Why are my crisper drawers so cold?

[wendy]

Since I cleared a drain clog in my GE bottom-freezer model refrigerator, PDS18SBMALBS, the machine is holding a steady 40 degrees F in the fresh food compartment. That's good. But the crisper drawers now run 30 F at drawer bottom. That's bad. I never had reason to measure the temp before, but I can't imagine it should be that cold anywhere in the drawer. When I tested it with a bag of oranges, the ones on the bottom froze.

All I can think of is that in disassembling things in the freezer compartment to get to the drain and then putting it all back together I may have messed up something--possibly the large piece of insulating foam that covers the coils--so that somehow too much cold now escapes into the drawers. I find removing and replacing the bottom of the fresh food compartment so tough that I don't want to go through it again until I know what I'm looking for and what I hope to do in there.

In the parts diagram (https://www.geapplianceparts.com/store/parts/ModelSectionParts/PDS18SBMALBS/3/0/0/0/CABINET), is the big foam shield diagram number 15, the evaporator cover (part number WR02X11030)? If so, I don't find anyplace online that stocks it (I've tried all the usual suspects); apparently it's discontinued.

Does anyone have the proper piece for this model GE that you'd sell, or know where I might look? Or do you have an idea of what else could be causing the issue and how to fix it? Could it be something other than a deterioration of that annoying foam sheet?

 

[tomturbomatic]

Have you checked to see if there is a cold air vent behind the drawers that is maybe open too far? Our 1961 GE Spacemaker had a vent behind the meat keeper that, if opened, made vegetables in the drawer beside it freeze so we kept it closed. We did not keep fresh meat for any extended period of time anyway.

 

[combo52]

Crisper drawers, too cold

On an older 18 ft.³ GE bottom freezer refrigerator, hi Wendy, I’m sure you saw all that tape that was around the perimeter of that Styrofoam piece under the refrigerator floor. It’s very important that that tape all be in place and that the seams sealed completely otherwise the drawers get way too cold on this model. Also, the Styrofoam itself will deteriorate as the unit ages, it would be hard to find the Styrofoam and good condition probably.

If you don’t want to take it apart again, get a nice piece of flexible foam and cut it and cover the floor of the refrigerator underneath the drawers. I’ve done this successfully on a number of bottom, freezer models, this should help a great deal.

John L

 

[wendy]

Thanks a lot for this info, especially the suggestion of covering the area under the drawers with foam insulation. I think I'll try your suggestion and hope that does the trick. I just have to find some kind of flexible insulation that's appropriate. Reading that you've done this trick successfully is encouraging, so thanks again.

 

[wendy]

Well, I tried taping insulation under the drawers back in May, but that didn't do the trick. So we've been living with the drawers usable only for food that will tolerate temperatures of about 30 F. It's getting to be annoying. The part--what I believe GE calls the evaporator cover, part no. WR02X11030--is not available at any of the many parts distributors I checked, or through eBay, and apparently there's no substitute. Are there any hidden resources that might have one hanging around?

 

[wendy]

The crisper drawers are still too cold. Believe it or not, weeks and months later I'm still trying to resolve this issue with my bottom-freezer refrigerator (GE PDS18SBMALBS).

I've gone back inside the freezer compartment and done the best I can to insulate above the evaporator:
+ I've added chunks of Styrofoam where the old fitted Styrofoam sheet had broken off.
+ I've taped the seams.
+ I've put a layer of roll insulation under the drawers (that is, along the floor of the FF compartment).
But the drawers are still running in the low 30s, so I don't think the problem is cold air coming up through the freezer ceiling. I've tried changing the FF and freezer settings to warmer numbers. The problem persists.

Assuming that the extra cold in the drawers is not leaking up from the freezer compartment, what does it mean that the bottom part of the FF compartment is so cold? Cold air falls, of course, but shouldn't it keep on going back into the freezer to be refreshed? I don't know the airflow design of this model, but there are what appear to be vent openings running along the entire front of the FF floor. Is that a return? Could this area be partially blocked, maybe from something inside the freezer compartment, and would that produce the symptoms? Or what's it for?

I also note in the front of the freezer ceiling what appear to be four open ports; are those involved somehow?

Does this model have an electronic damper that could be malfunctioning?

Questions, questions.

 

[combo52]

Good morning Wendy sorry you’re still having this problem with your refrigerator.

Could you post a picture of what sort of insulation you’ve put on the floor of the refrigerator? Also post a picture of what the insulation looks like on top of the evaporator coil.

I have added flexible foam insulation to many GE refrigerators where people had this problem, and it has normally solve the problem entirely.

Be sure none of the vents are blocked at the front of the floor of the refrigerator or the ones in the ceiling of the refrigerator.

This refrigerator has a manually controlled damper, which is probably labeled as the freezer control.

But the two cold problem is definitely coming from being right above the freezer as you mentioned the cold air comes in at the top of the refrigerator. If there was something wrong with the thermostat or something, everything in the refrigerator would Freeze.

Also how cold is the freezer section ? If it is any colder than 0F you will have more problems in the FF part of the refrigerator , you may want to run the freezer closer to +5F which is still plenty cold as well.

John L.