Author Topic: Samsung refrigerators are *expletive deleted*it  (Read 1112 times)

zxcvbob

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Samsung refrigerators are *expletive deleted*it
« on: May 29, 2023, 11:47:00 PM »
Second time in about 6 months, my refrigerator has quit cooling.  The freezer section still works just fine.  The evaporator coils are frozen up.  I discovered it when I opened a beer and it wasn't very cold; checked the temperature and it was 60°.  Everything was working fine this morning, it was probably iced up but hadn't reached a tipping point yet.

The shitty part is the ice cements the cover on so you can't get it off to defrost it, and for some inexplicable reason there is polystyrene insulation on the back side of the cover to protect that ice buildup so you can't defrost it with a hairdryer.  (I wonder if it would work without the cover in place at all.  The evaporator would be exposed; the fan wouldn't direct the air over the coils properly but it would circulate the air in the fridge.)

I cracked that plastic cover last time trying to get it off.  Thinking seriously about destroying it this time instead of using the hairdryer on Low for several hours when it should take 10 minutes if it wasn't for that Styrofoam backing.

"It's good, though..."

HeroHog

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Re: Samsung refrigerators are *expletive deleted*it
« Reply #1 on: May 30, 2023, 12:50:20 AM »
Make sure the vents along the back of the freezer aren't blocked. Leave at least a ½" clearance in front of them as that is where the refrigerator gets it's cooling from. BT;DT.
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zxcvbob

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Re: Samsung refrigerators are *expletive deleted*it
« Reply #2 on: May 30, 2023, 01:52:56 AM »
I spent over an hour on it injecting steam into the little vents and finally got the cover off.  I damaged the foam on the back of the cover; looks like where it forms a duct or baffle along the side.  I said it might work without the cover at all, but pretty sure it won't because that's where the thermostat is.

I got it all back together and it's cooling.  Down to 73°, it started at 77.  I probably need to order a replacement panel assembly (includes the fan and maybe the temperature sensor.)  From what I can tell, repairmen just routinely destroy it and replace it, that's probably cheaper than the labor to get it loose without damaging it.

Quote
Make sure the vents along the back of the freezer aren't blocked. Leave at least a ½" clearance in front of them as that is where the refrigerator gets it's cooling from. BT;DT.
Thanks, I've been there too with 2-door fridges with the freezer on top, but this one has french doors on top with a freezer drawer on the bottom, so it's totally different.

I need a beer but none is cold.  And there's no ice because we dumped it in a cooler to keep the milk and cream cold until I got the thing working again.
"It's good, though..."

cordex

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Re: Samsung refrigerators are *expletive deleted*it
« Reply #3 on: May 30, 2023, 06:03:56 AM »
When I had a similar problem with a French door Whirlpool, the issue ended up being the bimetal that drove the defrosting cycle. The repairman who fixed it then failed to properly reconnect some of the wires on the defrost heater which I found and fixed the next time it happened. It worked reliably after that until we moved.

HankB

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Re: Samsung refrigerators are *expletive deleted*it
« Reply #4 on: May 30, 2023, 07:19:14 AM »
Purely anecdotal, but I talked to an appliance repairman who said that while Samsung makes good home electronics their major appliances are pretty bad. He said if you're going to buy Korean, buy LG, which he liked.

Except for my microwave, my home appliances all date back to the '90s, so I'm starting to pay attention to what's on the market today with an eye toward eventual replacement. Looks like they're putting too many bells and whistles on many of the new ones - I mean, a refrigerator with built in wi-fi, bluetooth, a camera, and . . . a coffemaker?   :facepalm:

Too much stuff to go wrong - it violates the KISS principle.
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K Frame

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Re: Samsung refrigerators are *expletive deleted*it
« Reply #5 on: May 30, 2023, 07:28:54 AM »
"Purely anecdotal, but I talked to an appliance repairman who said that while Samsung makes good home electronics their major appliances are pretty bad."

