Refrigerator Advice

[mznb1u]

I have a 10 year old Maytag side by side refridgerator (actual model MZD2766GE called the wide by side--seemed like a good idea at the time).  Anyway, the last couple of days the fridge side does not seem to be cooling too well and the freezer is cold but not as cold as it should be.

Any ideas, is it worth a service call or is it time for a new fridge?  It is not real easy to move because it is shoe-horned in between two counters and we have hardwood floors in the kitchen so I will have to plate the floor to avoid damage from the weight.

My 20 plus year old GE fridge in the garage is working just fine.  They just don't make them like they used to.

  Tim

[johnieG]

Clean the lint and or pet hair out of it's condenser coils down by the drip-pan area. possibly the condenser fan as well...good place to start..

[zadd]

We have a Maytag with the french doors and freezer lower drawer and the samething happened to it . Your compressor is going bad and  in the next fewdays I'm sure you will her it buzzing or getting louder. Our frig was just 4 years old good thing we bought the extend warranty. But yours could be just the coils like johnieG said ... that would be the first thing to check.

[Yarochrehc]

Most likely the defrost heater is broken, the first signs are as you have discribed.

[David D]

Agreed, it's probably the defrost heater, I had this same issue, the ice build up on the freezer side limited airflow to the refrigerator side.  Pretty simple fix once you get the part if this is the issue.

[mznb1u]

Thanks for the advice.  Hopefully, Johnie's suggestion will work.  If not and it is time for a new fridge, I will once again vow to never buy another Maytag product.  Hate to say that about a great Michigan company but the quality of their products has declined.  Three years ago I had to replace my 7 year old Maytag Atlantis washer because the transmission went out.  I made a few calls to see if I could get it fixed and the response from everyone was "This is the machine that took Maytag down!  Bad transmission and they did not stand behind it."

Oh well, you live and you learn.

  Tim

[Marvin]

My uncle is in the appliance biz.  My fridge started acting up a while back.  I went to price a new one.

He said "10 years is about all you get from then now"  Mine is 11 years old.  Got it patched up and working.  I'm not looking forward to replacing it.

[collecture]

I have a Kenmore in the garage that is in use thoughout the 110-120 degree summers here. We bought it in 1990-1 and retired it to the garage in 1996-7 I think.

[90grad]

Tim,

If the freezer side is cold and the frig side isn't, my guess is the bi-metal defrost.  This is a small component which attaches to your evap coil in the freezer.  They cost about $25.  They are super-easy to put in.  All you need is a couple of wire connectors like, say...., someone would use to restore a soda machine!  

What is happening is your system never enters a defrost cycle.  So, when the temp drops, the compressor kicks on, ices up the coils more, etc.  At some point, the ice is so bad on the coils, the air cannot circulate properly and food starts to get warm.  It takes longer to feel the effects in the freezer.

The other possibilities are the defrost timer and the heater itself.  

However, I would:

1. Get the stuff out of your frig and freezer.  Soda machines can certainly keep stuff from the frig side cold!
2. Take a look at the evap coil.
3. Get the part number of the bi-metal defrost.
4. An appliance supplier (not a retailer, some one who sells parts) should have them.  If not, Amazon sells them.

Service folks have to make a living, I understand, but it will be $75 for them to walk in the door, plus the cost of the part and installation.  If you can do it yourself, have at it.  This is a fairly simple repair.

My 2 cents.  Holler if you have any questions.

[90grad]

Tim,

It looks like (from www.searspartsdirect.com) your fridge has the bi-metal defrost incorporated with the heater.  If so, you can get the whole shabang at Amazon for about $30 (http://www.amazon.com/Whirlpool-61006199-Defrost-Heater-Refrigerator/dp/B0053Y2YUC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1332159926&sr=8-1).

If it's the defrost timer, it's about $40 (http://www.amazon.com/Maytag-Refrigerator-Adaptive-Defrost-61005988/dp/B002B8KEUK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1332160183&sr=8-1)

You can probably do some troubleshooting by the literature that came with the appliance or by doing some net surfing.  Having cussed my fridge more times than I care to remember, I have found a wealth of info on the net on how to perform troubleshooting and parts replacement.