[moderator]

Re: Beko CDA648FS/1 Frost Free Fridge Freezer-Fridge is Froz

The fix works as described by others. No skill needed. My description is just detailed so everyone can understand but it is not as complicated as I have made it sound. No welding needed. You just need:
The replacement sensor – I bought 4394720185 off ebay for £9 even though it was listed for different model. It contains the device you are replacing already shrink insulated with 2 wires coming out, plus 2 x clear heat shink end caps to cover each wire connection you make, and a black sleeve folded flat which opens into a cylinder to slip over everything as a second cover for the connections.
Stanley knife or similar blade.
Tape measure.
Cable crimmers to cut and trim the insulation to expose bare wires.
Hot air gun (hot hair dryer might work – try it on offcut of the black strip perhaps).
Can of expanding foam – read the instructions on how to use.
Spoon or wooden spatula or just your bare hands to dig into foam.

Photos are difficult to interpret – the official Beko ones show the set up without the foam and so is confusing. The real photos just show a hole in the foam backing and wires. Just follow the instructions.

First turn off the fridge, unplug and pull it out from wall.

As others have described, measure 220mm down from top of fridge and draw a horizontal line around 200mm from the left edge as you are looking at the back to around the centre of the fridge. This line will be over the bit (sensor and enough wire to play with) you want to expose which is around 50mm deep under the foam and covered by a plastic membrane. The hole also needs to be wide and high enough to work in so there is no need for exact measurements and it depends on much space you need. You can always widen the hole as you go.

The hole needs to be high enough to get your fingers and the crimpers into, so also around 50mm from upper to lower edge, and wide enough right to left to expose the faulty unit which is near the centre midline and enough wire which runs left horizontally at the 220mm line from the faulty unit before turning up into the PCB which is covered by white plastic cover (which you don’t need to touch. Another poster did connect directly – you don’t need to).

Use a blade to pierce the backing and cut a rectangle around 100mm wide by 50mm high, with the left edge around 200mm from the left edge of the fridge and the right edge around the centre of the fridge. Top and bottom around 25mm above and below the 220mm horizontal line. You can go a 2-3 centimeters deep with the knife – there’s nothing to damage just below the surface.

Remove the chunk you have cut, then dig bluntly with a spoon or wooden spatula. You will eventually hit the metal back of the fridge covered in white membrane. Difficult to see as the foam is stuck to everything. You should be able to feel the hard lump of wire running horizontally under the membrane. Clear 10mm or so of foam above and below the wire and extend left and right to the margins of your rectangle. Continuing right you will eventually hit the faulty sensor, which feels like an AAA battery. Pierce the membrane with a gentle horizontal cut placed above the wire, so you miss it. Then peel the membrane away from the wire to expose around 100mm or so right to left to give you enough to play with. When there is enough free you can pull out the faulty sensor. First, remove it from it’s casing by peeling up the left hand corner of the sensor metal casing to raise the bar holding it in. You can then wriggle it out to the left pulling the wires (you won’t need it again – replace it anyway as you have got this far) or pushing horizontally from the right to push it out the left.

Next cut the wires close to the sensor leaving enough free length for you to play with (ie you will want 50-100mm loose on the left attached to the fridge depending on how nimble you are and how big you have made your excavation.

Next put the cylinder of black heatshrink tubing loosely over the new sensor’s wires and let it hang down near the new sensor unit out of the way.

Practice trimming the insulation from the wires on the old sensor if you are a novice. Then skin 2-3 cm insulation from the wires on the new sensor and do the same on the wires connected to the fridge.
Twist each wire from the new sensor to one of the wires connected to the fridge (polarity does not matter). Then tighten the twists using pliers or the blunt tips of your crimpers. The twisted merged points can now be be capped by the clear heat shrink end caps. Tuck cardboard between the wires and the foam/back of fridge to shield them during the heating process. And keep the black tubing out of the way for now or it will start shrinking too. Don’t fry the end caps for too long with the hot air gun otherwise they will start to melt. The aim is to shrinkseal your twisted merged wires away under new insulation. Once the end caps are done, slide the black tubing up over both your end caps and seal this second layer of insulation over the whole area.

You now have the new sensor wired in and the connections nicely double insulated. The cylinder of the sensor has one flat edge. This edge goes flat against the back of the fridge. Slide the sensor unit into the old sensor’s metal casing and close the bar down. It is a tight fit – wiggle it in (the replacement sensor is better insulated). Dry the whole area with toilet tissue and it might be a good idea to stick some tape over the broken membrane. Then tuck any surplus wire into your hole and fill with expanding foam following the instructions on the can. You can allow to expand and cut any excess off later and maybe tape some card over it.

The ice on the back of the inside of the fridge should now be easy to dislodge following the time it has been unplugged and you using the hot air gun from behind, etc. so it should scrape off nicely in chunks. Then switch the fridge back on and all should be fine. You might notice some condensation on the back wall of the inside of fridge depending on how well you have reinsulated.

[Author]

Posts