GE Profile Refridgerator Problem - help please?

[govtdog]

It is a 7 year old GE Profile fridge/freezer, model # TFX27PFSM WW .

Recently, it stopped cooling and exhibited a FF error(freezer) as well as showing the WARM light on the front display panel. In the freezer, I noticed a large block of whitefrost ice at the bottom extending out from the cooling coils.

So, I emptied the fridge/freezer and turned the unit off for 2 days, totally defrosting it. I turned it back on and it seemed to start to get cold again but after a couple days, I got the same error messages and the same block of ice.

Thinking(hoping) it was only something like a broken defroster, I had a service guy come out and he thinks the fridge is a goner, since only the bottom half of the cooling coils freeze up and not the top half? He said that is caused by a freon leak somewhere in the coils... and that it would be cheaper to buy a new fridge rather than replace the entire coil assembly.

I heard that this fridge uses two seperate heaters/defrosters... so I am wondering if could it be just that the top heater/defroster works, and not the bottom one, thereby causing the freezeup?

Has anyone had anything like this happen to them... and if so, what was the problem?

ADDED: the fridge has now been on for a couple of hours now, and still only the bottom two loops of the coil (out of around 30 loops) are frosted and when I touch the pipe at the very top of the coil, it doesn't even seem to be cold to the touch.

Thank you very much for your help!

[jonnho]

the ff error is usually a refrid fan error or ice build up around the fan. you need to make sure the fan is running correctly.

[Dan O.]

Originally Posted by govtdog

I had a service guy come out and he thinks the fridge is a goner, since only the bottom half of the cooling coils freeze up and not the top half? He said that is caused by a freon leak somewhere in the coils...

Not necessarily but a refrigeration system problem for sure (see the following link).

LINK > How does a frost free refrigerator's defrost system work?

I heard that this fridge uses two separate heaters/defrosters... so I am wondering if could it be just that the top heater/defroster works, and not the bottom one, thereby causing the freezeup?

I'm afraid not. The heaters are wired in series. If one failed, the other would stop working as well. Sorry.

and that it would be cheaper to buy a new fridge rather than replace the entire coil assembly.

Did he actually find a problem with the "coil assembly"?

In any case, a refrigeration system problem will usually be expensive to correct. IF just a leak and it can be be isolated and repaired without replacing parts, probably $150+. If it needs parts (evaporator or compressor, etc.) to correct it, it could easily be $350+. While cheaper than a new fridge, it is borderline as to whether the repair would be worthwhile or not.

JMO

Dan O.
www.Appliance411.com
The Appliance Information Site
=D~~~~~~

[govtdog]

Thank you all very much for the help!

Did he actually find a problem with the "coil assembly"?

No, they didn't really do anything but remove the back cover to check the compressor, and plug it in. I had already removed the back-inside panel which covers the cooler coils to defrost it.

They determined/guessed that the fridge was kaput by looking at the coils and touching them to see if they were cold after the unit was turned on for a couple of hours. At that point, only the bottom 3 coils(out of about 30) were cold or frosted.

HOWEVER, I wake up this morning and the fridge is COLD, and the FF and WARM warning lights are gone replaced by NORMAL????

I am almost afraid to remove the inside back panel to check the cooler coils... but I guess I have to do that to make sure it is working correctly... right? Is it possible that having the freezer loaded to the brim and having frequent door openings led to the failure in the past and that everything is just fine now... or, is it perfectly normal for a broken fridge/freezer to work correctly when empty and left closed for 12 hours?

What would you nice folks recommend I do next?

[Dan O.]

Originally Posted by govtdog

They determined/guessed that the fridge was kaput by looking at the coils and touching them

Than they don't know for certain that any parts are required. Just being short of refrigerant can cause your symptom.

I wake up this morning and the fridge is COLD, and the FF and WARM warning lights are gone replaced by NORMAL????

I am almost afraid to remove the inside back panel to check the cooler coils... but I guess I have to do that to make sure it is working correctly... right?

Yes... but if it is, IMO it would likely point to a problem with the compressor as the likely cause in which case you should probably start shopping for a new refrigerator as that is the worst (ie. most expensive) of all the possible causes.

Is it possible that having the freezer loaded to the brim and having frequent door openings led to the failure in the past

Not likely. Those things would usually cause excessive frosting of the evaporator. The *whole* thing, not just part of it. The only thing that can cause *partial* frosting of the evaporator coil is a refrigeration system problem.

What would you nice folks recommend I do next?

Keep your eye on it... and sales flyers for a good deal on a replacement fridge.

JMO

Dan O.
www.Appliance411.com
The Appliance Information Site
=D~~~~~~

[govtdog]

Thanks Dan for the help.

Well... the sound of falling ice cubes into the tray made me go and look at the fridge and now, the WARM error message is back on and I think it is because it defrosted??? (Got water in the pan too)
BUT
Removed the inside panel and looked at the coils and still only has frost on the bottom 3 coils and the top coils are no colder than the inside air temp of the freezer.

So, I guess the guys were right and this fridge is a goner.

BTW, I did ask the guys about adding freon, and they said it is a closed system and is soldered closed, plus they said that if it is low on freon it has a leak in the coils which leads me back to the unit being a goner?

Thanks anyway for the help and advice!

[Dan O.]

Originally Posted by govtdog

they said that if it is low on freon it has a leak in the coils

If it is short of refrigerant, it definitely has a leak but not necessarily "in the coils".

Any part of a refrigeration system can lean, the evaporator, the condenser, any connecting tubing and any factory soldered joint. Before refrigerant can be added, that leak has to be found and corrected.

If the leak was in the evaporator itself, the evaporator might have to be replaced. But without actual searching for the leak, no one could possibly say with any certainty where it was or what would be required to repair it... besides it would likely be at least $150+ (depending on the going rate in whatever area you live in) to fix.

JMO

Dan O.
www.Appliance411.com
The Appliance Information Site
=D~~~~~~