# Refrigerator is suddenly not cold enough



## ed3120 (Aug 24, 2011)

I have a GE GSL25JFPBS side by side refrigerator. I suddenly have a problem where my refrigerator is not cold enough and my freezer has frost buildup along the back. This happened once before about a month ago, and it seemed to have corrected itself. The problem has returned.

In my refrigerator, things are around 50 degrees. In the freezer, my meat at the bottom of the freezer seems rock hard, but my ice cream at the top of the freezer is soft. I understand that warm air rises and cold air drops, but in the past, I have never had this problem with the ice cream at the top. Both of my dials for the freezer and refrigerator were set to 5 on a scale of 1-warmest to 9-coldest

A week or two ago, I went food shopping and had the freezer packed pretty tight with food. I am wondering if an airflow issue initiated the problem. Last night, I pulled some food out and saw the orange glow of the defroster running, so I know that the defroster coils turn on. I moved some things around to help the air flow. I turned the knobs to 7 to increase the coldness last night, but things were not any better this morning.


----------



## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

Circulator fan running?
http://www.repairclinic.com/RepairH...-/GE-Refrigerator-GSL25JFPBBS-Troubleshooting


----------



## ed3120 (Aug 24, 2011)

I hear the refrigerator making the standard refrigerator noises, so I assumed the compressor and the fan were working, but I get it's possible that I'm only hearing the compressor. I'll have to listen again when I get home. In a simple refrigerator like this, is there typically just one fan, or a separate one for the refrigerator and freezer? I know the refrigerator air comes through a vent in the top left, towards the back. Should I just put my hand there and feel for an airflow? Would it typically be a strong airflow, or would it be hard to notice?


----------



## ed3120 (Aug 24, 2011)

Just another piece of information...I had lettuce in my crisper (bottom drawer of refrigerator) freeze completely last week. I thought that was odd, so I turn down the dial on the crisper.


----------



## 747 (Feb 11, 2005)

could be the thermostat sensor


----------



## SeniorSitizen (Sep 10, 2012)

If removing items away from the freezer to fridge air flow vent doesn't solve the problem, move sensitive foods to another suitable location and manually defrost for a few hours. I had a air flow vent control freeze because of leaving the door open too long while replacing a door gasket. My daughter recently had the same problem and a manual defrost over night solved the issue.


----------



## ed3120 (Aug 24, 2011)

Fairview said:


> If removing items away from the freezer to fridge air flow vent doesn't solve the problem, move sensitive foods to another suitable location and manually defrost for a few hours. I had a air flow vent control freeze because of leaving the door open too long while replacing a door gasket. My daughter recently had the same problem and a manual defrost over night solved the issue.


That's interesting actually, because every now and then, my door water dispenser line freezes up. The solution is to leave the door open for about 90 minutes and it unfreezes. I did that about a month ago. I wonder if I caused something to freeze up by having the door open for so long.


----------



## biggles (Jan 1, 2008)

check the condenser coils under the frig is it covered in dust and the blade on the fan that blows air over it?keeping the freezer 3/4 full with space on the top is the norm the ice build up within actually insulats the top coil and the frig part suffers with the temp you see


----------



## ed3120 (Aug 24, 2011)

SOLVED:

I removed the food, and took off the back panel inside the freezer to reveal the defroster coils. They were completely encased in ice. I defrosted them with a hair dryer, put it all back together, and it's been working without issue for several days. Both the refrigerator and freezer sides are now back to their normal temperatures. 

I believe the ice build up problem started when I left the door open for about 90 minutes.

Thanks for the helpful suggestions.


----------



## SeniorSitizen (Sep 10, 2012)

ed3120 said:


> SOLVED:
> 
> I removed the food, and took off the back panel inside the freezer to reveal the defroster coils. They were completely encased in ice. I defrosted them with a hair dryer, put it all back together, and it's been working without issue for several days. Both the refrigerator and freezer sides are now back to their normal temperatures.
> 
> ...


Good for you.

It makes one wonder how many appliances of all kinds are dumped annually for a for a new unit because of often minor deficiencies.


----------