I've heard that from both repairmen and, more importantly, on appliance forums from people who have had endless issues with their Samsung major appliances.

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dogmush

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Re: Samsung refrigerators are *expletive deleted*it
« Reply #7 on: May 30, 2023, 12:26:50 PM »
I just wanted to pop in and say: Yes.  Yes they are.

Samsung appliances are *expletive deleted*it all around.  THe only one I have left is my Fridge, only because I'm not willing to drop 2 grand on a new one.  But it's a steaming pile of crap.

Bogie

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Re: Samsung refrigerators are *expletive deleted*it
« Reply #8 on: May 30, 2023, 12:32:37 PM »
My fridge cost about $125 or so, and came out of an assisted living apartment building that was having everything "refreshed."
 
It has worked fine for a decade. I have to defrost it about once a year.
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Jim147

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Re: Samsung refrigerators are *expletive deleted*it
« Reply #9 on: May 30, 2023, 01:03:16 PM »
Samsung was using a onetime thermal fuse instead of a bimetal. I would just install a Frigidaire bimetal in then and go. 
Sometimes we carry more weight then we owe.
And sometimes goes on and on and on.

BAH-WEEP-GRAAAGHNAH WHEEP NI-NI BONG

MillCreek

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Re: Samsung refrigerators are *expletive deleted*it
« Reply #10 on: May 30, 2023, 02:22:26 PM »
One data point, but my sister-in-law had many bad words to say about her LG front load washer and how long it took to get parts from Korea.
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zxcvbob

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Re: Samsung refrigerators are *expletive deleted*it
« Reply #11 on: May 30, 2023, 03:13:22 PM »
Samsung was using a onetime thermal fuse instead of a bimetal. I would just install a Frigidaire bimetal in then and go.

Thermal fuse for what?  Because it's acting like the automatic defrost is not working; ice quietly builds up until suddenly it stops working (fan is jammed or all the air vents totally blocked.
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Jim147

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Re: Samsung refrigerators are *expletive deleted*it
« Reply #12 on: May 30, 2023, 05:53:49 PM »
To cut power to the defrost heater. The bimetal design resets when it cools down but what Samsung used was a one and done. If that is what yours has it should be right in line with the heater.
Sometimes we carry more weight then we owe.
And sometimes goes on and on and on.

BAH-WEEP-GRAAAGHNAH WHEEP NI-NI BONG

zxcvbob

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Re: Samsung refrigerators are *expletive deleted*it
« Reply #13 on: May 30, 2023, 06:07:43 PM »
To cut power to the defrost heater. The bimetal design resets when it cools down but what Samsung used was a one and done. If that is what yours has it should be right in line with the heater.

Thanks.  How do I test the defrost circuit?  There was so much ice right on the defrost heater, I gotta think it's not working at all.
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Perd Hapley

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Re: Samsung refrigerators are *expletive deleted*it
« Reply #14 on: May 30, 2023, 07:51:26 PM »
Uh-oh. The stove and microwave/range hood we picked out, for the post-fire remodel, are Samsung.

Just went with a top-freezer GE for the fridge.
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Jim147

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Re: Samsung refrigerators are *expletive deleted*it
« Reply #15 on: May 30, 2023, 09:29:29 PM »
Thanks.  How do I test the defrost circuit?  There was so much ice right on the defrost heater, I gotta think it's not working at all.

You will have to find the two wires that come to the heater. Ohm them out. If it is open see if it has anything else in the circuit. There may be a wiring diagram behind the toe plate or by the compressor. Or get me a model number.
Sometimes we carry more weight then we owe.
And sometimes goes on and on and on.

BAH-WEEP-GRAAAGHNAH WHEEP NI-NI BONG

K Frame

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Re: Samsung refrigerators are *expletive deleted*it
« Reply #16 on: May 31, 2023, 07:13:04 AM »
Uh-oh. The stove and microwave/range hood we picked out, for the post-fire remodel, are Samsung.

Just went with a top-freezer GE for the fridge.

