Fridge Freezer Problem

Agencies and other headaches, keys and cleaners, running costs and contracts...in short, all the things we spend so much of our time doing behind the scenes.<br>
akwe-xavante
Posts: 306
Joined: Wed Jul 01, 2015 3:19 pm
Location: East Yorkshire

Fridge Freezer Problem

Post by akwe-xavante »

I have had a problem with a small 50cm wide under counter fridge freezer during the hot weather earlier in the year and the recent on-going spell of hot weather.

The fridge freezer is emptied and cleaned. Guests arrive. A few hours later or the following morning they phone and the fridge freezer has turned itself off but the light comes on inside the fridge when the door is opened.

This has happened twice now and on both occasions they have I believe crammed the fridge full to over capacity and altered the temperature setting to maximum essentially overworking the motor which then switches itself off.

Has anybody else experienced the same problem?

Getting them to re-adjust the temperature setting, turn it off for 10mins and back on again solves the problem.
GillianF
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Joined: Mon Aug 20, 2012 12:06 pm
Location: Dordogne

Post by GillianF »

Yes, we used to have this problem regularly.

The guests would arrive and put all the shopping into the fridge which would then struggle to cool all the 'warm' shopping down. The motor would over-heat from the effort and stop working. The only cure was to wait until the motor had cooled down and it would then fire up.

I don't think there was any real solution except to ask guests not to overload the fridge with shopping.

Funnily enough, it hasn't happened recently and I wonder whether air-conditioned cars are keeping the shopping cooler in their cars.
newtimber
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Location: Brighton
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Post by newtimber »

I suspect it may be that there isn't enough ventilation at the back/around the fridge.
chipiechoo
Posts: 155
Joined: Sat Sep 28, 2013 7:07 pm
Location: SW France

Post by chipiechoo »

I have had a problem with a small 50cm wide under counter fridge freezer during the hot weather earlier in the year and the recent on-going spell of hot weather.

The fridge freezer is emptied and cleaned. Guests arrive. A few hours later or the following morning they phone and the fridge freezer has turned itself off but the light comes on inside the fridge when the door is opened.

This has happened twice now and on both occasions they have I believe crammed the fridge full to over capacity and altered the temperature setting to maximum essentially overworking the motor which then switches itself off.

Has anybody else experienced the same problem?

Getting them to re-adjust the temperature setting, turn it off for 10mins and back on again solves the problem.
Extremely grateful to you akwe-xavante, have just managed to cancel the new one due tomorrow, 250 euros saved.
Having read this thread, copied and pasted to guests who turned fridge back on and guess what, it is working perfectly.
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Mouse
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Location: Balearics
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Post by Mouse »

We suffered from a similar problem for few years. Guests (mainly the single friends type group) would shop and then try and cram a ridiculous amount of food and drink in to the fridge.
We suspect this then prevented the door from closing properly at times so the fridge started to defrost. Then when they did close it properly the water that hadnt come out of the fridge yet would ice up at the back. ....the techno suggested we switch it off to defrost fully (although the first time he chipped away the ice so we could get it working asap).

When we redid the kitchen we got a huge fridge.....and that did the trick. As no matter how much we steed to these groups not to cram the fridge with food and bottles. ...they did.

Mouse
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akwe-xavante
Posts: 306
Joined: Wed Jul 01, 2015 3:19 pm
Location: East Yorkshire

Post by akwe-xavante »

Thank you to those that have replied thus far.

It's something I'm going to have to live with as I can't get a larger fridge freezer in as the kitchen area is too small as it is.

I'm putting together a few words to create a laminated A5 notice to help guests with the problem. It didn't happen last year at all but it was a much cooler summer.
Martha
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Joined: Sun Apr 16, 2006 7:01 pm
Location: Chamonix

Post by Martha »

Ours has coped thus far but I'm always wondering if this might happen in a hot summer. I think a note in this hot weather is probably a good idea. Is it possible for you to install an extra fridge for cooling drinks etc, somewhere else? We are seriously considering putting one in the shed, ourselves, so people can keep beer, soft drinks etc in it.
Chalet la Foret, Chamonix
Giraffe
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Joined: Sun Jun 26, 2016 10:10 am
Location: Cornwall, England

Post by Giraffe »

Fridges and freezers can also cut out after a power cut. You may need to switch them off, then on, to get them working again. My sister and husband did not realise this when staying at my holiday let and thought the fridge had completely stopped working after a power cut. Without discussing with me they bought and installed a new fridge, so I ended up with 2 working fridges :lol:

I've since had the kitchen revamped with a large fridge/freezer, but as Martha suggests I keep one of the old fridges as an extra as I sleep 7. It sits under the stairs in the hallway and is used mainly as a drinks fridge. The rack for red wine sits neatly on top :D
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