Ice built up in frost free freezer

wazza

Have a 6 year old Hotpoint frost free fridge freezer FFA90. After a year the fridge started to warm up. In the freezer section is a fan that circulates cold air into the fridge. It is known for ice to form around the fan and jams it preventing cold air getting into the fridge. The back panel inside the freezer section has to be removed and then ice is removed around the fan etc. Apparantly a desigm fault according to the repairman. Have to do this once a year sometimes.

Now i have noticed ice below the bottom compartment. It looks like water was dripping to the bottom of the freezer and then freezing up. Apart from that the fridge freezer is working perfectly. Any idea why this is happening?

So much for frost free fridge/freezers that does not need defrosting

davethetaller

wazza wrote: »

Have a 6 year old Hotpoint frost free fridge freezer FFA90. After a year the fridge started to warm up. In the freezer section is a fan that circulates cold air into the fridge. It is known for ice to form around the fan and jams it preventing cold air getting into the fridge. The back panel inside the freezer section has to be removed and then ice is removed around the fan etc. Apparantly a desigm fault according to the repairman. Have to do this once a year sometimes.

Now i have noticed ice below the bottom compartment. It looks like water was dripping to the bottom of the freezer and then freezing up. Apart from that the fridge freezer is working perfectly. Any idea why this is happening?

So much for frost free fridge/freezers that does not need defrosting

I have a frost free Zanussi which had the same symptons.

The thermostat had been set to about one and a half, (for economy !)
but I did not know it needed to be set on about two and a half for the defrost cycle to work correctly.

Throw a bit of salt on the frozen ice, if you have a defrost channel prior to it being vented on to the collection tray on top of the motor,then forget about it for a couple of days.

That is after you have turned the thermostat up to number 3 ish.

Hope that helps.

johnoz

Yes, same problem with a similar Hotpoint. During the defrost cycle the excess water runs down a drip tube at the back onto the tray atop the motor, which gets hot enough to evaporate away. This takes place several times a day.

However, the water going down the drip tube sometimes freezes at the top end and blocks up, so ice builds up even more on the cooler and fan assembly.

We've had ours fixed 3 times now. All agree it's a design fault, melt the ice with a hair dryer or heather, clean out the tube ... and expect to be back in a couple of years!

But the last guy seemed most switched on, as he reckoned he fixes the design fault ... basically, he fixes a small thin piece of wire to the heater and feeds that 3 or 4 inches down the drain tube. This is enough, he tells me, to ensure ice never forms there.

2 years on and counting ... still okay so far (touch wood!)

wazza

Water has started to leak out from the freezer section. Have been defrosting the freezer part of my Hotpoint fridge/freezer. There is a drain hole in the back panel which had iced up causing the freezer to leak water out. Using the hairdryer i managed to clear the blockage and the water disappeared into the hole. Where does the water go? Can't see any water on the kitchen floor. Heard that it evaporates. If so how does it work?

Thanks in advance for replies

wazza

johnoz wrote: »

Yes, same problem with a similar Hotpoint. During the defrost cycle the excess water runs down a drip tube at the back onto the tray atop the motor, which gets hot enough to evaporate away. This takes place several times a day.

However, the water going down the drip tube sometimes freezes at the top end and blocks up, so ice builds up even more on the cooler and fan assembly.

We've had ours fixed 3 times now. All agree it's a design fault, melt the ice with a hair dryer or heather, clean out the tube ... and expect to be back in a couple of years!

But the last guy seemed most switched on, as he reckoned he fixes the design fault ... basically, he fixes a small thin piece of wire to the heater and feeds that 3 or 4 inches down the drain tube. This is enough, he tells me, to ensure ice never forms there.

2 years on and counting ... still okay so far (touch wood!)

Do you remember what he connect the wire to? Don't know where the heater is.

wazza

wazza wrote: »

Water has started to leak out from the freezer section. Have been defrosting the freezer part of my Hotpoint fridge/freezer. There is a drain hole in the back panel which had iced up causing the freezer to leak water out. Using the hairdryer i managed to clear the blockage and the water disappeared into the hole. Where does the water go? Can't see any water on the kitchen floor. Heard that it evaporates. If so how does it work?

Thanks in advance for replies

Update. After carrying out the above there has been no problems with my fridge/freezer. Thanks to those who replied.

Mikeyorks

wazza wrote: »

Heard that it evaporates. If so how does it work?

It normally goes down into a tray on top of the compressor ... which gets hot and therefore evaporates it?