Thread: Gladiator Freezerator Freezing up, defrost element OK, Bi-Metal OK, What next?

Hi,

I have a 7 yr old Gladiator garageworks freezerator that keeps freezing up on me. I dissassembled it to access the defrost element, and the entire evaporator coil and defrost element were encased in ice

Ice or frost? Big difference between them....frost is not defrosting and ice is often defrosting but the water is not running away or partial defrosting has only occured.

I cannot find a defrost timer.

There isn't one...shows an electronic defrost board in the fresh food section control housing...

Control board Manufacturer Number 2303821

jeff.

Definitely ice. From top to bottom, encasing the bi-metal, the defrost element, etc. The drain hole was not iced up, however. (I had applied a fix to keep it from freezing a few months ago - running a copper wire down it and wrapping the wire a few times around the defrost element to conduct heat down the drain hole - ) Before I fixed the freezing drain hole, the defrost water would often drain into the bottom freezer compartment and create a large ice sheet. In this case, there was no ice in the freezer compartment at all, but when I removed the stryofoam between the rear of the compartment and the evaporator coil, all of that area was ice.

For ice, for sure flush out the drain system really well. If the heater checks ok, I'd change the defrost thermostat and defrost control board at the same time as they can be intermittant!

No pic.
Thermostat, defrost Manufacturer Number 2253201

running a copper wire down it and wrapping the wire a few times around the defrost element to conduct heat down the drain hole

Yupper, that can work well at times...

LINK> Defrost drain freezes and then overflows on my refrigerator

jeff.

Thanks, Jeff...I think I will replace the control board as you suggest. Thinking more about your question of ice vs frost. I said ice, because it had the consistancy of ice. Rock hard, and took quite a while using a hair dryer to melt it. HOWEVER, it was white, not clear. If the defrost was not operating, I suppose frost could be continuously formed and compact itself into ice like consistancy, since it was being confined to the space between the styrofoam and rear wall of the box. That would also explain why it extended up above the evaporator coil to encase the wiring, thermostat, etc.
If it was frost and not ice, do you agree it would indicate that the defrost was not working at all? And, since the defrost element checked OK, as did the defrost thermostat that clips on to the top of the evaporator line, would you suspect that the only remaining component that could be responsible would be the control board? Or is there something else that might preclude the defrost element from operating? I don't suppose there is a way to test the control board, is there? I hate to buy a new one if it isn't the problem!

One more thing to add that I forgot to tell you. The previous repair history of this freezer includes replacing the defrost thermostat twice already, and one call out where they replaced the start device. Those repairs were by a tech., and were done because the unit was creating ice in the freezer box. Probably because the drain line was icing up and they had not yet identified a fix for it. Those repairs were back in '06 & '07. As I mentioned, since I ran the wire down the drain line, I have not had any water draining into the freezer box and forming ice there, so I think that my fix has kept the drain line clear.

Yupper, frost is more white like snow and ice is more clear like an icecube.
Yupper, do the board repair.

jeff.

Hi Jeff,
Thanks again for your help. I did put a new control board in and for about a month things worked great. Lately, however, I have noticed the defrost cycle seems to be coming on more often than needed, sometimes 3-4 times in a day! I am having another board sent out, on the chance that the one they sent was defective, but I am thinking maybe I should replace the defrost thermostat as well. My problem is that I see three parts that might be the defrost thermo. They are items 14, 15 and 31 on the sears diagram http://www.searspartsdirect.com/part...d=GAFZ21XXRK00
two are labeled Bi-Metal def., and the other is just labeled Thermostat. Do you have a suggestion as to which one(s) I should replace? FYI, Previously, I only tested #14, and it appeared to work correctly.

Thanks,
Gene

13 nope
14 yes
15 nope
31 nope

Appears to be...

Defrost thermostat, clip-on Manufacturer Number 4387503

jeff.

Many Thanks Jeff, That's the one I thought was correct. Appreciate you confirming it to me. I am going to replace it as well!