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HomeRepair HelpAdmiral Refrigerator RepairAdmiral Refrigerator not defrosting Repair
Admiral Refrigerator not defrosting
If your Admiral refrigerator is not defrosting, you’ll most likely notice frost or ice building on the evaporator coils or inside the freezer. The usual causes, in order, are a door left open long enough to let moisture freeze onto the coils, a failed defrost control board that never runs the defrost cycle, or a defrost timer that will not advance into or out of the defrost mode. A twisted or worn door gasket can let moist air in and worsen icing, and if the defrost heater assembly or defrost thermostat fail the heater won’t melt accumulated frost. Start by checking for an obvious door left open and then test the heater and thermostat for continuity before blaming the control board or replacing the timer. You can find the correct replacement defrost control board, timer, heater, thermostat, or door gasket for your model at RepairClinic.com; enter your refrigerator model number to view parts that fit and step-by-step repair guides so you can fix the fridge not defrosting problem with confidence.
01 - Door left open
If the freezer or refrigerator door was left open for an extended period of time (more than 4 hours), frost or ice may have accumulated on the food, evaporator coil and evaporator fan motor, or around the door opening. Frost should go away after the door is closed and the refrigerator goes through a defrost cycle. More significant ice buildup may require the refrigerator to be unplugged for a day to allow the ice to melt, or a hair dryer may be able to be used to assist in melting the ice.
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02 - Admiral Refrigerator Defrost Control Board
The defrost control board determines how often to run the defrost cycle. If the board fails, the refrigerator will not go into the defrost cycle. Before replacing the defrost control board, first test the defrost heater and defrost thermostat. If the defrost heater and defrost thermostat are working properly, the defrost control board is likely defective.
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03 - Admiral Refrigerator Defrost Timer
The defrost timer turns on the defrost heater several times throughout the day to melt any frost that may have accumulated on the evaporator coils. If the defrost timer is defective, it may not advance into the defrost cycle, or it may not send power to the defrost heater during the defrost cycle. To determine if the defrost timer is defective, slowly advance the dial into the defrost cycle. The compressor should turn off and the heater should turn on. If the timer does not send power to the defrost components or advance out of the defrost cycle within 30 minutes, this indicates that the defrost timer is not advancing. If ...
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04 - Admiral Refrigerator Door Gasket
A twisted or worn gasket can keep the door from closing properly. Inspect the door gasket for kinks or twists. You can use a hair dryer to try smoothing out the kinks. If the door gasket is damaged it will need to be replaced.
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05 - Admiral Refrigerator Defrost Heater Assembly
The defrost heater assembly turns on several times throughout the day to melt away any frost that may have accumulated on the evaporator coils. If the defrost heater assembly is defective, the defrost system will not work, and frost will continue to accumulate on the evaporator coils. To determine if the defrost heater is defective, use a multimeter to test it for continuity. If the defrost heater does not have continuity, replace it.
Common
06 - Admiral Refrigerator Defrost Thermostat
The defrost thermostat monitors the temperature of the evaporator coils. When the coils drop below a set temperature, the thermostat contacts close to allow power to flow to the defrost heater during the defrost cycle. In the defrost cycle, the defrost heater melts away any frost that may have accumulated on the evaporator coils. If the defrost thermostat is defective, the thermostat contacts will not close. As a result, the thermostat won’t provide power to the defrost heater. To determine if the defrost thermostat is defective, use a multimeter to test it for continuity. If the defrost thermostat does not have continuity...
Common
Frequently Asked Questions
Refrigerator not defrosting: what causes frost to build up and my fridge to stop cooling?
Fridge not cooling but freezer works: why is the freezer cold and the refrigerator warm?
How do I test the defrost heater and defrost thermostat?
How can I tell if the defrost timer or defrost control board is bad?
How do I enter my model number on RepairClinic.com to find the right replacement part?
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