by getting this thing fixed?

Or is 25-30 years a good time to start thinking "New" ?

It is fast becoming a lost art as the cost of replacement and the cost
of repair start really closing the gap. A 10 year old machine MIGHT be
worth fixing - but not a 30 year old.

A robot can assemble a new one cheaper than a technitiancan
dissassemble an old one

Per trader_4:
IMO, it's either fix it yourself, which you might be able to do if it's
just the defrost, or get a new one.

Just ordered a replacement for the obviously-funky defrost heater.
Replacement includes thermostat.

I'll put those in, expect to get at least a couple weeks out of it even if
that's not the problem, and start pricing replacements.

Replacements are a little tricky in that it is a smaller unit and the space
it has to fit in just barely accommodates it.
--
Pete Cresswell

On 2/3/18 11:31 PM, (PeteCresswell) wrote:
Per trader_4:
IMO, it's either fix it yourself, which you might be able to do if it's
just the defrost, or get a new one.

Just ordered a replacement for the obviously-funky defrost heater.
Replacement includes thermostat.

I'll put those in, expect to get at least a couple weeks out of it even if
that's not the problem, and start pricing replacements.

Replacements are a little tricky in that it is a smaller unit and the space
it has to fit in just barely accommodates it.

Amazon lets one sort them out by size. That would help narrow
your choices.

In article , lid
says...

Just ordered a replacement for the obviously-funky defrost heater.
Replacement includes thermostat.

I'll put those in, expect to get at least a couple weeks out of it even if
that's not the problem, and start pricing replacements.

Replacements are a little tricky in that it is a smaller unit and the space
it has to fit in just barely accommodates it.

I hate the houses that have only a certain small space for the
refregerator and stoves. The house I bought only had a small space and
could not fit in much of a frig. That is for a 4 bedroom house. As it
is just me and the wife it is ok, but for a large family the frig would
be on the small size.

On 2/4/2018 9:40 AM, Ralph Mowery wrote:

Replacements are a little tricky in that it is a smaller unit and the space
it has to fit in just barely accommodates it.

I hate the houses that have only a certain small space for the
refregerator and stoves. The house I bought only had a small space and
could not fit in much of a frig. That is for a 4 bedroom house. As it
is just me and the wife it is ok, but for a large family the frig would
be on the small size.


You solution is to marry off the kids once they hit 16.

We are limited to a 33" fridge. We got a nice Samsung but the size
severely limits the choices. I also had to cut the bottom of the
cabinet above it. The one that has not been opened in 20 years anyway.