106.51139214 Kenmore side by side not cold on fridge

[joshuadomenico]

Model Number

106.51139214

Brand

Sears Kenmore

Age

1-5 years

Hey,

I’m definitely no expert on refrigerators and have never really been too clever when it came to appliances but i thought i’d give it a go on here before i brought someone in to repair it,
I’ve got a kenmore side by side model number is 106 and the issue started yesterday. the freezer has airflow but not really as much as it use to have and the fridge has totally stopped getting any airflow at all. i’ve taken the back off and the fan was working fine the the condenser was a bit hot though and i can’t really get to the coils cause they’re behind a metal plate but i can see a lot of hair (I have never cleaned them in the 4 years i’ve owned the fridge) which i’m suspecting may be the issue but i’m not really sure how i would get in there to get all of it out and i’m not even really sure if those are the coils or not really just putting it out there if anyone had any idea what they were doing and could help that would be amazing cause i don’t wanna spend any money on repairs

 

[Dan O.]

Any repair will require disassembly of parts of the refrigerator. If you'e not comfortable with that, you might not want to start.

The condenser coils under the fridge should be cleaned regularly. They can be difficult to reach but it needs to be done. They're often more accessible from the rear and panels may have to be removed to access them.

That is not the only problem however. A dirty condenser will cause the fridge to work harder than normal and consume more power but won't usually cause total no cooling in either section.

All the cooling for the whole appliance happens in the freezer compartment (see the following link). Looking into it will also be necessary.

Appliance411 FAQ: Frost Free Refrigerator Not Cooling Properly

My frost free refrigerator's fridge section is not cold enough. What might be the problem?

www.appliance411.com

There is a fan at the rear inside the freezer compartment. Its operation will be at the top of the list. That fan should run whenever the compressor and fan at the rear are running. Confirming that will necessary.

Next will be seeing if there is a frost buildup on the rear panel inside the freezer compartment. There should not be. If there is it might point to a defrosting problem. Even if there is no visible frost the rear panel inside the freezer may have to be removed to access the evaporator (cooling) coil behind that rear panel. That is where all cooling takes place. It could be totally frosted up and inhibiting proper air flow. An inspection of it may be necessary.


Let us know how those go and we'll try to help further. BTW Photos of any frost buildup seen is usually helpful in diagnosis.

Dan O.