# Forceing defrost on Samsun Refrigerators



## MTN REMODEL LLC (Sep 11, 2010)

Hi...

I happen to have a RF28HDEDT Samsung Frenchdoor/freezer on the bottom refrigerator.

These SOB's are known to freeze up in their coils and block the cooling fans. 

On mine I finally found the forced defrost (by pressing Feezer and Lighting at the same time and scrolling thru.

A friend has me helping him, but his is a slightly different (same french with bottom freezer) but his panel is blank without button identification until you touch it.

We can't find how to force a defrost cycle.

Anybody know how or any ideas.

TIA


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

Does this help or is this what you did?
To put a *Samsung refrigerator* into *forced defrost* mode you need to press a few button sequences: -Press both the “Power Freeze” and “*Fridge*” buttons at the same time. -Hold both buttons in until display beeps and goes blank. -To *force fridge defrost* element to come on, press “Freezer” button a second time.Dec 31, 2013​


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## MTN REMODEL LLC (Sep 11, 2010)

Neal Thanks...

I'll be going over there in a little while and make sure I try that. But the code (in buttons) seems different in different models.

Actually mine works similar to what you found, but I press the freezer and the lighting buttons....and sometimes I have to shut down (throw the breaker) the fridge for 5-10 minutes before that will work.????????????????????????


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## MTN REMODEL LLC (Sep 11, 2010)

Just as an update for anyone with the same problem....

Went over this morning and screwed with his refrigerator..... it had a black control panel with the functions very minimally visable (by design I guess so it appeared mostly black).

The button codes to force defrost for this model turned out to be:

Press "energy saver" and "refrigerator" buttons till a beep and panel goes blank.

Then press energy saver to cycle thru functions till third option "rd" (I suppose refrigerator defrost).

The thing will then defrost for about 1 1/2 hours...with a continual beep going on.

After that it will resume normal operation.

I have no idea why...but sometimes if it does not work, throw the breaker for 5-10 minutes and try again....maybe it needs to reset itself


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## chileboy (Mar 27, 2019)

A bit OT probably, but I have a similar model and I've started having an issue with ice forming under the "Cool Select Pantry" drawer (immediately above the lower freezer drawer), which is their name for the full-width, pull-out drawer. I've Googled it and tried some suggestions I've found to no avail, but could this be my problem? How would I know? If I break the accumulated ice out (again) and go though this procedure, might it help?

Thank you!

- Mark


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## MTN REMODEL LLC (Sep 11, 2010)

chileboy said:


> A bit OT probably, but I have a similar model and I've started having an issue with ice forming under the "Cool Select Pantry" drawer (immediately above the lower freezer drawer), which is their name for the full-width, pull-out drawer. I've Googled it and tried some suggestions I've found to no avail, but could this be my problem? How would I know? If I break the accumulated ice out (again) and go though this procedure, might it help?
> 
> Thank you!
> 
> - Mark


Mark... I am not sure...(Only thing I'm sure of is I will probably incur the same problem with these GD Samsung krap appliances....:devil3::vs_mad

But, as a guess, may be the freezer (not refrigerator) coils icing up as it's right near our "wide open cool select pantry" drawer.

I do know the icing that I had and the heater unit I forced is at the top right center of the back of the refer.

My controls, when I used my buttons as explained above posts, scrolled thru something like FF (forced freeze?) FO (freezer off?) and rd (refrigerator defrost) and fd ( I believe is freezer defrost). 

Might try the "fd", and see if it works to de-ice.

Let us know... as I'm sure this SAMSUNG POS of mine will probably have that problem also.

Good luck

Peter


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## CaptTom (Dec 31, 2017)

My Samsung refrigerator manual has the following paragraph:



> Your appliance is frost free, which means there
> is no need to manually defrost your appliance.
> This will be carried out automatically.


I can assure you this is BS. I had to take out all the food, all the shelves, and a bunch of screws to pry off a couple of layers of plastic panels to reach the coils. Which were of course totally iced up.

I couldn't see anything in the manual about a way to manually kick off a defrost cycle.


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## MTN REMODEL LLC (Sep 11, 2010)

CaptTom said:


> My Samsung refrigerator manual has the following paragraph:
> 
> Your appliance is frost free, which means there
> is no need to manually defrost your appliance.
> ...


YEP.....I could not find anything in the manual either.....


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## BayouRunner (Feb 5, 2016)

Fd and rd are freezer defrost tests. They only stay in that mode for a few minutes. Long enough test items. I really don’t know the amount of time. Maybe 10 to 20 minutes each time. FF is another test mode where all fans run but not compressor, you should be able to open the doors and the fans will still run. OF or FO I forget which it is but that’s the display mode. When you walk in a store and you can see a frig all lit up but it’s not actually running. Just for looks. None of that should be in the manual. Also on different models they change the test cycles up. It’s definitely not universal. What one test cycle will work on one Samsung model may be slightly different on another. There are even ways you can change the degrees in the frig or freezer. Let’s say a customer want it a little cooler, you can actually change it where it will get a few degrees warmer or cooler. That’s deep in the menu though and only works on the ones with numerical displays


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## chileboy (Mar 27, 2019)

MTN REMODEL LLC said:


> Mark... I am not sure...(Only thing I'm sure of is I will probably incur the same problem with these GD Samsung krap appliances....:devil3::vs_mad
> 
> But, as a guess, may be the freezer (not refrigerator) coils icing up as it's right near our "wide open cool select pantry" drawer.
> 
> ...


