Evaporator fan is noisy, then compressor shuts off

i have a Frigidaire Gallery side by side fridge, model plrs267za. Several times there has been a loud sound (almost like a vibrating buzz) coming from the freezer. i believe this is the evaporator fan. Later the fridge starts warming up and the water dispenser stops working. The compressor seems like it is overheated and i think it shuts itself off. After unplugging the fridge for a few hours, it comes back on and works fine for about a week, then it happens again. Can the evaporator fan cause the compressor to overheat?




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Answer


It sounds like the compressor is overheating and cutting off but the evaporator fan will not cause this. The condenser fan (the fan near the compressor) however will cause this problem. A dirty condenser (coils under the bottom) can also cause this. The only thing is if either of these were the problem it wouldn’t typically work for a week.

The next time it quits working check to make sure both fans are working and see if the compressor is running. Then see if the fans come back on when everything cools off. See on most refrigerators the fans will stay on when the compressor overheats but if the condenser fan quits it can cause the compressor to overheat. Let me know what you find.

Also the evaporator fan will cause it not to cool but it will not cause the compressor to turn off.

Thank you,
Shawn/administrator

Comments for Evaporator fan is noisy, then compressor shuts off

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evaporator fan de-iced
by: Anonymous

Thanks Shawn.

maybe we have more than one problem then. We checked out the evaporator fan last night after it started to make a screeching sound and discovered a large hunk of ice on the back of the fan. Was also wondering what was causing the water dispenser not to work when the fridge was warming up.
The ball of ice tells the tale
by: Shawn/admin

Did the ice see like it was from water leaking from the icemaker or not? If so ignore this suggestion because you have a different problem. If this is the case let me know.

What is happing is the ice is causing the fan to stop and the compressor short cycling could cause the ice to form. If the compressor is running then overheating before the thermostat calls for it to be off a ball of ice could form and this ball of ice could cause the fan to stop.

Reasons for the compressor to overheat and/or short cycle: a bad condenser fan, a dirty condenser coil and a bad compressor. Check the condenser fan to see if it is running and if not replace and check the condenser to see if it is dirty and if so clean it. Otherwise you may have a bad compressor.

There is most likely nothing wrong with the evaporator fan if you can just figure out why the ice is forming. The evaporator fan didn’t cause the compressor problem it is just that when the fan stops working it makes the refrigerator to cool even more poorly than with just the compressor short cycling. It is like the problem times ten.


The water line that keeps the water chilled for the water dispenser can freeze up and quit working if there is poor airflow in the refrigerator. We know there is poor airflow in your refrigerator because the fan quits so I believe if you get your other problem fixed the dispenser problem will go away.

Sorry I didn’t tell you all of this before but it is just now I have more of a idea of the problem you are having.
update
by: Anonymous

ok, a week has gone by and still no problems. i'm hoping that it was just a case of dirty coils overheating the compressor (they were terribly filthy)which caused the icemaker to leak on the evaporator fan and seized it up.
fridge went out again
by: Anonymous

Ok, so after two and a half weeks the evaporator fan seized up again. There was another big chunk of ice around the blades. the compressor seems like it is working fine, so i'm suspecting that the icemaker is leaking on the fan area. Is there a common solution to this?
Tube Frozen
by: Shawn

The tube that feeds the icemaker water is most likely clogged with ice. A bad water valve and when this happens water will leak cause this. Some water will leak in the freezer and sometimes on the floor. When it leaks in the freezer sometimes it will leak on the freezer coils such as yours. Clean the ice out of the tube and off the coils and replace the water valve.
iced cloged evaporator fan
by: Anonymous

I had the same problem. Every couple of months ice builds up over the evaporator fan and starts buzzing as the fan blades hit the ice. I remove the cover inside the freezer and remove the ice and Im good for another couple of months. I know that water is leaking somewhere from the guts of the ice maker above and would love to know how to fix the leak.


Answer,

Most of the time if the water is getting to the fan motor it is caused by the icemaker fill tube being clogged with ice which is caused by the water valve. Replace the water valve and if that doesn't solve your problem replace the icemaker.

Thank you,
Shawn/admin

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