Anyone do refrigerator repair?

[th3w01f]

Fridge at our house isn't cooling the way it should. I've cleaned the condenser per the manual but that's where my knowledge ends.

It was manufactured in 99' and put into use around 03', I know it's old but I'd really prefer to not replace it at the moment unless I absolutely have to. It's a built in with a matching cabinet insert so not as simple has having one delivered and this hauled off.... or maybe it is, I've never had a built in before.

Seems to be keeping things about 40 when set to 34, no error codes showing.

I'm not looking for free work, just someone who will give me an honest answer and get it working properly if possible.

Thanks

[Wulf202]

Make and model?

[th3w01f]

Make and model?

Sub Zero 601R

[CS1983]

Did you find and follow the troubleshooting steps here?

http://www.subzero-wolf.com/assistance/answers/warm-refrigerator-or-freezer-troubleshooting

[th3w01f]

Did you find and follow the troubleshooting steps here?

http://www.subzero-wolf.com/assistance/answers/warm-refrigerator-or-freezer-troubleshooting

Yup, I went through all of that. I even did the glass of water in the middle of the fridge for 12 hours to measure the temp. The one piece I'm not 100% sure of is the seal. There is nothing blocking the door from closing but the seal seems very inconsistent, going from so strong that the kids can't open it to feeling like it was barely sealed.

[Great-Kazoo]

By the time you have someone come out and trouble shoot it + p&l. You could have another one installed and working.

[Wulf202]

By the time you have someone come out and trouble shoot it + p&l. You could have another one installed and working.
Not with a sub zero

[th3w01f]

Not with a sub zero
LOL, I just got a quote on a replacement and it would be over 10K for another sub zero. That's the first quote so I could probably do better but I'd really like to avoid that. Main problem is that the guy who built this house only put in a 26-27" deep rough in for the fridge and anything much deeper will stick out into the middle of the kitchen. There is a bathroom right behind it so no way to make it deeper without major renovation to the bath.

After some troubleshooting I actually think the fridge is working fine and that the issue is with the door seal. The gasket looks good and everything is clean all the way around. I think the gallon of milk we've been keeping in the door has caused the hinge to move slightly and affecting the way it seals. Now I'm trying to figure out how to adjust the door to try and get the vacuum seal that it used to have.

EDIT: I started taking a closer look at the wiring and I believe the condenser fan isn't running, I can turn it freely but watching it for a half hour while working on the door and it has not kicked in. Would a working condenser and a bad fan cause the symptoms that I'm seeing? Temp hovering around 40 while set at 34 and quite a bit of condensation in the fridge?

[Wulf202]

Yea. The fan is a likely solution.Check it for power if it has power then it's a bad fan motor which is very common.

[BushMasterBoy]

Cut off a lamp cord and wire it to the fan. If the fan don't spin, its a bad fan.

[th3w01f]

OK, I'm lost again. I was messing around with the wiring looking at how everything was hooked up and it kicked on and now seems to be cooling properly (down to 35). There were no loose wires and I hadn't actually changed anything yet.

This may be a stupid question but is there any chance that the swamp cooler blowing directly into the condenser housing could cause problems? The swamp cooler is mounted at about the same height as the vent cover and about 10' away from the fridge. With the cool temp we had it offer yesterday afternoon and last night.

[Great-Kazoo]

That moisture could be freezing your coils, maybe. Just enough to cause the intermittent issues you're having.