The refrigerator should create a cold environment in which food can be stored safely. However, it happens that ice begins to form on the far wall in the refrigerator. This signals that the device is not working properly, but, fortunately, this can be easily fixed.
Freezing of the back surface of the refrigerator occurs for such reasons as:
Since the design of the refrigerator is not simple, it is necessary to clearly determine the root of the icing problem in order to find the most effective solution.
To accurately determine the cause of icing, you need to clearly know the signs of a particular problem.
So, firstly, it is worth checking the problem of air circulation in the refrigerator.
When working properly, the far wall of the refrigerator should not accumulate ice on itself. Users often assume that icing is always related to device component failure, but this is by no means the case. Often the problem can be fixed after eliminating air leakage from the refrigerator. To do this, it is enough to ensure that the refrigerator door is always tightly closed and has not been open for a long time. The fact is that warm air from the room enters the cold environment, which causes frost to form. In the future, fold the frost layer on top of each other and form an ice build-up on the wall of the device. This is exactly what icing is on the wall of the refrigerator.
There are several reasons why there is air circulation in the refrigerator:
To solve the first of the reasons, it is enough to always make sure that the door is closed. It is also worth preventing the door from being left open for a long time: open the refrigerator when you know exactly what you need.
The second case will require a little more effort. First you need to inspect the seal for defects, these can be scratches, tears, chips, dents, and so on. If at least one flaw was noticed during the inspection, the gasket must be replaced with a new one.
You can buy a new seal in specialized household appliance stores. When performing work, it is advisable to disconnect the refrigerator from the electricity network so that cold and warm flows do not circulate. Products from the refrigerator can not be pulled out, because during the time that the replacement takes place, they will not have time to deteriorate. Remove the old seal from the door and install the new one in its place. Check that it fits perfectly on the door. After that, close the door tightly and connect the refrigerator to electricity.
On the far wall of the refrigerator, where ice usually accumulates, there is a small hole through which the thawed ice drains. With its help, water, for example, crystallized from steam, quickly flows out of the refrigerator. The drain is also involved in the process of automatic defrosting of the refrigerator, which occurs several times a day. Water must flow freely through this drain.
Often, especially after a long period of operation, small pieces of ice accumulate in the drain hole, eventually forming a blockage. This is due to low water temperatures near the drain. The situation is aggravated if there is no heating element in the refrigerator, which prevents the water in the drain from freezing. Because in this case, you will only know about the problem when it reaches a critical point.
In order to fix the problem that has arisen, you must first disconnect the refrigerator from the electricity network and remove all food from it. You can first defrost the refrigerator so that you can easily remove the ice on the back of it, and then slowly pour hot water down the drain. This can be done with a funnel. As soon as the water begins to flow freely through the drain, you can turn on and load the refrigerator again.
As mentioned earlier, the refrigerator defrosts automatically several times a day. If the defrosting system malfunctions, then ice begins to appear on the back wall of the device. In cases where the thermostat does not work, the system will simply ignore the commands to turn the heater on and off, because it is the thermostat that regulates its operation. In cases where the thermostat is working properly, but the heater is not, the refrigerator will not defrost either, because there is nowhere to take energy for defrosting.
The defrost heater is responsible for turning on the heating element, which melts the ice and frost. It is located at the back of the refrigerator behind the far wall. Accordingly, when an element fails, it ceases to perform its main function. Without automatic defrost, during the day, the refrigerator begins to become covered with ice and frost, and every day the growths become larger and larger.
For both a faulty thermostat and a faulty heater, one solution is a complete hardware replacement because they are beyond repair. Therefore, the only possible solution for this problem is the replacement of structural elements with new ones.
Before installation, you must first turn off the refrigerator from the electricity network, and then empty it. After that, you need to carefully remove the back of the case from the refrigerator. This is not so difficult to do if you first defrost the refrigerator and remove ice from it. Or you can pour hot water over the ice, in which case you do not have to defrost it. After you have removed the back of the case, you will be able to freely manipulate the thermostat and heater. To fix the problem, remove the defective part from the refrigerator and install a new one in its place.
If you have additional questions, you can find the answer to it in the suggested list of frequently asked questions:
Is it normal for ice to form on the back of the refrigerator?
No, rather the opposite. Modern refrigerators are equipped with an automatic regular defrosting system throughout the day, so the frost that naturally occurs during operation does not have time to become ice. The presence of ice on the back of the refrigerator indicates that certain processes in the operation of the device are disrupted.
What are the most common causes of icing on the back of a refrigerator?
The main reasons for the formation of ice on the far wall of the refrigerator are: a door not tightly closed, a blockage in the defrost drain, faulty automatic defrost elements (thermostat and / or heater). Each reason requires an individual approach.
How to remove ice from the back of the refrigerator?
Ice must be removed from the rear surface carefully so as not to damage the wall. You can gently pry the ice with a spatula or tap on it so that it falls off in small pieces. However, if the ice layer is thick, you will have to defrost the refrigerator.
How many hours does it take to defrost the refrigerator?
On average, the process of defrosting the refrigerator takes from 8 to 12 hours. To do this, disconnect the devices from the electricity network, pull out all the food and leave the door open. To speed up the process, you can send a heater to the refrigerator compartment.
Is it possible to defrost the refrigerator without turning off the electricity?
Yes, you can. For example, many modern refrigerators have a defrost system that allows you to avoid all manipulations with turning the device on and off. As a rule, instructions for defrosting can be found in the general instructions for handling appliances. If your refrigerator does not have such a function, you can direct hot air into the compartment or put a large pot of boiling water on the shelf. They should help melt the layer of ice on the wall.
