refrigerator help!

You need to defrost that thing!

I used to defrost my fridge all the time -- new-fangled ones have some sort of protection that renders defrosting unnecessary. Your little one doesn't have that protection, evidently.

Defrosting is just plain turning off the fridge (unplugging it usually) and letting the ice melt. I used to put pans of hot water under and around the ice to speed the process along. At some point the ice loosens and you can kind of pry things off, without waiting for the whole thing to melt into water. Maybe 2 hours of no power and hot water pans.

Good luck!

You might also check the temperature setting. It is possible it is set way too low. Also check the door seals for food gunk and tears in the gaskets. If there are leaks, the refrigerator's motor is constantly running and not allowed to shut down for the normal cycle.

Oh man, memories.

I remember those little dorm fridges.

yes, defrosting needs to be done regularly in those little ones. They're not hight tech.

Have patience with your defrosting. Do not, I repeat do not, attempt to remove ice with a sharp object the way that I did when I probably was about your age. I had to pay the landlord to replace the freezer, after I punched a hole in it. (and that was a regular size frig!)

I think that young people were not around when the vast majority of standard size refrigerators had to be defrosted on a regular basis.

BTW, welcome to A2K!

That little freezer problem is nothing like Merry Andrews. His little compartment was a solid block of ice.

I took all of the current keepables out and iced them down in the sink, hauled the frig out to the street, attached a chain and lock (inner city Boston) and let the sun do the thawing.

Finally the block of ice just sort of slid out. Then as the block of ice continued to melt we rescued his false teeth, he had forgotten where he put them, half a bag of raspberry's picked three years ago in NH, one lone stringbean and his telephone bill.

I think Soz is correct, your problem will respond to the boiling pan of water and steam ploy.

Good luck

That's a good point. I'd use a plastic spatula (nothing on it that was sharp enough to poke holes).

when we do the annual defrosting of our freezer , we put a pan of boiling water inside and i use two hairdryers to speed up the defrosting process - works rather well . it loosens the ice within about 15 minutes .
just make sure you do NOT !!! put the hairdryer inside the freezer !!!
i stand in front of the freezer , hold the dryers in my hands and let them blow into the freezer .
hbg

Are you a friend of Merry Andrews Sglass?

I'm his ball and chain Chai.

well, cool!

=]
thanks to all those who replied! i will be defrosting it this weekend!