Bizarre issue with fridge

[menderman]

Hotpoint first edition larder fridge, OLD

I have a problem with it either not refrigerating or it freezing stuff.
What I have noticed is that when I find it to be not refrigerating, if I flick the light switch then the fridge starts working.
6 years ago I had an issue and swapped the thermostat.
I took apart the light switch and found the contacts to be blackened, not heat but just old so I cleaned them and it seemed to work perfectly for a couple of days but its now gone back to misbehaving.
Any ideas of a last attempt to fix it before I buy a new one.
Thanks.

Edited to correct bizarre spelling of bizarre. 😉

[electrofix]

still sounds like a stat issue

most fridge stats are self defrosting that means after they turn off they don’t turn on till the fridge get to +2 degrees. as they get older they fail to turn back on but a quick knock can be enough to cause the stat to reset

Dave

[menderman]

Thanks Dave next time I will leave the switch and give the thermostat cover a tap. I did replace the stat 6 years ago so that is not that old but it cost £26 so im am thinking that it is not even worth spending that again on a 10-15 year old fridge

[electrofix]

have you got the model no ?

Dave

[menderman]

No there is nothing on it anywhere I can see unless it is on the back. But I have the stat reference number from when I last replaced it K59 L4106. When I replaced the thermostat I have to say that the fridge never seemed to work as well as id did before. Here is the code of the stat that I used to replace the original one. A6600 (65)
Don’t know if any of that means anything to you or helps.

[electrofix]

on most fridge freezers you will find the model behind the salad trays

Dave

[electrofix]

well it might be this one

using the K59 number I found an ebay advert which gave a gen number of C00261055
if that’s correct then below is likely replacement

https://shop.ukwhitegoods.co.uk/2610…dge-thermostat

seems to be even cheaper here with poss free postage

https://cpc.farnell.com/hotpoint/c00261055/thermostat-fridge-ranco-k59-l4106/dp/WG315826?ost=C00261055&ddkey=https{e5d1b7155a01ef1f3b9c9968eaba33524ee81600d00d4be2b4d93ac2e58cec2d}3Aen-CPC{e5d1b7155a01ef1f3b9c9968eaba33524ee81600d00d4be2b4d93ac2e58cec2d}2FCPC_United_Kingdom{e5d1b7155a01ef1f3b9c9968eaba33524ee81600d00d4be2b4d93ac2e58cec2d}2Fsearch

Dave

[menderman]

That’s a great help Dave. I am actually a cpc user/buyer so already singed up and ready to go. I may well give that a go just need to be sure that its the right one. No label anywhere inside the fridge there may of been one on the side of the stat housing but perhaps long since fell off

[electrofix]

digging led me to this advert

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/THERMOSTA…-/132007349873

he says K59 L4106 has a gen part no of C00261055 ( which hopefully is correct )

which is the same part number for the cpc page

Dave

[menderman]

Looks like my best option is the CPC one, I have dug out the original one and the cpc is an exact replacement.
But I may even of fitted the current one wrong. The fridge has a cooling panel on the inside and the stat wire sits behind it and is curled up in a loop, should it be straight or perhaps as straight as it will go without it sticking out the side.

[menderman]

Here is the housing unscrewed from the side of the fridge, you can see the wire sits inside the channel and the tucks behind the cooling panel in a loose coil sort of in the position behind my ring.

[electrofix]

no you curl it to get more sensor in contact with the plate

Dave

[menderman]

I see so I have fitted it correctly after all I would say it is about a 4 inch circle hasn’t got a complete contact with the plate because its impossible to get it to do that. I could have a play with the size and position of the loop to se if that helps. Or am I wasting my time.
Thanks again Dave you have been a great help. I looked at buying a new fridge today needs to be 500 wide but they are all smaller dimentions inside than mine and the salad box is tiny – you could just about get a cucumber in there (if you bit the end off ) I suppose they have extra insulating material

[electrofix]

don’t worry fold the end carefully and not too tight then tuck the rest behind the plate

yes later ones are more energy efficient but have more insulation making them smaller

Dave

[menderman]

Thought I should update this. The stat has been in my basket to buy but ever since the fridge has been behaving its self with a perfect temp – until today it has not been on and is warm, I flicked and fiddled with the wire behind the panel but that made no difference so I gave the stat housing a sharp bang and on it came.
So just to be sure – do we think it could be anything else apart from the stat – before I buy one.

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