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Amana Defrost Cycle Repair
On
our trip out west a few weeks ago the fridge started having trouble
maintaining the 0 and 37 settings that we normally get. I replaced
the timer back in February and again, the timer failed and would not
start the defrost cycle every 8 hrs. or so as needed. So for the
remainder of the trip, we manually defrosted every 8 – 12 hrs. by
turning the timer knob until the defrost cycle started and then after
about 20 minutes, advanced it so the fridge would come back on. When
I got home and shut it down and removed the panel, the coil was
completely caked in ice and frost. The water pored out of the freezer
when melting.I removed the timer, defrost thermostat and heater coil.
The heater coil was bad and I’m thinking that took out the timer, or
at least shortened it’s life quickly. This is all a very easy fix
from inside the freezer compartment by removing a panel.Now
it’s back to normal and showing -3 and 36 and the defrost cycle is
working properly. So if you see your fridge and freezer start to
creep up in temperature, check the timer first. When it defrosts, you
should get water in the condensation tray under the fridge and you
will note the fridge stops running for about 20 minutes every 8
hrs. or so.Total
parts were about 100 bucks..
Timer knob, turns clockwise
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8 Replies
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Close call for the Summer Shanty
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Keep fixing the bus Tom the more u use it the better I like it fix all that’s wrong glad to see u made home great to see u and your wife take care in northern sask then to Winnipeg Mb then to Ann Arbor Mi
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I was a former proud owner of an Amana, all dressed up to match the coach decor perfectly.
But like Tom I became intimately familiar with it and could disassemble by dining room table to make room for it, then remove it from its position and move it to the center of the floor to work on it. I got very fast doing that. But after the third repair I realized it had to go.
We really struggled with the fact that any replacement refrigerator would never match, but in the end the lack of reliability of the Amana became the over riding consideration.
We were never so glad to replace a refrigerator.
My point is that if you plan on keeping your coach, one of the things for which you have no real backup is the refrigerator so you need to decide if nursing an old one is better than replacing one. Nobody volunteers to service an RV installed refrigerator. More than one company I called wanted nothing to do with it, even though I told them the refrigerator was out and sitting in the middle of the floor. Imagine what that is going to be like when you are on the road.
Tom’s repairs differ from mine (evaporator coil, evaporator fan, condenser fan), but like Tom I ended up doing my own repairs. I never bothered to figure out why it puked the last time. Tom will also get tired of the repairs.
Bottom line………if your refrigerator starts acting up and it is on the older side think long and hard about the question of repairing or replacing.
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Good advise from Jon, but I will do anything to avoid a repeat of this:
When I mention Refrigerator at family gatherings, the boy’s all run.
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I’m fighting with my Amana at the racetrack and can’t get a serviceperson. Best it will do on temps is about 45 and 65. It’s blowing cold air inside and hot air out the bottom so I’m guessing it’s not compressor or fans. Had interior fan replaced a few years ago.
Hoping an Amana expert on here can help. Is it possible the defrost heater(s) are stuck on for some reason or ??? Thinking if it’s a defrost heater I maybe can disable for the balance of my trip.
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Joel, you could check one thing relatively easy, as I just did yesterday. My fridge temp was a little warmish in recent days and no water in the condensate drip pan. When it got to 50 degrees, I tackled it. Took most everything out of the freezer and put the stuff in insulated shopping bags, removed the bottom pull-out freezer bin and the lower shelves (this is a side-by-side fridge). Then I was able to grab the bottom of the back panel, pull it out a little, and with a flashlight & mirror looked up. Sure enough, there was a solid mass of ice and frost covering the evaporator fins. I manually and slowly advanced the defrost timer several times, heard it click, the compressor stopped, but no joy from the heating elements. Got my wife’s hair dryer and manually defrosted the mess. NOTE: if you manually advance the defrost timer to the point where it stops the compressor, don’t forget to advance it again to restart the compressor. Make sure the freezer circulation fan is operating and actually turning.
I believe my defroster heating element is bad and next week when we get to Coeur d’Alene for a week-long stay, I’ll get a new element kit (a new fan, new elements and new timer) and replace it. Until I can replace it, I will repeat the manual defrost method as necessary.
Sure hope your problem is a simple fix like the above. It might be something else, of course, but easy enough to check the defrosting angle.
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A lot of times when a refer frosts up and freezes as described it is due to the door being slightly ajar for a period of time. There may not be a problem, except the door was not closed completely for a period.
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Mikee, if you would not try to stuff so much beer in your fridge, you would not have that problem…
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