KitchenAid KRMF706ESS01 not cooling in refrigerator compartment. Only 50 degrees

[theweeze08]

Model Number

KRMF706ESS01

Brand

KitchenAid

Age

1-5 years

I have a krmf706ess01 that is not cooling below 52 degrees in the refrigeration section but nice and cold in the freezer compartment. I have followed this other thread , https://www.applianceblog.com/mainf...ator-not-cooling-properly-ice-build-up.80067/ , and moved the thermistor to the proper location after finding that ice was building up on the condenser.

After I did this, the refrigerator was working well. After maybe 4 months, the cooling stopped again and so I pulled everything apart only to find that there was no ice on the evaporator at all. I have checked that the compressor is not hot to the touch but is running.

The evaporator fan in the refrigerator section is running ok and I have run Service Test - 2 RC Thermistor and got the code 01. I also ran Service Test - 5 Compressor Status/Speed to force the compressor to run at full speed and the refrigeration section evaporator got cold and confirmed the low temperature with a thermometer. Went below 14 degrees until my sensor could no longer read the low range.

All service tests for the thermistors had result 01 except for when I ran Service Test - 65 Pantry thermistor where the screen showed no result at all except for "Replace Filter" in red. Just heard some components turning on and off and some ticking.

Any help would be awesome!!

 

[Jake]

moved the thermistor to the proper location after finding that ice was building up on the condenser.

That would be the evaporator, not condenser. The evaporator is always inside the refrigerator and the coils get cold on it, the condenser is always outside the refrigerator and the coils get warm on it.

So if you have no frost pattern on the refrigerator evaporator now whatsoever, then that indicates a sealed system problem or 3-way valve problem and you will need to contact KitchenAid to come out at 1-800-422-1230 from that.

Jake

 

[theweeze08]

Thanks for the clarification.

So there are no voltage tests on the circuit boards to be done in this case? Everything points to the sealed system or 3-way valve and nothing else? The evaporator was cool during the diagnostic test that I performed in my initial post. It is just not cooling down to the 37 degrees under regular operation.

 

[Jake]

Not that I can see on the tech. data sheet, which I'm attaching below.

You can do TEST 4 which does check that 3-way valve.

Jake

 

[TheycallmeVic]

Not that I can see on the tech. data sheet, which I'm attaching below.

You can do TEST 4 which does check that 3-way valve.

Jake

Hi Jake,

I'm having a similar issue with my KRFF507ESS01. I moved the thermistor as advised on this service bulletin: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DODVPeuBL5dtcR_pWdDxpfFPOaVCH53Y/view?usp=sharing
But after a few months, the ice keeps building up again, making the temps progressively higher in the refrigerator. Attached are some pics after moving the thermistor. Do you have any ideas what else could be going on?

Thank you so much.

 

[Jake]

Is the refrigerator evaporator fan running? If so, I did locate a service bulletin dated March 2021 about what this problem could be, I'm attaching it below.

Start on Page 2 and Page 3 to see if the evaporator thermistor is the correct position. Lots of members here found it was in the wrong position and reset it to the correct position and it fixed this problem, that evaporator thermistor controls the defrost cycle, thus keeps the temperature consistent when in cooling mode.

IMPORTANT: thoroughly defrost the entire evaporator. Excessive frost and ice build-up could cause future service calls.
1. Check the RC Defrost Thermistor for proper operation and placement.
a. Check resistance of thermistor per tech sheet resistance table.
b. Check Thermistor Location; it should be located as shown in figure 1. The thermistor should be tight and in full contact with the suction tube directly coming out of the Evaporator. Do not damage the paint while installing.
c. If the thermistor has a metal clamp, you may need to use a pair of pliers to gently squeeze the clamp to ensure good contact with the tubing (See Figure 2). Be sure not to crimp the Thermistor while closing the gap.

Also on Page 3 to see if the refrigerator evaporator drain pan is BOWED in the middle.

--->The evaporator drain pan should be seated flat and not bowed upwards in the middle (SeeFigure 4). A bowed drain pan may prevent water from properly draining. Ensure proper alignment of the drain pan. If the pan is cracked or permanently deformed, it must be replaced with one of the pans in the kit.

Here's the refrigerator evaporator drain pan it says to order if yours is BOWED:

Whirlpool W11457241 Pan-Drip (AP6987431) - AppliancePartsPros.com

Pan-drip W11457241 / AP6987431 made by Whirlpool

click.linksynergy.com

And follow the instructions in this service bulletin, it does tell you how to remove it.