Freezer warm, but fridge OK – Frost-free integrated F/F – Miele KF888IDN-1

[js_lon]

Hi
Is my 14 year-old fridge-freezer repairable/worth repairing..?

Woke up this morning to Miele KF888IDN-1 integrated frost-free fridge freezer beeping.

According to built-in temp display:
Fridge is fine at +5C.
Freezer very warm at -1C.

Door to freezer appeared closed properly and freezer not visibly iced up inside. No power cuts.

Freezer must have been faulty for a good while (24h?) to go up from -19C to -1C.

Switched off for few mins, then back on – putting freezer in “Super” mode. After one hour, fridge still +5C, freezer down to -3C – which is an improvement.

I can hear the compressor running. In hindsight, thought I noticed a shuddering sound over recent weeks when compressor stopped. Don’t know if relevant.

Miele advised a two-week wait for their engineer – but did email me the instruction manual – whose troubleshooting steps didn’t help!
I looked at the troubleshooting steps on this website but they didn’t really cover this issue.

I could try a local independent – but what might the issue be/is it a waste of time looking to repair this? Is this something a local independent appliance engineer could diagnose and easily fix? Does this model have two compressors? Odd that fridge fine but freezer apparently faulty for some time.

Should I switch the appliance off (for 24h) and try and find somewhere to store the food – in case the frost-free freezer still needs ‘hidden’ defrosting?

At 14 years old I could buy a replacement appliance, but Covid-19 means the usual integrated appliance (cabinet doors) installation service is unavailable so maybe a repair is not a bad idea for now…

Any specific recommendations appreciated.

Thanks
PS I +think+ this has happened once or twice before over the years – freezer warm (alarm), reset and ‘fixes itself’. Freezer now down to -6C after two hours.

[Tony R]

I can not locate that model, can you confirm you have typed it correctly and include the index number and serial number, which will be of great help.

[js_lon]

Tony R wrote:I can not locate that model, can you confirm you have typed it correctly and include the index number and serial number, which will be of great help.

Model: KF 888 iDN-1
Type: 5 6143 4
Serial: 60/80878369

Photo of plate and panel:
https://ibb.co/Kh730gN
https://ibb.co/k6kY6QM

The 4-beeps cycle have now stopped and over a few hours the freezer has gone back down to -19C (and the fridge stayed on +5C). So it can work when it wants to! But it’s done this before and I’m worried it will conk out completely. Not sure where to start. Thanks

Manual https://www.manualslib.com/download/…888-Idn-1.html

[Tony R]

That’s strange that it is now at temperature, your unit has one compressor and while running will provide freezing to the freezer compartment, it has a solenoid valve which diverts cooling to the fridge when required but also continues to the freezer for as long as the compressor is running, check that your fan in the freezer is working ( open door and quickly see if the blades are slowing down ) fan only runs with door closed and evaporator sensor at operation temperature.
It is possible the freezer coil is iced up, only by removing the rear panel can you confirm this, there is a service diagnostics for this unit but it is complicated and goes through several programs.

[js_lon]

Thanks for the guidance:

Tony R wrote:check that your fan in the freezer is working ( open door and quickly see if the blades are slowing down ) fan only runs with door closed and evaporator sensor at operation temperature.

Fan at back of freezer working fine (put phone in freezer to record video with flash light on!) – seems to spin without constraint when door closed. Same goes for fan at top of fridge (though that was switched off until now).

Tony R wrote:That’s strange that it is now at temperature, your unit has one compressor and while running will provide freezing to the freezer compartment, it has a solenoid valve which diverts cooling to the fridge when required but also continues to the freezer for as long as the compressor is running,

Does that mean either the fridge or the freezer can ‘call for cooling’ when above their respective temperature, but only the fridge can ‘opt out’ of cooling if the compressor is running?

I still don’t really understand how the freezer can get warm and the fridge remain fine. The freezer must have stopped working for a whole day. And switching off power for 30 secs fixed it?! I’m pretty sure this has happened twice before (a year or more back).

Tony R wrote:It is possible the freezer coil is iced up, only by removing the rear panel can you confirm this, there is a service diagnostics for this unit but it is complicated and goes through several programs.

When you say service diagnostics, do you mean some button combination I can press on the control panel and a readout from the LED display. Or is this something a visiting engineer would have to do? (There have been no E0 or F0 type errors on the LED displays ever that I can recall.)

If you think taking the appliance out (presume this means taking the cabinet doors off), I can try it. Will have to find somewhere to store the food if defrosting the freezer coil is a long operation. If I can poke my mobile phone camera round the back, are we literally looking for frost on the black coils at the bottom? Or are they covered up by a panel.

Is there a service manual or something to show me what to do? (at least basics to follow if there is a panel to remove)?

Thanks again for your help with his.

[Tony R]

Yes only the fridge can opt out of cooling if the compressor is running, when I talk about rear panel, I am talking about the inside of the freezer, not taking the fridge freezer out from the carcase, the only reason I ask to see if ice has built up, as this could be the problem, due to its design, that the fridge worked but not the freezer, if as you say the freezer fan is working, Sometimes the door being slightly open will not trigger the door alarm the fan will come on and this will cause excess frost to build up and stop good airflow around the freezer coil and increase the temperature. I can send you the service instructions by email.

[js_lon]

Cheers. Just DM’d you with my email.

[js_lon]

Just as an update, the freezer went to -24C, then later the fridge went warm (has been ok until now), then the freezer stopped working altogether, then the fridge. As it’s 14 years old and all the food spoiled, I decided to replace the fridge/freezer as I need an appliance I can rely upon. Unfortunately the next day delivery got cancelled so got rebooked for today – fingers’ crossed.

Thanks Tony for trying to help.

[Author]

Posts