wendy
Active member
There's a piece of sheet metal lying directly on the coils of the freezer compartment of my GE PDS18SBMALBS. Is that right? I can't tell from the parts diagram.
Sheet metal in bottom-freezer refrigerator
- Thread starter wendy
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Hi Wendy, there is an aluminum sheet laying directly on the evaporator of your refrigerator, that’s the way it was built and needs to stay
The aluminum helps trap the heat from the heater in the middle of the evaporator that defrosts it. It also protects the Styrofoam insulation above the aluminum sheet from the intense heat of the red hot heating element.
This aluminum sheet is very important not only makes the evaporator defrost properly, but also protects the plastic parts above the evaporator from severe damage from heat or possible fire.
John L
The aluminum helps trap the heat from the heater in the middle of the evaporator that defrosts it. It also protects the Styrofoam insulation above the aluminum sheet from the intense heat of the red hot heating element.
This aluminum sheet is very important not only makes the evaporator defrost properly, but also protects the plastic parts above the evaporator from severe damage from heat or possible fire.
John L
wendy
Active member
Thanks a lot for confirming that; makes sense. I'm out of things to try to keep the crisper drawers from running too cold--things at the bottom of both drawers start to freeze, although higher up in the drawers is OK. I suppose something is wrong with the airflow, but I'll be damned if I can figure out what it is.
Hi Wendy, can you post a picture of the insulation you’ve added above the plastic floor of the refrigerator?
I’ve had many customers with the problem of freezing stuff in the crisper drawers at the bottom and we’ve always been able to solve it by adding adequate insulation sheet, there’s just no way things are still gonna freeze if you insulate it properly
John L
I’ve had many customers with the problem of freezing stuff in the crisper drawers at the bottom and we’ve always been able to solve it by adding adequate insulation sheet, there’s just no way things are still gonna freeze if you insulate it properly
John L
wendy
Active member
Hi, What's the R value of that insulation sheet, my guess is that you may need 2 or 3 layers of that insulation sheet.
We have usually used a flexible closed cell foam at least 1/2" thick
John L.
We have usually used a flexible closed cell foam at least 1/2" thick
John L.
wendy
Active member
I don't remember the R value, but it can't be very high because it's quite thin. In fact, I actually do have three layers folded. By flexible closed cell foam I take it you mean something like pipe wrap but flat. I could try that.
I notice cold air escaping from the sides and back of the Styrofoam under the FF floor. Should I block all that in as best I can with strips of Styrofoam or the closed cell foam? And I wonder if as a last resort I could raise the drawers one notch by raising the shelf they hang off of. A small waste of space, but if it lets the drawers be in use again....
Thanks for your ideas and expertise.
I notice cold air escaping from the sides and back of the Styrofoam under the FF floor. Should I block all that in as best I can with strips of Styrofoam or the closed cell foam? And I wonder if as a last resort I could raise the drawers one notch by raising the shelf they hang off of. A small waste of space, but if it lets the drawers be in use again....
Thanks for your ideas and expertise.
wendy
Active member
Could you possibly point me to the kind of insulation you're recommending at, say, Lowe's or Home Depot or Ace Hardware, all of which would be easiest for me to pick something up quickly? Thanks again, in advance this time.
wendy
Active member
How about this for insulation, a flexible sheet: https://www.ebay.com/itm/386724835005 ?
Should I run it slightly up the sides and rear as well as under the crisper drawers?
And what about the spaces to the side and rear of the Styrofoam at the top of the freezer compartment? Are they part of the airflow system and should be left open, or do I fill them too?
Should I run it slightly up the sides and rear as well as under the crisper drawers?
And what about the spaces to the side and rear of the Styrofoam at the top of the freezer compartment? Are they part of the airflow system and should be left open, or do I fill them too?
wendy
Active member
I really don't get it. At this point I don't think improving the insulation under the drawers will help, even that flexible sheet I see on eBay, which I think is like pipe insulation and would probably b be better than what I'm using now, but still....
When the compressor is working, I feel cold air coming up into the FF compartment, most notably from the rear of the floor, especially in the center, right over the fan. I believe there's an opening above the fan that must be the channel that brings the air to the top of the FF area. I don't recall any special insulation around that area, although at this point I've been in and out of there so often I can't say. Air does get to the top of the FF area for distribution there, so I don't think there's a blockage. Or could it be partly blocked? Although I don't know how something could have gotten in there to block it. Could there be something wrong with the temperature controls?
