I appeal to the great knowledge of the group.
Hotpoint FFA 71 about 7 years old, high temp light coming on for hours
at a time for no obvious reason.
Pulled out from between units to check,
heat exchanger almost cold except top inch or 2 just slightly warm,
compressor is very hot,can only touch it very briefly,
no odd smells from it.
Have I got a problem, if so what is the best/cheapest option??

http://i1116.photobucket.com/albums/...1/P1010433.jpg
http://i1116.photobucket.com/albums/...1/P1010432.jpg

Thanks for any suggestions.

John Gifford

On Thu, 31 May 2012 15:58:07 +0100, Giffo
wrote:

I appeal to the great knowledge of the group.
Hotpoint FFA 71 about 7 years old, high temp light coming on for hours
at a time for no obvious reason.
Pulled out from between units to check,
heat exchanger almost cold except top inch or 2 just slightly warm,
compressor is very hot,can only touch it very briefly,
no odd smells from it.
Have I got a problem, if so what is the best/cheapest option??

http://i1116.photobucket.com/albums/...1/P1010433.jpg
http://i1116.photobucket.com/albums/...1/P1010432.jpg

Thanks for any suggestions.

Angle grinder.

--
Frank Erskine

On 31/05/2012 15:58, Giffo wrote:
I appeal to the great knowledge of the group.
Hotpoint FFA 71 about 7 years old, high temp light coming on for hours
at a time for no obvious reason.

Worth checking that the temperature really is too high with an
independent thermometer.

Pulled out from between units to check,
heat exchanger almost cold except top inch or 2 just slightly warm,
compressor is very hot,can only touch it very briefly,
no odd smells from it.

Sounds like the compressor may be running almost continuously so maybe
there is less working fluid than there ought to be - ie a leak.

Have I got a problem, if so what is the best/cheapest option??

http://i1116.photobucket.com/albums/...1/P1010433.jpg
http://i1116.photobucket.com/albums/...1/P1010432.jpg

Thanks for any suggestions.

John Gifford

--
Regards,
Martin Brown

On 31/05/2012 15:58, Giffo wrote:
I appeal to the great knowledge of the group.
Hotpoint FFA 71 about 7 years old, high temp light coming on for hours
at a time for no obvious reason.
Pulled out from between units to check,
heat exchanger almost cold except top inch or 2 just slightly warm,
compressor is very hot,can only touch it very briefly,
no odd smells from it.
Have I got a problem, if so what is the best/cheapest option??

http://i1116.photobucket.com/albums/...1/P1010433.jpg
http://i1116.photobucket.com/albums/...1/P1010432.jpg

Thanks for any suggestions.

At a guess I would say the frost free timer has stuck in the cooling
position, and never gets to do to heating phase. The result here is that
the heat exchanger will slowly turn into a solid block of ice that no
longer allows much (if any) air to be blown through it and cooled. So
the stat keeps the motor running to try and meet the target temperature.


--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/

"Giffo" wrote in message
...
I appeal to the great knowledge of the group.
Hotpoint FFA 71 about 7 years old, high temp light coming on for hours at
a time for no obvious reason.
Pulled out from between units to check,
heat exchanger almost cold except top inch or 2 just slightly warm,
compressor is very hot,can only touch it very briefly,
no odd smells from it.
Have I got a problem, if so what is the best/cheapest option??

http://i1116.photobucket.com/albums/...1/P1010433.jpg
http://i1116.photobucket.com/albums/...1/P1010432.jpg

Thanks for any suggestions.

John Gifford

In the old days I would say it was ****ed due to a refrigerant leak. But
that was the old days when fridges were simple and frost free were even a
bigger load of ****e than they are now.
Try looking at this
I have Hotpoint fridge/freezer FFA71 which has red warning - JustAnswer

On May 31, 3:58*pm, Giffo wrote:
I appeal to the great knowledge of the group.
Hotpoint FFA 71 about 7 years old, high temp light coming on for hours
at a time for no obvious reason.
Pulled out from between units to check,
heat exchanger almost cold except top inch or 2 just slightly warm,
compressor is very hot,can only touch it very briefly,
no odd smells from it.
Have I got a problem, if so what is the best/cheapest option??

http://i1116.photobucket.com/albums/...1/P1010432.jpg

Thanks for any suggestions.

