Samsung SR-S2028CVW side by side fridge freezer failing

[cnssjw]

Hi

We have a Samsung SR-S2028CVW – big American-style jobby – which is defrosting/not cooling. Hoping somebody here can help us please. Here’s the story from start to finish.

– My wife noticed the food in the fridge part was ‘not as cold as usual’ a couple of weeks ago.
– Water drops were forming underneath one of the shleves in the fridge part.
– We noticed some water puddles under the unit – about a week ago.
– The freezer and fridge parts were warm – the first day of the recent hot weather.
– I cleaned out the freezer part and vacuumed out the air vents on the back of the unit – they were quite dirty.
– When the unit was switched off and on again, both fridge and freezer cooled down to the target temps we set on the LCD display.
– When it reached these target temps, it appeared to shut down completely – fan and compressor stopped.
– Then it began to thaw.
– The LCD display continued to show the -20 and +2 target temps, but in fact the temp inside the unit was much higher than this after a while.
– When we powered it off and on again, it started cooling properly again, and the LCD display correctly showed the current actual temp inside the unit.
– I put one of those automatic plug timer thingies in the socket to effectively restart the unit every 2 hours as a workaround.
– That worked for a bit, but now – last few days – the fridge doesn’t get below about 14 celsius. The freezer does get down to -20 however.

Any ideas please? I think I have mentioned everything. The lights all work and the gaskets are in good condition. The compressor fan works (except when it doesn’t) and the compressor appears to work – it is hot. The condensor tubes are warmish. There is some water in the evaporation tray at the back of the unit – I guess this is normal. I don’t think the freezer door has been left open, but can’t be 100{e5d1b7155a01ef1f3b9c9968eaba33524ee81600d00d4be2b4d93ac2e58cec2d} sure, as we have kids.

By the way, I have read this thread: viewtopic.php?f=33&t=15869

Thanks and Cheers!

[admin]

Re: Samsung SR-S2028CVW side by side fridge freezer failing

Hi

It’ll be either a defrost sensor/defrost heater or thermal fuse in the fridge compartment.

Bryan

[cnssjw]

Re: Samsung SR-S2028CVW side by side fridge freezer failing

r600a wrote:Hi

It’ll be either a defrost sensor/defrost heater or thermal fuse in the fridge compartment.

Bryan

Hi Bryan

Thanks. I just had the local engineer around to take a look at it. He thinks it is either the defrost sensor or or known Samsung problem where excess water is absorbed by the evaporator panel in the fridge compartment and ice forms (something like that anyway, the rustling of my cheque book drowned out his words 😆 ).

Part ordered. Hopefully it will fix it. Any idea how much a defrost sensor should cost?

Cheers
Toby

[admin]

Re: Samsung SR-S2028CVW side by side fridge freezer failing

Hi

Approx £13

Bryan

[pbsmith]

Re: Samsung SR-S2028CVW side by side fridge freezer failing

Hi,

I have an identical fridge/freezer with identical symptoms.

Strange thing is it was working perfectly till last week, we went on holiday, there was a power cut while we were away when next doors builders cut thru a power cable. The consumer unit tripped and the freezer switched off. We returned 10 days latter, to a completly de-frosted freezer and fridge.
We cleaned it out (what a stinking mess it was) filled it with bread and switched it back on. The compressor kicks in and it starts to chill the temps on the front panel were set to 3 deg and -23 for the freezer, the fridge got down to 3 but the freezer only went to -18 over night, the stuff inside was frozen. During the next day, lots of condensation appeared on the underside of the glass shelves in the fridge and the stuff in the freezer starts to defrost, even though the display still shows 3 and -18, a thermometer in a cup of water (left in there for 6 hours) shows it to be about +8 and another one just placed in the freezer reads +2.

Switched it of, waited 2 mins and then back on again and the readings on the front panel confirm the readings (more or less) from the two thermometers +10 and +4 for the freezer, the compressor has started up again and i hope its cooling once more.

Any suggestions, how do i confirm the problem, why would a power cut break it??

Quite handy with the tools so with the correct parts is it a job i could do myself??

