August 19, 2026, 04:47 PM
TonydecFreezer not consistent
I have a Jenn-Air side by side refrigerator.
Lately, the freezer section has not been consistently freezing items while other items, to include the ice maker works fine. It seems to be centered on the upper shelf, as items below are freezing.
I looked on-line and watched lots of videos; the most common issue seems to be the evaporator motor seizing with the condenser coils freezing over. I can feel cold air coming out of all vents and the fan sounds like it is spinning. The refrigerator portion seems to be working fine.
Any thoughts on what else to check? TIA
August 19, 2026, 07:41 PM
bdylanCheck the door seal. Maybe it's developed an issue up top.
August 19, 2026, 07:48 PM
HRK https://appliantology.org/Great online resource for asking questions and getting specific fixes for your model/make.
August 19, 2026, 08:44 PM
TonydecWe checked the door seals. We did the dollar bill check, and we were able to get the bill out tugging on it, but don't really have a reference as to how tight it should be. We will go to an appliance store tomorrow and check on the fridges there to gauge it.
I will check that link HRK, thank you. Someone else had mentioned to check the recirculation fan which should be located near the bottom, and is supposed to push cold air back up towards the top.
August 19, 2026, 08:46 PM
Appliance Bradquote:
Originally posted by Tonydec:
I have a Jenn-Air side by side refrigerator.
Email me your model and serial at the e-add in my profile and I will send you the tech sheet and any other resources available on diagnosing it.
August 20, 2026, 09:49 AM
jimmy123xSometimes when a thermostat is going bad they do this.
August 20, 2026, 10:49 AM
TonydecEmail sent Brad, thank you.
As an update, I checked the parts sheet, no recirculation fan, just the evaporator fan. The upper vents seem to still be blowing cold air, but the lower most vent is very weak or not blowing. We rearranged items on the shelves to make sure the vents are not blocked. Top shelf still not freezing.
Ice cream is cold, but not frozen.
I am also watching TMmat's thread (new fridge), just in case.
August 20, 2026, 11:37 AM
jimmy123xquote:
Originally posted by Tonydec:
Email sent Brad, thank you.
As an update, I checked the parts sheet, no recirculation fan, just the evaporator fan. The upper vents seem to still be blowing cold air, but the lower most vent is very weak or not blowing. We rearranged items on the shelves to make sure the vents are not blocked. Top shelf still not freezing.
Ice cream is cold, but not frozen.
I am also watching TMmat's thread (new fridge), just in case.
The duct for the lower vent might be blocked with ice. I'd try to unplug it and bow warm air up the vent with a hair dryer for 10 minutes and see if water starts leaking out, etc.
August 20, 2026, 12:06 PM
TonydecThank you, Jimmy. I plan on taking the entire panel off and taking a look. According to what I have read and seen so far, if there is ice on the condenser it is typically due to a bad evaporator fan/motor. If I do find ice there, I will defrost it as I check the fan and see what happens. Just have to check with some neighbors and see if anyone has some spare space in their freezer. Shouldn't take that long, but with my luck...
August 23, 2026, 11:51 AM
TonydecI would like to give a shout out to Appliance Brad. He was very helpful throughout this process. He walked me through a step-by-step process to try and identify the problem.
Turns out it was a failed sealed system, which is non-repairable.
Thank You so much Brad, you are an asset to Sigforum. And thanks to the others that attempted to help.