John Gifford

is it frost free or conventional? Which exchanger is mostly cold? What
temp is it managing to maintain?


NT

On 31/05/2012 21:49, NT wrote:
On May 31, 3:58 pm, wrote:
I appeal to the great knowledge of the group.
Hotpoint FFA 71 about 7 years old, high temp light coming on for hours
at a time for no obvious reason.
Pulled out from between units to check,
heat exchanger almost cold except top inch or 2 just slightly warm,
compressor is very hot,can only touch it very briefly,
no odd smells from it.
Have I got a problem, if so what is the best/cheapest option??

http://i1116.photobucket.com/albums/...1/P1010432.jpg

Thanks for any suggestions.

John Gifford

is it frost free or conventional? Which exchanger is mostly cold? What
temp is it managing to maintain?


NT

Thanks for the suggestions, will investigate further.
John Gifford

"NT" wrote in message
...
On May 31, 3:58 pm, Giffo wrote:
I appeal to the great knowledge of the group.
Hotpoint FFA 71 about 7 years old, high temp light coming on for hours
at a time for no obvious reason.
Pulled out from between units to check,
heat exchanger almost cold except top inch or 2 just slightly warm,
compressor is very hot,can only touch it very briefly,
no odd smells from it.
Have I got a problem, if so what is the best/cheapest option??

http://i1116.photobucket.com/albums/...1/P1010432.jpg

Thanks for any suggestions.

John Gifford

is it frost free or conventional? Which exchanger is mostly cold? What
temp is it managing to maintain?


NT

It only has one set of coils.

Well it sounds to me like the gas is leaking out. I'd say the compressor is
working a lot but the cooling is minimal ie not much of the coolant to
condense hence only part of rear warm.
Brian

--
Brian Gaff....Note, this account does not accept Bcc: email.
graphics are great, but the blind can't hear them
Email:
__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________


"Giffo" wrote in message
...
I appeal to the great knowledge of the group.
Hotpoint FFA 71 about 7 years old, high temp light coming on for hours at
a time for no obvious reason.
Pulled out from between units to check,
heat exchanger almost cold except top inch or 2 just slightly warm,
compressor is very hot,can only touch it very briefly,
no odd smells from it.
Have I got a problem, if so what is the best/cheapest option??

http://i1116.photobucket.com/albums/...1/P1010433.jpg
http://i1116.photobucket.com/albums/...1/P1010432.jpg

Thanks for any suggestions.

John Gifford

On May 31, 3:58*pm, Giffo wrote:
I appeal to the great knowledge of the group.
Hotpoint FFA 71 about 7 years old, high temp light coming on for hours
at a time for no obvious reason.
Pulled out from between units to check,
heat exchanger almost cold except top inch or 2 just slightly warm,
compressor is very hot,can only touch it very briefly,
no odd smells from it.
Have I got a problem, if so what is the best/cheapest option??

http://i1116.photobucket.com/albums/...1/P1010432.jpg

Thanks for any suggestions.

John Gifford

Partial loss of refrigerant gas.
The compressor is very hot because it is cooled by the gas. It is now
junk or soon will be. (ie uneconomical repair.)

A new refrigerator (get A++ one) will use less electricity.
Has thicker insulation so will be bigger outside/smaller inside.

On 01/06/2012 07:05, harry wrote:
On May 31, 3:58 pm, wrote:
I appeal to the great knowledge of the group.
Hotpoint FFA 71 about 7 years old, high temp light coming on for hours
at a time for no obvious reason.
Pulled out from between units to check,
heat exchanger almost cold except top inch or 2 just slightly warm,
compressor is very hot,can only touch it very briefly,
no odd smells from it.
Have I got a problem, if so what is the best/cheapest option??

http://i1116.photobucket.com/albums/...1/P1010432.jpg

Thanks for any suggestions.

John Gifford

Partial loss of refrigerant gas.
The compressor is very hot because it is cooled by the gas. It is now
junk or soon will be. (ie uneconomical repair.)

