Frequent defrosting for Hotpoint HMCB50501 fridge / freezer

[johne53]

First post here and it’s possible I need a specialized Hotpoint forum but I couldn’t find one…

I recently bought a Hotpoint HMCB50501UK fridge/freezer. It’s described as “low-frost” but I’m finding the freezer section is permanently frosty (if I defrost it, frost will be showing again in less than 24 hours). I’ve only owned it for a fortnight but I’ve already had to defrost it once!!

Hotpoint’s engineer told me this is normal and that low-frost effectively means “quick to defrost”, rather than “not much frost”. I’ve read dozens of reviews for the HMCB50501UK but I can’t find any mention of this issue. Does anyone here know if this is normal for a low-frost freezer?

[tubafan]

Appears that this model has the evaporator behind the inner casing but as you are finding you’ll still get frost build-up, and yes in a freezer some will appear pretty much immediately. How much frost are you getting as I wouldn’t have thought it should need defrosting more often than every three or four months?
Also, the more often you open the door the faster it will generate frost as you are letting a new lot of moist air in each time.

[johne53]

Many thanks tubafan. After about 4 days, frost on the freezer walls was around 1.5 – 2 mm but what drew my attention was the frost around the door compartment which was more like 5mm and that’s what caused me to ring Whirlpool (i.e. Hotpoint). On the phone, their rep said there was no way I should be seeing that much frost after just a few days and it was her suggestion to send an engineer. But when the engineer arrived, he told me it looked normal and that low frost (somehow) didn’t mean there’d be a low amount of frost.

I guess I’m just surprised that this didn’t appear in any of the reviews I read (and I must’ve read around two dozen…)

[johne53]

BTW – do you happen to know if there’s a dedicated Hotpoint or Whirlpool forum somewhere? I haven’t been able to find one… I came across a Whirlpool automotive forum but not one for fridges and freezers etc 🙁

[electrofix]

there is no tech bullitins about this but this unit is not a self defrosting unit so you expect to see frost build up. the key here is how quick

what do you mean by the term “door compartment”

Dave

[SAMURI]

Check the door seals to make sure there is no leaks.

[johne53]

Thanks Dave – by “door compartment” I mean the area in front of the freezer drawers (i.e. the bit the door fits into). The frost there seems to build up much quicker than on the main walls.

Samuri – There’s no obvious damage to the door seal but Hotpoint advised me to heat it up with a hairdryer (which I’ve just done). So I’ll see if that makes any difference. Apparently it causes the seal to re-shape itself.

Regarding the frost build-up (mentioned in post #3) do those amounts look excessive to you guys or would you say they’re normal for a low-frost freezer? I was kinda shocked to see how quickly the frost built up but then again, I’ve only ever had frost-free freezers in the past. Maybe this is normal?

[electrofix]

if the door seal does not contact properly then it allows moist air in which freezes

in a frost free unit the moist air is moved to the rear where is freezes and turns to water during defrost cycle but in a non frost free unit it will frost the closest cold surface

so the more the door is open or the more dampness in the air the more frost you will get

Dave

[johne53]

Hi Dave – so if we ignore frost-free for a moment… back in the day, freezers weren’t usually described as low-frost – but it’s sounding like there’s no real difference between those older types and a modern, low-frost freezer ?

[Edit…] I’ve been reading online that a low-frost freezer apparently works by moving some of the freezer’s air into the refrigerator somehow – thereby reducing frost in the freezer while increasing it slightly in the fridge. So maybe that’s not working properly in my case??

[Author]

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