UKC

Ok, I apologise for possibly the dullest thread I've ever started, but...

Our freezer recently seems to have gone on the blink. We have a combined fridge/freezer in our kitchen, and the freezer seems only to cool down to about -5C and no further at the moment. Fridge part seems totally normal. There's only one temperature control/power knob for the whole thing.

So, has anyone any experience with such a problem? I've thoroughly defrosted the freezer, but to no apparent avail. It seems a bit weird that the fridge part works fine, but the freezer part doesn't. I'm stumped, but it would be good to know if there might be something to look for before we have to shell out a few hundred Euros on a new fridge/freezer for our landlord.

Cheers,

Tim

In reply to Green Porridge:

You have to replace stuff that wears out in a rented place? Do they do things differently in Germany?

In reply to Green Porridge: i have a commom prob with my fridge, there's never enough beer in it

In reply to Steve John B:

Oh yes. I'm not sure exactly where we stand with this but it's normal in Germany for a flat to come without kitchen, and you have to buy fridge, freezer, cupboards, oven, stove etc., and take them with you when you leave, or sell them to the new tenant. Madness.

In any event, we're hoping not to be in our current place for too much longer, so, forking out a stack of cash for something that won't fit when we move would be worth avoiding if possible.

I'm basically trying to see if I might have missed something simple, before having to take the expensive option....

Tim

In reply to Green Porridge: Have you pulled it out from the wall and checked to see if the back of it is choked up with dust and cobwebs etc. Fridges need to get rid of heat through the radiator coils on the back. Might be worth checking

In reply to Green Porridge: If it's normal to take it with you, why not just live without a freezer for a short while and bin it when you move out?

In reply to Steve John B:

Yup. IIRC tenants are responsible for the upkeep of the property and fittings, however they have much greater rights than in the UK.

Renting is seen as much more "normal" and long tenancy agreements (e.g. 10 years or more) are more common than in the UK, where renting is seen (correctly or incorrectly) as a poor substitute for owning your own home.

In reply to Green Porridge:

If its not very old, find a Fridge/freezer repair person, they can generally be repaired. If it's 10+ years old it may be time for a newer more efficient one.

In reply to Green Porridge:
From my limited experience, the compressor is the first thing that fails, this could be the case with your freezer as limited pressure in the system would hit the freezer first before the fridge.

In reply to gethin_allen:

Hmmm... could be. I borrowed out IR camera from work today to see if I could see anything on the doors where they aren't sealing, or strange hot spots on the back. Turns out the compressor was pretty warm (though not about to catch fire or anything). Unfortunately, I don't know if this means the thing's shot, or whether it's just "normal" for the machine. I've unplugged it for overnight, will turn it on again in the morning and see if that does anything, if not, I'm all out of ideas, and will have to look at a new one

Thanks for the help!

Ti

In reply to Green Porridge:
When my last fridge died the compressor wouldn't stop running whereas it would normally run for a bit then stop.

In reply to Green Porridge:

I imagine the motor or compressor is on it's last legs. You mentioned the appliance was a bit over ten years old? That sounds about right.

In reply to gethin_allen:

Sounds familiar....