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Frequently Asked Questions About Domestic Refrigerator Repair:

Timer makes noise, runs for a while if tap it, then stops again

I wonder if you could answer a question for me. My 20 yr old frost free fridge froze up solid the other day. We had been noticing that it was not freezing as well as normal, but no one noticed that the area at the back of the freezer where the fan runs was totally iced over.

From this, I would assume that we have a problem with the automatic defrost system. I am not familiar with the finer workings of this system, but I have read the schematic, and believe that the problem lies within the timer.

My question is; does the timer run at all times that the fridge is plugged in? It seems to run for a few minutes, then stop. If I tap it lightly, it will run for a few minutes more, and then stop again. The timer itself sounds as if the motor bushings are badly worn, as it has quite the growl to it.

Any information you can provide would be greatly appreciated.

Yes the timer should run constantly, especially when the unit is frosted up, because the cold control contacts wouldn’t be opening if your refrigerator is in this situation. I say this because some, but not all makes have the timer configured to run only when the cold control contacts are closed.

In your case I would say that for sure your timer is your problem and you just need to install a new one. If you tap it and it runs then stops again you can be certain.