Freezer Ice Build Up

[JLR]

Sorry to ask a galley related question but here goes. I have a side by side frig/freezer (Kenmore I think) on my 56 MY. All appears to be working well but over the years I have noticed that in the freezer (ice maker) half, I get a fairly constant ice buildup. When you open the freezer door, you are often showered in snow like ice crystals. Is there an easy fix for this (short of not opening the door for you jokesters out there).

[yachtsmanbill]

Replace the magnetic gasket. Its leaking humid air in... ws

[spcoolin]

Don't open the door George...Sorry couldn't resist....

A little more info might help...Where is the ice buildup exactly ?

You mention the icemaker, but I'm not clear if that is the source of your snowflakes...

If it's around the door opening that is icing, then you likely need a door gasket.
In fact...Most frost or ice problems are from heat leaking into the box, and where that heat is leaking in will frost or ice.

Bad defrost timer is another possibility, but that usually will stop the box from cooling well due to the blocked air flow across the evaporator coil from that ice on the coil itself (you wouldn't necessarily see the ice) .

Steve~

[spcoolin]

Oops...Willy beat me to it...

Steve~

[JLR]

The ice buildup is actually on the flat face of the icemaker control circuit that faces you when you open the door.

[spcoolin]

The ice buildup is actually on the flat face of the icemaker control circuit that faces you when you open the door.

That sounds like a door gasket leak...Nothing under that cover to cause the ice.

You can test to see if the gasket is leaking in that area a couple of ways...

One is with a infrared temp gun with the door closed checking for a colder area of the gasket.
Next is with any kind of colored grease...Just wipe a thin film of it on the gasket & close the door...Re open & you will see where it is not sealing by no grease in that area.

Once you have the model # of the box you should be able to get a gasket from Sears, or if it's another brand, I have had good experiences with http://www.repairclinic.com/

Steve~

[bobk]

Sounds like the evaporator coils are in that area. You might shut the unit down for a few days to let all the ice behind the panel melt away. This can sometimes build more ice than the defrost cycle can handle if the door is left slightly open. If the auto defrost is working right, check the magnetic gasket for leaks.

Bob

[spcoolin]

Sounds like the evaporator coils are in that area. You might shut the unit down for a few days to let all the ice behind the panel melt away. This can sometimes build more ice than the defrost cycle can handle if the door is left slightly open. If the auto defrost is working right, check the magnetic gasket for leaks.

Bob

Bob...The evaporator coils are usually behind the back wall of a household type box...The icemaker end he is speaking of is close to the door.

Yes if he shuts it off for a few days it will obviously melt the ice on the icemaker, but if the door gasket is leaking it will return very quickly.

Steve~

[bobk]

Steve, I guess I was reading too fast. I interpreted the area to be the freezer control rather than ice maker control.....

Bob