Freezer cold but refrigerator warm
How to tell which one it is
- Frost or snow on the back wall inside the freezer. This points to a defrost problem. The coil behind that panel is packed with ice and air cannot pass through it.
- No frost, and no fan sound from the freezer when the compressor runs. This points to the evaporator fan motor. On most models the fan stops when you open the door, so press the door switch by hand to check.
- Fan runs, no frost, refrigerator still warm. The air damper between the sections can be stuck closed, or the vents are blocked by food.
The defrost system
Several times a day the refrigerator turns on a heater to melt frost off the evaporator coil. Three parts do this work: the defrost heater, a thermostat or sensor that limits the heat, and a timer or control board that starts the cycle. When any one fails, frost builds up for one to two weeks until the coil is a solid block. The freezer stays cold for a while because it sits next to the coil. The refrigerator section warms up first.
Does unplugging it fix it?
Leaving the refrigerator unplugged with the doors open for 24 hours melts the ice, and it will cool normally again. This is a useful test, not a repair. If the ice comes back in one to two weeks, a defrost part has failed and needs to be replaced.
How we repair it
We open the freezer panel, clear the ice, and test the heater, the thermostat or sensor and the control. We replace the failed part and check that the drain under the coil is open so meltwater does not freeze there again.
On some Samsung French door models the coil that ices up is in the refrigerator section, behind the back panel. The symptom there is a warm refrigerator with a fan noise. We cover it on the Samsung repair page.