Could this be the same problems as shown on the recent BBC watchdog program, i know they were the RS21 models but they look similar

Mines 5 years old know so i don’t expect they would mend it for free anyway

Thanks

Phil

[admin]

Re: Samsung SR-S2028CVW side by side fridge freezer failing

Hi

There wont be any way to prove that the power cable being cut caused your problem but the likelyhood is that it has caused either the defrost heater or thermal fuse to go open circuit which is causing your problem.

You can either meter the thermal fuse and heater to see which one and then take a chance youve metered correctly or buy the defrost heater as one as it comes complete with a new sensor and thermal fuse.

I hold the parts in stock R600a@hotmail.com

Bryan

[cnssjw]

Re: Samsung SR-S2028CVW side by side fridge freezer failing

Hi again – a quick update on our S2028CVW problem.

Changing the defrost sensor didn’t fix the problem for us. There was still something wrong with the defrost cycle and the evaporator area in the fridge compartment behind the cold water bottle and the panel continued to ice up completely, causing the evaporator fan to stop working and the temps to rise again.

We eventually got the engineer out again yesterday, and he replaced a whole panel of sensors this time. Now it seems to be working (-20 and 3 degrees) – touch wood!

Of course, with all the icing up, the cold water bottle (the white S-shaped tube thingy behind the fruit and veg drawers in the fridge) froze and split. So now we need a new one of those.

Anybody know how much they are/how big a job it is to fit a new one please?

Cheers

[pbsmith]

Re: Samsung SR-S2028CVW side by side fridge freezer failing

Sorry to hear about more bad luck, it usually happens in three’s so be carefull 😉

cnssjw wrote:
We eventually got the engineer out again yesterday, and he replaced a whole panel of sensors this time. Now it seems to be working (-20 and 3 degrees) – touch wood!
Cheers

was this a panel of sensors in just the fridge? I am guessing the part replaced was the defrost heater “complete” containing a new sensor and thermal fuse. Mentioned by r600a earlier in the thread

I’m still unsure how a fault in the fridge can effect the freezer when this model is ment to have twin chillers, ie totally independant

Was your freezer not maintaining temp as well as the fridge.

Regards

Phil (still not sure which bit to buy) Smith

[helo_75]

because it switches off while the heater’s on ( or isnt as the case is)

the machine then waits till it’s defrosted, and theres where the problem lies

faulty heater?

[cnssjw]

Re: Samsung SR-S2028CVW side by side fridge freezer failing

pbsmith wrote:Sorry to hear about more bad luck, it usually happens in three’s so be carefull 😉

Thanks!

was this a panel of sensors in just the fridge? I am guessing the part replaced was the defrost heater “complete” containing a new sensor and thermal fuse. Mentioned by r600a earlier in the thread

Yes, all the work has been carried out behind the large panel in the fridge compartment (behind the veg/salad drawers). Not sure exactly what he replaced, but the guy said the part would cost about £20.

Was your freezer not maintaining temp as well as the fridge.

Correct, but only in the end. To start with the freezer was struggling on manfully while the fridge went up and up in temp. However, after the first sensor was replaced, both the fridge and freezer continued to rise.

Still -20 and 3 today, some 4 days after the latest work, so fingers crossed this has sorted it. 😀

Cheers!

[Craigd]

I also have a problem with the panel icing up which also split the the water tank, i have replaced it (£50) but the new one iced up after a week so i have now removed it until i sort out the icing disconnected the chilled water solenoid so can still use the ice maker

[cnssjw]

Craigd wrote:I also have a problem with the panel icing up which also split the the water tank, i have replaced it (£50) but the new one iced up after a week so i have now removed it until i sort out the icing disconnected the chilled water solenoid so can still use the ice maker

Was it easy to replace the bottle Craigd? The engineer told me it could be tricky, but he may have been fishing for more work.

[Craigd]

Re: Samsung SR-S2028CVW side by side fridge freezer failing

Sorry for the delay, to replace the chiller tank.
1. remove the plactic panel on the bottom of the fridge/freezer and disconnect from the connector (keep the insert you need it for the neew one.
2. remove the panel from the rear.
3. Cut the plastic pipes inside the fridge.
4. Push some electrical cable throught the pipes untill it apears in side the fridge push the new pipe onto the wire and push the pipe insde the fride and gently pull from the front.
4. for the rear do the same, you may have to unclip the compresor fan to make it easy.
5. don’t forget to disconnect from the mains.

[Author]

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