Temporary Repair | Warm Refrigerator – Cold Freezer

View Comments

• Thanks a million for this (or at least the $75 I would have had to spend on a service call). A day before you posted this, I noticed my milk seemed a bit warm. Once I read this, I put a temp gauge in the refrig. and it read 50. Freezer was fine. I pulled the diffuser and noticed ice had formed on the end of the thermostat wire as well as in the diffuser itself. I think the ice was keeping the diffuser stuck shut and the ice at the end of the thermostat wire was giving it a false read. (I spent a long time over the weekend cleaning the refrigerator and freezer, which I think led to the ice forming) Short story long, I cleaned out the ice, reinstalled everything and I'm back in business. Thanks again!

• I love the net. If you are persistent, the answers are out there. Your post hit the nail on the head. I haven't applied yet what you suggest but I already can see that this is the solution. Thanks a million. You took the time to write what the manufacturers should have put into their documentation. Designed for failure. Our MBAs are taught to maximize the bottom line. Engineers and craftsmen ought to run the companies.
  Thanks again.
  Roger in Rochester.

  • Roger - I hope it helps. Do me a favor and report back so we all know if it worked for you.

  • thank you soo much for the repair advice. 4 gallons of cottage cheese later. they were trying to sell us a service agreement for 225 dollars. cha ching!

• Thank you for the awesome information. I did your temporary fix with one modification; I didn't like how the diffuser was pushing on the plastic strap I installed when it tried to close(the diffuser seemed to be continuously cycling open/closed), so I waited until it was open, and disconnected the power connector. Overnite the refrigerator dropped to mid-30's temperature, so I ordered the diffuser $31.28 and thermistor $7.63; they should be here Tuesday 6-29-10. Parts cost $39 (cheap in my mind), and taxes shipping about $24.50 to get them in 2 days. I'm going to use the freezer temp to control the refrigerator temp for the next couple days. I don't care what the service call would have cost, even if it was cheap (ya, right!) I will get much satisfaction out of doing this myself!
  - Don in Littleton Colorado

  • Don - Please let us know if it was a success afterward. There's no doubt this is cheaper than a service call!

  • Where do you get your diffuser for $31.28
    The diffuser I saw for my Kenmore model 106.52603100 at sears parts direct cost $74.01, yet the thermistor cost the same.
    Could you tell me where you purchase them?

    Thank you,
    Steven

    • Steven - I usually buy mine at http://www.partselect.com

• Hi Steven,

  Thanks a lot for all the useful articles!

  I need to do this temporary fix but I don't seem to find a way to open the diffuser as I have a newer model: 106.57863801

  I can see from outside that it has frosting stuff inside it but I dont see any screw to open the cover.

  Can you please help?

  • Sometimes they are held in place with a type of spring clip and sometimes they are held in place with screws from the freezer side.

    • Thanks Todd,

      I couldn't remove the panel but I was able to insert a plastic screw inside the diffuser door and it's half open now all the time but still I don't get and cold air inside the refrigerator area.

      • Have you searched for a parts diagram? without getting that cover off it's possible that you haven't opened it all the way. It's also possible that something else is wrong like a bad defrost timer.

        • Yes but I couldn't find anything for it on the web.

          Now the bottom part of my refrigerator is freezing cold (all the fruits there have been frozen) and the top part of the refr. is still warm)

          I think I have to call someone to check it as I don't know what to do...

          Thanks again.

        • Sure sounds like the diffuser is the issue. Right now all you have is cold air falling down to the bottom, freezing things, the air is circulating properly.

• I am trying this temporary fix on a Kenmore Elite Model 106.55612400 and can't figure out how to get the styrofoam off. I've got the plastic cover off the wires and the diffuser on the refridgerator side. Anyone give some guidance. Thanks,

  • If my memory serves me the foam was stuck on there really tight. I had to pull pretty hard to get it off.

    • Well I tried pulling it off and the foam broke. In the meantime, my other half was doing something and now the electronics are not displaying anything. Looks like it is time for the repairman. Will update you on our resolution.

• Warm fridge cold freezer

  Sometimes it is simple..The ehaust vents to fridge, in the freezer, were frosted shut move the frezzer food to fridge and and defrosted freezer, with the help of a blow dryer et Voila..What caused the frost up that's another question maybe someone left a door ajar ??

• Todd,
  I woke this morning to the same situation with my Kenmore Side by Side: Freezer cold, refrigerator warm. Placed thermometer in each section and discovered Freezer - 0 deg. Refrigerator - 54 deg. After looking for anything obvious, I went on the internet and saw your post. The only difference in my situation compared to your situation that I found was that I did note some air flow coming out of the diffuser; not much and definitely not enough to make my hand cold. In your first post you said "I could not feel any cold air coming out of the refigerator vents" but in posting on the defective Air Diffuser you used the slightly different terminology of "restricting cool air". Did your diffuser shut out all air flow or did it significantly restrict? Accordintly I am not sure that I have experienced the same prblem which plagued you but regardless, you have given my a great step by step primer for checking the sitution out further. Thanks

  • This problem could leave you with many different air flows depending on how the louver breaks. It could break in the closed, open, or in between stages. Certainly very likely to be the diffuser or thermostat.

• Todd,

  I appreciate your input and expertise! My Kenmore sideXside has similar circumstances in that freezer cold and refrig. warm. I have been dealing with this since last summer when I called service man. He came out and removed back shield in freezer and the coils were covered in ice. He defrosted and checked everything out saying the diffuser etc. was working. He reset the settings and said should be ok & it was for two or three weeks until it froze up again. Since I had watched what he did I have done this probably three or four times since. However I just had to do again for first time since early winter. After defrosting the diffuser seems to blow cold air pretty well for a time but eventually freezes up again and then it will not blow much air at all and it is not cold. Does this still sound like the diffuser and if so would you recommend replacing it and the thermistor? Thanks for your advice!

  • Mike, certainly sounds like some kind of issue with the diffuser. The trouble is I can't say if it's that, the thermistor, or the control panel. I'm a "replace" this piece and try it kinda guy when it comes to appliances.

• Our side-by-side is a Maytag PSB2151GRW. We had these same symptoms- warm fridge, freezer cold. Emptied it out, removed inside back of freezer to expose the coils they were frozen up pretty solid. Thought maybe we had too much shtuff in the appliance and had blocked the airway tunnels, still unsure what caused the freezeup. Were able to do the temp fix by loosening the control panel in the fridge side, but couldn't figure out how to get all the way into the damper to lodge it open. It was enough to get it down to 38. Went ahead and called the tech - he ordered $290 worth of parts - said we'd need new defrost-defrost controller and a new damper unit. Apparently even though it is a three part piece, they only sell it as an expensive assembly now. And it will take 2-3 weeks to come from the factory. :-( OH WELL. Guess that is cheaper than a new fridge.

• side by side fridge freezer cold fridge warm fridgadare pure source help