Fridge/freezer defrosted!!

FlaatusGoat

I have a second fridge that I keep in the conservatory as an overflow. After the recent cold spell, I've noticed the stuff in the freezer has defrosted. I've warmed the room back to 15-16c and the freezer is still defrosted/defrosting! Is there some way to reset it. It's a fridgemaster, not sure the model no.

ThisIsWeird

You've just discovered the paradox of F-F F-Fs - they won't work properly if they are too cold.

I wonder if the drain to the evaporator (usually sat over the warm compressor) is frozen, and the machine is doing what it should - a bit like a boiler with a frozen condensate pipe?

Can you temporarily turn off the FF, remove the contents and keep them cool elsewhere - outside if it's still cold where you are, wrapped in newspaper or blankets (to keep the cold in) - and then leave the FF's doors open in that 16oC warmth for a good few hours? Let it completely defrost, so not a trace left.

Wipe dry, and fire her up again.

If this works, best not to let that room fall below - it should say in the instructions - 10oC or so?

battenburg88

Hey there. I have just the same problem and came on here to look for a solution! 

My fridge freezer is in a utility room which gets very cold so I had realised it wasn't working over the weekend. The temperature in there now, according to my thermostat, is about 8.5C. Not warm by any means but it will have been working at this temperature regularly. I've gone down this morning and it isn't freezing.

I'll have a go at switching the whole thing off for a while as suggested. 

diystarter7

ThisIsWeird said:

You've just discovered the paradox of F-F F-Fs - they won't work properly if they are too cold.

I wonder if the drain to the evaporator (usually sat over the warm compressor) is frozen, and the machine is doing what it should - a bit like a boiler with a frozen condensate pipe?

Can you temporarily turn off the FF, remove the contents and keep them cool elsewhere - outside if it's still cold where you are, wrapped in newspaper or blankets (to keep the cold in) - and then leave the FF's doors open in that 16oC warmth for a good few hours? Let it completely defrost, so not a trace left.

Wipe dry, and fire her up again.

If this works, best not to let that room fall below - it should say in the instructions - 10oC or so?

Hi

What is "too cold, please?

We have a massive FF, frost-free in a integrated garage that has a non insulated steel door. it gets very cold in there but thankfully we,ve never had a problem like this. The fridge freezer used as an overflow is almost always fully stocked not sure if that makes a difference

Thanks

YBR

I'm glad to find this. Similarly my Fridge-freezer is in a utility room, which used to be warm enough until the boiler was replaced. The old boiler kept the room warm - there's no radiator - but the new one not so much! I found the Freezer section was not freezing things over the last few days.

It's better this morning but now I know to keep an eye out.

ThisIsWeird

diystarter7 said:

ThisIsWeird said:

You've just discovered the paradox of F-F F-Fs - they won't work properly if they are too cold.

I wonder if the drain to the evaporator (usually sat over the warm compressor) is frozen, and the machine is doing what it should - a bit like a boiler with a frozen condensate pipe?

Can you temporarily turn off the FF, remove the contents and keep them cool elsewhere - outside if it's still cold where you are, wrapped in newspaper or blankets (to keep the cold in) - and then leave the FF's doors open in that 16oC warmth for a good few hours? Let it completely defrost, so not a trace left.

Wipe dry, and fire her up again.

If this works, best not to let that room fall below - it should say in the instructions - 10oC or so?

Hi

What is "too cold, please?

We have a massive FF, frost-free in a integrated garage that has a non insulated steel door. it gets very cold in there but thankfully we,ve never had a problem like this. The fridge freezer used as an overflow is almost always fully stocked not sure if that makes a difference

Thanks

I suspect each model will be different. It's worth reading the instructions that came with it - or found on-line.
It might only, or largely, apply to F-F F/Fs.

ThisIsWeird

battenburg88 said:

Hey there. I have just the same problem and came on here to look for a solution! 

My fridge freezer is in a utility room which gets very cold so I had realised it wasn't working over the weekend. The temperature in there now, according to my thermostat, is about 8.5C. Not warm by any means but it will have been working at this temperature regularly. I've gone down this morning and it isn't freezing.

I'll have a go at switching the whole thing off for a while as suggested. 

