Chosen Solution
A little background, this is a GE fridge, about 9-10 years old. Last year the overload relay on the compressor failed and I had to replace it. I purchased some thermometers to monitor temps since then. The fridge temp seems to range 35-40 and freezer -5 to 5. This past week I noticed that the temps were moving and staying in the danger zone, about 45-50 on fridge and 30 on freezer. After checking the relay again (it seemed fine) and unplugging for 10 minutes, the fridge kicked back on and has been nice and cold since. This hasn’t happened before, (at least since i got thermometers) should I be worried, or is this just a defrost cycle that went too long and was reset by me unplugging?
OK so after doing everything suggested I called someone to get their opinion. Since the fridge is running at optimal temperatures at this time, my unplugging likely reset the circuit board or timer for the defrost cycle and that is all that was wrong with it. Sometimes they get stuck on older fridges (this is a GE). Thank you all for the help, but seems like there is nothing more to do at this time but to monitor the temps and make sure it’s staying in range and that the fridge isn’t running all the time.
I don’t know about where you live, but the ambient temperature in the house could be going up and causing this. Like today the expected high is 105 (near record) and my house will be over 80 inside. Cause 1 Condenser Coils are Dirty The condenser coils are usually located under the refrigerator. They dissipate heat as refrigerant passes through them. If the condenser coils are dirty, they won’t dissipate the heat effectively. As debris builds up on the coils, the refrigerator becomes less efficient, causing the refrigerator to work harder to cool down. If the coils are significantly dirty, the refrigerator will not be able to maintain the proper temperature. Check the condenser coils to determine if they are dirty—if the condenser coils are dirty, clean them. Cause 2 Condenser Fan Motor The condenser fan motor draws air though the condenser coils and over the compressor. If the condenser fan motor is not working properly, the refrigerator won’t cool properly. To determine if the fan motor is defective, first check the fan blade for obstructions. Next, try turning the fan motor blade by hand. If the blade does not spin freely, replace the condenser fan motor. If no obstructions are present and the fan blade spins freely, use a multimeter to test the fan motor for continuity. If the condenser fan motor does not have continuity, replace it. Cause 3 Evaporator Fan Motor The evaporator fan motor draws air over the evaporator (cooling) coils and circulates it throughout the refrigerator and freezer compartments. Some refrigerators have more than one evaporator fan motor. On refrigerators with only one evaporator, the evaporator is located in the freezer compartment. If the evaporator fan is not working, it will not circulate the cold air to the refrigerator compartment. If this occurs, the freezer may still get cold, while the refrigerator will not get cold. To determine if the evaporator fan motor is defective, try turning the fan blade by hand. If the fan blade does not turn freely, replace the fan motor. Additionally, if the motor is unusually noisy, replace it. Finally, if the motor does not run at all, use a multimeter to test the motor windings for continuity. If the windings do not have continuity, replace the evaporator fan motor.
