Recent Feedback
We have a GE side-by-side refrigerator that we noticed was not running last night. We cleaned the back & underneath thoroughly & it started running. When we got up this AM, the temp in the fridge was about the same (60 degrees F) as when we went to bed. The freezer is still making ice & is currently about 27 d F. Temp setting for both is the mid-setting---5 on the dial. The compressor seems to be blowing cool air, not warm as we've previously noticed before. Do you think it's okay now & just needs some time to get back to proper coldness? What should proper temp for each be? Or do we need to do some reair? My husband is an electrical engineer, so is pretty adept at home repairs if he knows what to do. He also says he doesn't see a spot to plug in to recharge the compressor, & no way to install a new one unless it is being soldered in. There's no model # XXXXX the fridge, but the manual says part # XXXXX
Hi Thanks for the question.
The freezer temp should be -5 and the fridge side should be 37 deg .If you cleaned the back coils last night I would give it 24 hrs to see if the freezer temp goes down.
Then if not right get back to me.
And i will need the model # XXXXX well
I'm a little concerned about waiting 24 hours. If it needs repair, I will definitely lose all the food (easily $500) if I wait that long. I was hoping Just Answer could provide us with some troubleshooting info or that there would be enough info in what I provided to get a more educated guess as to if we just needed to wait & let it get back to temp. I know the food felt cold to the touch yesterday at about 10 AM. At 8 PM we realized it wasn't running & the fridge food only felt mildly cool. Temp at that point was around 60 d F. I have cranked both controls up to max so it stays running as of this AM. Any idea where I I find the model #? There is no sticker/label/plaque on inside/outside/doors etc. that either of us could find?
The model # XXXXX XXXXX the fridge on the side wall or behind the kick plate.How dusty were the coils by the compressor ?And is the fan in the freezer going.And the coils by the compressor are they warm.
Model # XXXXX (space) BS, Serial # XXXXX It was on the fridge ceiling. Outside it says "GE Profile Performance." Husband says that whole area behind kick plate & in back by coils, compressor, etc. was very dirty & "could have been acting as an insulator." Sounds like fan in freezer is working. Freezer temp is now 22 d F in same spot it was 27 d F at 6:30 AM. Fridge is not any cooler, but I had door open this morning while I tried to empty as much that I could for putting in spare freezer. Cannot reach coils by compressor, they are more toward front, but I felt as far as I could reach from kick plate backward & they are all slightly warmer than room temp. Compressor is currently very warm to touch, but not too hot to hold a hand on it. Copper pipe coming out of compressor that is wrapped in foam insulation is cool to touch, but not cold. Fan adjacent to compressor is running.
So far it sounds like you found the problem with the dirty coils.
Its very important to keep the coils clean.
The only time they are cleaned is when a problem occurs.
It should be fine now. Clean them once a year especially with animals in the house.
So are we right in thinking the coils should be warm & that 1 copper pipe I described before coming from the compressor should be cool/cold?
Is it best to keep both temp setting knobs cranked until things get cold enough again?
You are right about the cleaning...We are faithful about doing the smoke detectors yearly--I'll add this to be done at the same time.
Yes the coils should be warm and that copper insulated line should be cool..
The fridge is working fine if those 2 are what you say.Give it time it will be ok.
Thanks
Experience: Business owner for over 43 years in the appliance repair field