1961 FPI -15B Frigidaire refrigerator - food compartment issue

[frogkid11]

Hi everyone, as you can see from the subject, I have a 1961 frost-proof Frigidaire refrigerator model 15B that is having an issue in the refrigerator food section. I found a large amount of clear water on the floor (the section below the drawers for meat storage and egg storage) and discovered a bit of ice on the back wall. I've noticed the temperature has been a little higher than usual but I figured it was due to my overloading from doing a lot of cooking lately.

Has anyone seen this problem before or have an idea what may be failing causing these issues? I have a hunch they are all tied together but am not 100% sure.

I appreciate any help or guidance that can be shared so I don't lose my prized refrigerator. Thanks so much!

 

[philr]

You probably have a frozen cold plate, that can happen when these run much longer than usual. The cold plate needs to defrost each time the thermostat cycles off.

There are a few problems that can cause this issue, check the temperature in the freezer and notice how often it does cycle off. Also make sure it has airflow in both the refrigerator and in the freezer (the freezer has airflow when the freezer is running, the fridge section has airflow when the temperature inside requires it, even if the compressor is stopped).

 

[goatfarmer]

Door gaskets good?

 

[frogkid11]

Frozen cold plate?

Thanks Phil, I was hoping you would come to the rescue The freezer compartment is at perfect temperature. Several months ago, I had to replace the defrost timer because there was a build up of ice over the coils in the freezer and it's been keeping temperature perfectly since the timer was replaced. It cycles through defrost twice daily (once every 12 hours).

I have a dumb question from your reply so please pardon my ignorance - how do I test for the airflow in the fridge compartment? The frozen cold plate would make sense since there was some ice build up on the back wall of the fridge compartment which sounds like something isn't heating it up during the defrost cycle to remove the ice, is that a correct understanding?

Kenny, yes the door seals work perfectly. The fridge has been working perfectly for quite a while and then all of a sudden the water in the bottom appeared so I'm thinking it may have been a mechanical related issue that started small and has worsened over time. I'm definitely no appliance repair expert so I'm just pulling at straws based on what I understand how this unit is built and works.

Thanks for all of the replies and keep them coming.

 

[philr]

There's a fan that should be running most of the time behind the storage drawers. It circulates the air from the bottom of the food compartment (you can see the hole where the blower motor is where it pulls the air) and it blows it around the cold plate which is hidden behind the refrigerator liner at the back. The air exits behind the light panel at the top of the refrigerator, in the center.

If everything works fine, the compressor should cycle off occasionally between the defrost periods to let the cold plate defrost. Unlike the evaporator in the freezer section, the coil plate doesn't need a heater to defrost since the temperature in the food section is above the freezing point. All it needs is to rest without coolant circulating in for a while and the blower that works most of the time helps too.

These pictures should help you visualize what happens at the back of your fridge, note that there's a drain that also needs to be clear at the bottom of the cold plate. The picture #4 shows what the cold plate looks like in the similar FPI-13B-61 (like the one I have). Yours isn't exactly like that but still very similar.

 

[frogkid11]

Thanks again Phil. I have those same pictures in the Tech Talk document that I purchased for this model. As I have been reading, I now understand that what they refer to as the "Refrig-o-Plate" must be the cold plate that you are referring to in your responses. I did notice that water was accumulated behind the little door that is in the back wall just behind the meat drawer. The problem definitely points to ice accumulation on this cold plate, now to just figure out what is not working correctly to fix the situation.

Can you tell me what is it that tells the compressor to stop running for a while so that any ice behind the liner on that cold plate will melt? I'm trying to figure out if I have a compressor issue, a blocked drain tube issue, or some other mechanical part (similar to the defrost timer) that should tell the compressor to stop.

I can't thank you enough and I apologize if I'm not fully understanding your replies to know what I should do next. Just as you, I love these machines dearly and I want to do what I can to put it back in working order - but I fear most people in the industry who work on appliances today wouldn't understand what to do with this.

 

[philr]

The compressor and the freezer fan should cycle off when the thermostat (the cold control on the left with the "OFF-A-B-C-1-2-3" markings) senses the temperature is cold enough, then the temperature should rise a few degrees before it starts again.

The fan motor in the refrigerator section is controlled by another thermostat that's hidden and not designed to be adjusted by the user. It doesn't cycle on and off at the same time as the rest.

I don't know what's the current setting of your cold control but be sure it does stop the compressor if you move it to warmer setting, and unless the defrost period has taken place less than about an hour ago, the control should stop the compressor before you move it close to the "off" position.