Peter, dumb question (2 actually) - do I need to remove all of the food? I mean, is the refrigerator going to warm up?

Also, will there be water running out? I don't seem to have any sort of a pan underneath?

Thank you!

- Mark


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## huesmann (Aug 18, 2011)

Chileboy, here's my thread, which sounds similar to your problem: https://www.diychatroom.com/f47/fridge-too-cold-670611/


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## chileboy (Mar 27, 2019)

huesmann said:


> Chileboy, here's my thread, which sounds similar to your problem: https://www.diychatroom.com/f47/fridge-too-cold-670611/


Hey, thanks for that. I had seen some similar things online but I'm leery of opening this up. Just not my thing, and it seems like a major pain.

I'm also unsure if this is really my issue, because as far as I know I can't see that my model even has a drain (RF263TE** according to manual - I'm not home so I can't check the label for exact model #) - there's no pan or anything at all, nor does the installation mention anything about it. It would seem if there was a drain line, there would have to be something to catch the water.

Do you think this whole long defrost thing would work? Or maybe just leaving the thing unplugged for a few days so everything melts, even any clogged lines?

It just started doing this a year or so ago (got it back in 2014). So far, when the drawer gets hard to pull in and out due to the ice, I've just pulled it out and pried the ice off. Then it's good for a month or two. Not a huge deal I guess, just a pain.

- Mark


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## huesmann (Aug 18, 2011)

If no pan, use a bunch of towels?


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## chileboy (Mar 27, 2019)

huesmann said:


> If no pan, use a bunch of towels?


Well, yeah, but I'm wondering if I even have a drain line. There was no pan to install when I bought it, nor does the manual mention anything. If there was a drainline, wouldn't I be getting water on the floor sometimes?


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## MTN REMODEL LLC (Sep 11, 2010)

chileboy said:


> Well, yeah, but I'm wondering if I even have a drain line. There was no pan to install when I bought it, nor does the manual mention anything. If there was a drainline, wouldn't I be getting water on the floor sometimes?


Mark... That issue/question has me stumped also. (I wondered if there was a built in drain pan that just evaporates, as opposed to the old time drain pans we used to have.)


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## BayouRunner (Feb 5, 2016)

Your refrigerator has a defrost drain and pan. Condenser coil sits in pan to help evaporate the water. It’s really a common problem you have. If you left the unit off and the doors open for let’s say 24 hours yes that would take care of the stopped up drain and the ice buildup. Most people aren’t willing to live without a refrigerator for that long though. That other thread posted above is the same trouble and cure that your having


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## chileboy (Mar 27, 2019)

MTN REMODEL LLC said:


> Mark... That issue/question has me stumped also. (I wondered if there was a built in drain pan that just evaporates, as opposed to the old time drain pans we used to have.)


Hey, just wanted to followup here - I finally did the "rf" thing and it did as you said - kept beeping annoyingly but in my case was only for about 30-40 minutes. I wonder if it somehow senses when it's done.

I have no idea if it will fix my ice buildup issue, as it takes a month or more for the ice to form. I think there's also a "fd" ("freezer defrost"?), maybe I'll try that if the problem persists.

Also, I discovered by accident on mine, holding the "Power Freeze" and "Fridge" brings up two numbers. Pressing Power Freeze increases the left number between 0-15. Pressing Fridge resets the left number to 0 and cycles 5 or 6 seemingly random numbers (I didn't write them down). Pressing Power Freeze again resets it to 0.

I made sure to reset them both to 0 since I had no idea what I was doing. Anyone know what that's all about?

Also, I think it was Power Freeze + Alarm/Lighting seemed to "reboot" the thing. Every indicator illuminates for a few seconds and then the screen returned to normal.


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## BayouRunner (Feb 5, 2016)

Those numbers are to change the temp in the refrigerator or freezer. Let’s say the lowest you can set the temp in the frig is 33. Using those numbers you cane change the setting. Let’s say you put in number one it will raise the setting of the 33 degree number or lower it. Basically good for a service tech if the customer says I can’t set the temperature low enough to keep my beer as cold as I would like. It allows you to adapt. I haven’t fooled with any of that stuff for years. But Samsung allows you to adjust the temp


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## chileboy (Mar 27, 2019)

BayouRunner said:


> Those numbers are to change the temp in the refrigerator or freezer.


I kind of thought it was something like that, but what I don't understand is that the control panel already lets you adjust the temperatures (the refrigerator between 34°-44°, freezer between -8°-5°). The left hand numbers in the menu are in increments of 1, between 0-15, but the right-hand numbers seem random - can't recall exactly and I'm not home to check, but it was something along the lines of 0, 8, 17, 28, 34 - seemingly random numbers.


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