Diffective Diffuser Causing Warm Side-By-Side Refrigerator

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• I love the detail and the pictures in this article. It is really clear as to what someone would have to do to fix this problem.

• Hey, just wanted to say thanks for all the detail...
  I've already ordered my replacement parts, and put a stick in
  my current diffuser to keep my fridge cool till the new parts
  arrive.
  In my case, my original problem was that the control relay on my compressor was bad, so as a result, I had built up condensation that eventually froze because I didn't properly clean things up after replacing the relay. Anyway, ice buildup is what I think caused my diffuser to malfunction.

  Regardless, I now have a cool fridge thanks to this detailed explanation!

  Many thanks to the author!
  Ed

  • i want to thank everyone above, as i too had the same problem and did what was described above and it worked - I now have a little plastic piece pushed into the diffuser to keep it open
    do I even have to replace the diffuser/thermistor? can I not just leave it this way for good (as long as i'm comfortable with how cold it gets and don't mind not using the thermostat)
    also, a small tip for those who want to remove the air chute to access the diffuser taps on the freezer side: there are two screws that are hard to access as they point upward; best way is to use a socket; screw size happens to be 0.25 inch (quarter inch)

    • I think you'll find that you'll have long term issues on both sides. The freezer will likely not be cold enough at times and the refrigerator may get too cold. Quite possible that the unit will run more than necessary which will use up more electricity. Glad it worked!!

      • thanks, todd;
        for now I set the freezer to the lowest (warmest) setting and both sides (freezer and refrigerator) seem to run fine. I suppose it's running in "open loop" mode (i.e. no feedback control of temp on refig side).

        I'd surmise that when it comes to load on the system (and thus how much electricity is consumed), it depends solely on the freezer setting but not on the refrigerator setting as the diffuser just regulates temp by opening or closing but does nothing to reduce the power at the source of the cooling mechanism; no?)

        • That would be my assumption as well.

• hi i need help with mi kenmore frige. i replace the water filter and my cooler stop workinng ta all ,please help

  • Try removing the filter and re-installing.

• Tengo un Refrigerador Kenmore Modelo 106.58953800.

  Hasta hace unas semanas, este funcionaba correctamente, sin embargo
  ahora estamos teniendo problemas: en algunas ocaciones el lado del
  congelador congela todo lo que se introduce en el mientras que el lado del refrigerador no enfria, y en otras ocaciones no enfria en ninguno de los lados.

  Un amigo me envio el diagrama de partes del modelo 106.56703500 y noto que el mio tiene un difusor en la parte isquierda superior, por l del lado del refrigerador pero en la parte inferior no, por lo tanto no veo como el aire podria circular de un lado al otro.

  Me gustaria me ayudarn en este sentido.

  Gracias

  Miguel Justo

  • Fijate bien, a la mitad del panel que divide el refri del congelador, hay una rejilla de plastico, por ahi reingresa el aire al congelador y lo restituye nuevamente al refrigerador por el difusor (en la parte isquierda superior), ese conducto con el tiempo se congela y no permite que el aire circule, deja descongelar tu refri uno o dos dias o con un secador de pelo aplicalo de lado del refri hasta que sientas el aire salir por el congelador, para esto debes remover el panel frontal del lado del congelador, encontraras la otra rejilla en la parte inferior derecha del congelador.

• I just had a compressor fan replaced last week because the refrigerator and freezer stopped cooling. (This happened a few months ago, but I resolved it by vacuming the coils.) This time the new fan seemed to do the trick. I could now hear the fan and motor running. Well, less than a week later, all the ice melted again and everything was warming up. The fan is running, but nothing is cooling. What else could be wrong? It's a kenmore side-by-side.

• Is the air defuser a moving vent part. Mine seems to be open, something tells me there has to be something sucking in the cold air because cold air sinks and not rises. Is there somethink that sucks the air or is the defuser something that opens and closes the vent.
  Model #10655602400

  • Luke - The air diffuser is basically a little motor that opens and closes the vent based on the thermostat. There's a separate fan that's blowing the cold air inside the walls of the refrigerator, when the diffuser opens the cold air comes out at the top, falls down to the bottom where there is another vent back into the walls. This allows the air flow to move in a circular pattern. make sense?

    • I am whit you todd,I just replaced the diffuser and the termistor and still dont see any results,the fridge side is not as cold as should be and I dont feel any air blowing from the diffuser,what I noticed is when open the freezer door cold air come out from the diffuser as soon as I close the freezer door the flow stops,plus I noticed another thermistor on the freezer side when I was replacing the diffuser....please advice me.

      Best regards.

      • Paco - I'm out of ideas....probably time for a repair man.

        • ok i have the solution already (after several months, diffuser and termistor replaced whit no results)and its so simple,on side by side fridges, the duct or vent from where the air blows back to the freezer GETS STUCK WHIT ICE !!! that prevent the air from circulating properly so the freezer works ok BUT the fridge does not, defrost your fridge at least 1 or 2 days or apply hot water on the vent(fridge side),you will see a couple of channels aside the vent from where is supossed to flow the air, to locate this vent on the freezer side remove the front panel that cover the radiator and the fan, you will see a little vent on the right side of the freezzer and when its correctly defrosted apply a dryer on any side (vent)you must feel the air in your hand on the other side....problem solved.

        • Paco - That means the defrost isn't working or the thermister is not working correctly. That duct should not ice up.

        • Well Todd, but every time you open your fridge moist get inside, and (I think)must built ice in some place, and am talkin in a several years period which sounds normal to me, if I see this duct stuck whit ice in a short period then I will think I have a real problem or some component its not working as you sugested, any way I will keep you informed in the progress but in my opinion we all must keep an eye once in a wihile on the return vent.

          Best Regards.

• Hi Todd,
  As you asked in response to my comment under your "Temporary Repair | Warm Refrigerator – Cold Freezer" page, I am reporting back my results.
  I ordered the parts last Saturday (expedited charges), received them Tuesday, and installed them in under 10 minutes. It took a few hours to notice the difference, but now my refrigerator side is nice and chilly holding steady around the factory recommended 37 degrees F.
  Thanks so much for your posting. It saved me lots of money!

  Don in Littleton, Colorado.

  • Don - Congratulations!! Glad it worked for you as it did for me. I hope you come back to the site often!

• We just had a repairman do this repair. Wish I'd seen this post first. I'm online looking for answers because the repair fixed nothing -- still cold freezer, warm fridge. In fact, it worked just fine for one week with no diffuser at all and a plastic bag jammed in the space between fridge and freezer. $150 later ..... 55 degrees in the fridge. :(

  • ps, my only other symptom is that food in one of the drawers used to freeze, pretty much for the whole life of the fridge.

  • JillthePill - Did the repairman replace both the diffuser and the thermistor?

• i need help with my Kenmore,elite refrigerator my daughter was moving the buttons that were on top but anyways we would like to now how can you fix the temperature What are the numbers for the temperature on top of the frig?

  • EDD - Not sure what your question is? Are you asking what temperature to set the fridge at?

    • Yess!!

      • Most people recommend having a refrigerator set between 35 and 38 degrees F. Most freezers are kept around 0 degrees F.

        Good luck.

        • well i try to move the buttons and every time i click it it changes on me other numbers that are different!! i dont no what to do?

        • EDD - Sounds like some type of problem with the electronic touch buttons. Sorry to say that might be something that Sears needs to look at.

• ok, thanks do you how much do u think it will cost me

  • EDD - Have absolutely no idea.