A new refrigerator (get A++ one) will use less electricity.
Has thicker insulation so will be bigger outside/smaller inside.


Several people have mentioned loss of gas... however its worth noting
that while it can happen, its the least common cause of this sort of
problem.

--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/

"John Rumm" wrote in message
o.uk...
On 31/05/2012 15:58, Giffo wrote:
I appeal to the great knowledge of the group.
Hotpoint FFA 71 about 7 years old, high temp light coming on for hours
at a time for no obvious reason.
Pulled out from between units to check,
heat exchanger almost cold except top inch or 2 just slightly warm,
compressor is very hot,can only touch it very briefly,
no odd smells from it.
Have I got a problem, if so what is the best/cheapest option??

http://i1116.photobucket.com/albums/...1/P1010433.jpg
http://i1116.photobucket.com/albums/...1/P1010432.jpg

Thanks for any suggestions.

At a guess I would say the frost free timer has stuck in the cooling
position, and never gets to do to heating phase. The result here is that
the heat exchanger will slowly turn into a solid block of ice that no
longer allows much (if any) air to be blown through it and cooled. So the
stat keeps the motor running to try and meet the target temperature.


Presumably this can be tested by switching the thing off for a few hours (or
overnight) which will allow the heat exchanger to thaw but may not trash the
contents of the fridge/freezer as the doors say shut.

--
No plan survives contact with the enemy.
[Not even bunny]

Helmuth von Moltke the Elder

(\__/)
(='.'=)
(")_(")

On Fri, 1 Jun 2012 11:10:21 +0100, David WE Roberts wrote:

Presumably this can be tested by switching the thing off for a few hours
(or overnight) which will allow the heat exchanger to thaw but may not
trash the contents of the fridge/freezer as the doors say shut.

This is a "frost free" device, switched off and with doors open it
could well take a day or three for the solid lump of ice hidden
inside to thaw. With the doors shut it won't thaw at all in that
time.

I suggest the OP empties the thing, switches it off, and remove as
many access panels etc that they can and see if it is frozen up. If
it is leave a fan heater on it's lowest setting blowing into it from
a few feet away. It'll still take a while to thaw and be prepared for
a bucketful of water to slowly emerge.

Once fully defrosted switch back on and see if it now behaves itself.

--
Cheers
Dave.

On 01/06/2012 11:10, David WE Roberts wrote:

"John Rumm" wrote in message
o.uk...
On 31/05/2012 15:58, Giffo wrote:
I appeal to the great knowledge of the group.
Hotpoint FFA 71 about 7 years old, high temp light coming on for hours
at a time for no obvious reason.
Pulled out from between units to check,
heat exchanger almost cold except top inch or 2 just slightly warm,
compressor is very hot,can only touch it very briefly,
no odd smells from it.
Have I got a problem, if so what is the best/cheapest option??

http://i1116.photobucket.com/albums/...1/P1010433.jpg
http://i1116.photobucket.com/albums/...1/P1010432.jpg

Thanks for any suggestions.

At a guess I would say the frost free timer has stuck in the cooling
position, and never gets to do to heating phase. The result here is
that the heat exchanger will slowly turn into a solid block of ice
that no longer allows much (if any) air to be blown through it and
cooled. So the stat keeps the motor running to try and meet the target
temperature.


Presumably this can be tested by switching the thing off for a few hours
(or overnight) which will allow the heat exchanger to thaw but may not
trash the contents of the fridge/freezer as the doors say shut.

Its easier to pull all the draws out, and remove the cover at the back
of the compartment to expose the HE. Then 30 mins work with a hairdrier
will usually sort it.


--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/

On Fri, 1 Jun 2012 13:19:45 +0000 (UTC), Andrew Gabriel wrote:

... leave a fan heater on it's lowest setting blowing into it from
a few feet away.

... the Hotpoint fridge liner turned into something Salvador Dali would
have been truely proud of, big loops of melted plastic.

That's why I said lowest setting and few feet away...

It's how I defrost our freezers, just the door open will take all
day. Fan assisted it's only an hour or so (yes they don't get done as
often as they should...).

--
Cheers
Dave.