Should I put insulation around the area above the fan, just outside the opening into the channel, beyond the Styrofoam sheet that covers almost everything? And what of the sides, where there's a gap of 1/2" or so between the Styrofoam and the freezer wall? Is that OK or should I stuff something in those areas? What about the front and back edges of the Styrofoam? Should they be taped down, perhaps? I don't know how isolated I should be trying to make the whole area.
I'm flailing here, because I just can't figure this out.
Any ideas?
wendy
Active member
My latest thinking. Can anyone help? Here are photos:
1. Here's the floor of the FF compartment. In the rear, where the floor is convex covering the fan, a fair amount of cold air comes out when the compressor is running. Normal?
2. Here the floor is removed and we see the Styrofoam covering of the guts of the unit, taped together in places but pretty much in one piece.
3. Here's a closer shot of the convex part of the Styrofoam, above the fan.
4. Here's the right side. The Styrofoam is properly seated but there's a gap along both sides--perhaps a little more on the right. Some air comes out of the side when the floor is in place, although that could be working its way from the area around the fan.
5. Here it is with the Styrofoam covering removed, sheet metal on top of the coils.
6. Here it is with the sheet metal removed.
7. Close-up of the fan area. Air does go in behind the fan and up into the FF compartment. Is all the air supposed to go up the chase? Could the chase be partly blocked? If there's a damper that might be faulty, could that cause some air to stay down and push out where it doesn't belong? Could it be that the fan is weaker than it ought to be and isn't pushing enough even though the unit is cooling properly? Is one of these possibilities going to turn out to be the solution after all?
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wendy
Active member
Will you please look at the photos I just posted, with my further thinking as I search for an explanation of what's wrong with this refrigerator? I think this is something that falls into your area of great experience and wisdom.
Hi Wendy, thanks for posting all the great photos.
It certainly would not hurt to put some sort of rope tight caulking in that gap right above the fan in the floor of the refrigerator if cold air seems to be coming out of that crack that should not be the case.
I would probably use some sort of flexible, caulking, like people put around windows and things that can be pulled out in case you ever have to service the fan, etc.
Sorry, I’m so busy and have not had time to get a picture of the closed cell insulation. We usually use, but I would try to get closed cell foam insulation at least a half inch thick. You can even tape it to the walls of the refrigerator if you like at the rear and both sides that will definitely do the trick. I’ve never not been able to solve this problem for a customer.
It is a common problem though with this refrigerator.
I think you should be able to solve this problem and your refrigerator was a pretty decent one, but everything comes to an end. Whirlpool still builds a great 30 inch wide bottom freezer refrigerator here in this country. Just sold one today for a customer, just be sure to get the US built one not the Mexican one if you decide to buy a new one.
John L
It certainly would not hurt to put some sort of rope tight caulking in that gap right above the fan in the floor of the refrigerator if cold air seems to be coming out of that crack that should not be the case.
I would probably use some sort of flexible, caulking, like people put around windows and things that can be pulled out in case you ever have to service the fan, etc.
Sorry, I’m so busy and have not had time to get a picture of the closed cell insulation. We usually use, but I would try to get closed cell foam insulation at least a half inch thick. You can even tape it to the walls of the refrigerator if you like at the rear and both sides that will definitely do the trick. I’ve never not been able to solve this problem for a customer.
It is a common problem though with this refrigerator.
I think you should be able to solve this problem and your refrigerator was a pretty decent one, but everything comes to an end. Whirlpool still builds a great 30 inch wide bottom freezer refrigerator here in this country. Just sold one today for a customer, just be sure to get the US built one not the Mexican one if you decide to buy a new one.
John L
wendy
Active member
I take it you don't think it likely that the fan is weak--it does a good job of pushing air, I guess. Actually, the FF seems to be getting too cold even with the setting down to 2. I wonder if the temperature settings could be faulty.
I wonder also if that gap over the fan is normal, or if no air should be coming out there. I'll follow your advice and caulk the gap. I could also stuff something under the floor, I suppose, but maybe caulking all four sides of the floor would be easier than trying to get something underneath and keep it from interfering with the fan.
The closed cell insulation I found on eBay looks like pipe insulation but in a sheet. I think much more than 1/2" thickness would interfere with the drawers, but I will try rolling it up the sides and back and taping it to the walls.
Again, great thanks to you. And thanks for the advice about new bottom freezer refrigerators; I hope I don't have to use it for a long time.
