If your freezer is not freezing, start with the parts that most often fail. The evaporator fan motor is top suspect because it moves cold air across the evaporator coils and into the compartment; if the fan blade is hard to turn, noisy, or not running, the freezer will struggle to get cold. Next check the freezer door gasket for tears or gaps that let warm air in. A faulty condenser fan motor can also cause poor cooling by failing to move heat away from the condenser. Control boards are sometimes blamed, but they are often a last-resort replacement after the fans, gasket, thermostat and start relay have been checked. The temperature control thermostat and the start relay can prevent the sealed system from running and should be tested with a multimeter if the basics check out. If you need the correct replacement part, enter your model number on RepairClinic.com to find the exact evaporator fan motor, gasket, condenser fan, control board or other parts that fit your refrigerator.
01 - Admiral Refrigerator Evaporator Fan Motor
The evaporator fan motor draws air over the evaporator (cooling) coils and circulates it throughout the refrigerator and freezer compartments. Some refrigerators have more than one evaporator fan motor. On refrigerators with two evaporators, there will be an evaporator located in both the freezer and refrigerator compartments. If the evaporator fan is not working, it will not circulate the cold air in the compartment. If this occurs, the refrigerator may still get cold, while the freezer will not get cold or vice versa. To determine if the evaporator fan motor is defective, try turning the fan blade by hand. If the fan bla...de does not turn freely, replace the fan motor. Additionally, if the motor is unusually noisy, replace it. Finally, if the motor does not run at all, use a multimeter to test the motor windings for continuity. If the windings do not have continuity, replace the evaporator fan motor.
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A freezer door gasket should form an airtight seal around the appliance's frame to keep the cold air in and the warm air out. If the door gasket is twisted or torn, gaps can form that will allow warm air in, resulting in the freezer not freezing properly. Inspect the door gasket for any damage and replace with a new one if necessary.
The condenser fan motor draws air though the condenser coils and over the compressor. If the condenser fan motor is not working properly, the refrigerator won’t cool properly. To determine if the fan motor is defective, first check the fan blade for obstructions. Next, try turning the fan motor blade by hand. If the blade does not spin freely, replace the condenser fan motor. If no obstructions are present and the fan blade spins freely, use a multimeter to test the fan motor for continuity. If the condenser fan motor does not have continuity, replace it.
Control boards are often misdiagnosed—before replacing the control board, first check more commonly defective parts. If you have determined that all of the other components are working properly, replace the control board.
05 - Admiral Refrigerator Temperature Control Thermostat
The temperature control thermostat directs voltage to the compressor, evaporator fan motor, and condenser fan motor (if applicable). If the temperature control thermostat is not working properly, it may prevent the freezer's refrigerant system from running. To determine if the thermostat is defective, rotate the thermostat from the lowest setting to the highest setting and listen for a click. If the thermostat clicks, it is not likely defective. If the thermostat does not click, use a multimeter to test the thermostat for continuity. If the temperature control thermostat does not have continuity at any setting, replace it.
The start relay works in conjunction with the start winding to start the compressor. If the start relay is defective, the compressor may sometimes fail to run or may not run at all. As a result, the freezer will not be able to freeze properly. To determine if the start relay is defective, use a multimeter to test it for continuity between the run and start terminal sockets. If the start relay does not have continuity between the run and start terminal sockets, replace it. In addition, if the start relay has a burnt odor, replace it.