Help!! Samsung RSH1DBRS SxS Fridge ok Freezer not cooling

[tonio]

Hi,

Came home from hols to find freezer temp flashing, cabinet warm & food ruined!
Reset the unit by unplugging from mains, flashing temp stopped, freezer would not cool. Fridge side is cooling ok, just the freezer at fault.

No fault codes showing up at any time or even after doing test mode (2 top buttons 8 sec).
Verified the compressor & condensor fan are switching on/off. (FF on menu). Condensor coil is clean & no visible leaks I could see.
This is AC compressor model afaik (2 wires to compressor & no TDM diverter valve on refrigerant pipes).

Removed the freezer back wall. Verified the evap fan in freezer is working. No frosting on the freezer evap, it is not very cold to touch either.
Defrost heater is not on. Measuring 0.6Kohm on defrost stat with multimeter.

Then removed fridge back wall, there was some ice buildup at very top line of the fridge evap/pipework/stat. Defrosted this by doing forced defrost.
Verifed the fridge evap fan was free & working. Left unit cooling overnight after resets; freezer temp did not drop at all, display remained showing ~20deg. Fridge steady at 3deg.

After doing test mode again this morning, the freezer display temp started to drop slowly & I thought “Great it has cleared the fault”. But opened the door after about an hour with the display temp showing -10deg & the freezer cabinet was still warm. So it is showing a false reading also??.

My understanding from reading online is the twin cooling system on this older model has a single AC compressor with 2x evaporators which are receiving refrigerant all the time & the temperature control works by turning on/off the evap fan in either compartment to control the temp in that compartment. There is no TDM valve fitted.

If I force the cooling using the FF option, freezer evap pipes never frost over or get very cool – surely this should happen?

So does this sound to you guys like a weak compressor or a refrigerant leak issue? Or am I missing something else here?

Appreciate any input.
Serial no is 891442BQ800377B Model RSH1DBRS Rev 0.1
Unit is in continuous service since May 2009.

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