The cause will need addressing too - eg, the ambient temp of the room. (Provided a too-low temp is the cause, of course).

Fully defrosting the whole FF is only to get it back to 'square one' - it doesn't resolve the original cause.

diystarter7

ThisIsWeird said:

diystarter7 said:

ThisIsWeird said:

You've just discovered the paradox of F-F F-Fs - they won't work properly if they are too cold.

I wonder if the drain to the evaporator (usually sat over the warm compressor) is frozen, and the machine is doing what it should - a bit like a boiler with a frozen condensate pipe?

Can you temporarily turn off the FF, remove the contents and keep them cool elsewhere - outside if it's still cold where you are, wrapped in newspaper or blankets (to keep the cold in) - and then leave the FF's doors open in that 16oC warmth for a good few hours? Let it completely defrost, so not a trace left.

Wipe dry, and fire her up again.

If this works, best not to let that room fall below - it should say in the instructions - 10oC or so?

Hi

What is "too cold, please?

We have a massive FF, frost-free in a integrated garage that has a non insulated steel door. it gets very cold in there but thankfully we,ve never had a problem like this. The fridge freezer used as an overflow is almost always fully stocked not sure if that makes a difference

Thanks

I suspect each model will be different. It's worth reading the instructions that came with it - or found on-line.
It might only, or largely, apply to F-F F/Fs.

Ok, thanks, appreciated

battenburg88

I've just looked at the manual for mine (a fairly bog standard Beko) and it says that it shouldn't go below 5 degrees. The utility room will probably stay just above that in usual circumstances, but the weather was just too cold this weekend. 

I've noticed that there was condensation on the outside of the windows this morning! I've opened the door to try and let some warm air into the house.

battenburg88

ThisIsWeird said:

battenburg88 said:

Hey there. I have just the same problem and came on here to look for a solution! 

My fridge freezer is in a utility room which gets very cold so I had realised it wasn't working over the weekend. The temperature in there now, according to my thermostat, is about 8.5C. Not warm by any means but it will have been working at this temperature regularly. I've gone down this morning and it isn't freezing.

I'll have a go at switching the whole thing off for a while as suggested. 

The cause will need addressing too - eg, the ambient temp of the room. (Provided a too-low temp is the cause, of course).

Fully defrosting the whole FF is only to get it back to 'square one' - it doesn't resolve the original cause.

I understand, but easier said that done. I don't think this has happened before in the 5 years that I've been here, even though I knew it was a risk. There is no radiator in the room and it is very poorly insulated so if I installed one I feel like it would be a bit of a waste. Usually the warmth from the rest of the house must just about manage to keep things warm enough.

The double whammy this weekend has been the extremely cold weather and the boiler broke down (still waiting for the emergency engineer to attend because they've been so busy) so there was no heat in the rest of the house either. I think that's the difference. It made for a rather unhappy weekend. 

diystarter7

battenburg88 said:

ThisIsWeird said:

battenburg88 said:

Hey there. I have just the same problem and came on here to look for a solution! 

My fridge freezer is in a utility room which gets very cold so I had realised it wasn't working over the weekend. The temperature in there now, according to my thermostat, is about 8.5C. Not warm by any means but it will have been working at this temperature regularly. I've gone down this morning and it isn't freezing.

I'll have a go at switching the whole thing off for a while as suggested. 

The cause will need addressing too - eg, the ambient temp of the room. (Provided a too-low temp is the cause, of course).

Fully defrosting the whole FF is only to get it back to 'square one' - it doesn't resolve the original cause.

I understand, but easier said that done. I don't think this has happened before in the 5 years that I've been here, even though I knew it was a risk. There is no radiator in the room and it is very poorly insulated so if I installed one I feel like it would be a bit of a waste. Usually the warmth from the rest of the house must just about manage to keep things warm enough.

The double whammy this weekend has been the extremely cold weather and the boiler broke down (still waiting for the emergency engineer to attend because they've been so busy) so there was no heat in the rest of the house either. I think that's the difference. It made for a rather unhappy weekend. 

https://www.beko.co.uk/support/faqs/fridge-freezers/using-fridge-freezer-in-garage-or-low-temperature-environment#:~:text=Beko Larder fridges and static,low as -15 degrees Celsius.

thanks