The stoves and microwaves seem to be more durable than either the refrigerators or the washing machines.
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Calumus

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Re: Samsung refrigerators are *expletive deleted*it
« Reply #17 on: May 31, 2023, 08:35:56 AM »
I have two friends that work for Samsung corporate. Both started in the warranty call center about 15 years ago, one is still there while the other has worked her way up to project management. Both warned me from the day i met them never to buy a Samsung appliance. TVs and personal electronics are great; but any of their appliance lines have abysmal failure rates.

BobR

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Re: Samsung refrigerators are *expletive deleted*it
« Reply #18 on: May 31, 2023, 06:46:28 PM »
Once again the English language and its nuances jumped out at me in this thread title. With the addition of one tiny word the meaning is flipped 180 degrees.

We go from "Samsung refrigerators are *expletive deleted*it" to "Samsung refrigerators are the *expletive deleted*it".

No wonder even native born speakers of the language will sometimes screw the pooch.

Other than that I really have nothing constructive for this thread, even this wasn't.

:)

bob

Calumus

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Re: Samsung refrigerators are *expletive deleted*it
« Reply #19 on: June 22, 2023, 08:45:14 PM »
I have two friends that work for Samsung corporate. Both started in the warranty dept, one is still there. They hear almost nothing about consumer electronics which is a good thing; but neither will let any friends or family buy their appliances. Even with sometimes huge discounts, their own employees won’t buy their stuff.

K Frame

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Re: Samsung refrigerators are *expletive deleted*it
« Reply #20 on: June 23, 2023, 07:05:48 AM »
"We go from "Samsung refrigerators are *expletive deleted*it" to "Samsung refrigerators are the *expletive deleted*it". "

And, if we take it to its logical conclusion....

Samsung refrigerators are the shittiest...

 :rofl:
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HankB

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Re: Samsung refrigerators are *expletive deleted*it
« Reply #21 on: June 23, 2023, 07:21:42 AM »
"We go from "Samsung refrigerators are *expletive deleted*it" to "Samsung refrigerators are the *expletive deleted*it". "

And, if we take it to its logical conclusion....

Samsung refrigerators are the shittiest...

 :rofl:
After reading this thread on Samsung major appliances, pretty soon we'll be saying they're systemically racist and that that Koreans are the yellow face of white supremacy.
Trump won in 2016. Democrats haven't been so offended since Republicans came along and freed their slaves.
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K Frame

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Re: Samsung refrigerators are *expletive deleted*it
« Reply #22 on: June 23, 2023, 07:31:56 AM »
One of my neighbors is Korean (SMOKING HAWT first generation American), and her husband is midwest-German extraction.

They have one of the smaller Samsung Kimchi refrigerators. Sophia makes kimchi, James makes sauerkraut with it.
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HankB

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Re: Samsung refrigerators are *expletive deleted*it
« Reply #23 on: June 23, 2023, 07:36:37 AM »
One of my neighbors is Korean (SMOKING HAWT first generation American), and her husband is midwest-German extraction.

They have one of the smaller Samsung Kimchi refrigerators. Sophia makes kimchi, James makes sauerkraut with it.
In my family, we used to make sauerkraut in large quantities in the fall when it was cooler. We used to "put it up" in a big wooden pickle barrel. Only used shredded cabbage and pickling salt. (Coarse salt with no iodine added.) Let it ferment until it was just right. Doggone, that was good!
Trump won in 2016. Democrats haven't been so offended since Republicans came along and freed their slaves.
Sometimes I wonder if the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on, or by imbeciles who really mean it. - Mark Twain
Government is a broker in pillage, and every election is a sort of advance auction in stolen goods. - H.L. Mencken
Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it. - Mark Twain

K Frame

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Re: Samsung refrigerators are *expletive deleted*it
« Reply #24 on: June 23, 2023, 07:41:58 AM »
It's been a couple of years since I made my last batch.

I've typically made it in 15-pound batches, using fine pickling salt (as you say, no additives) in a 3-gallon food grade bucket my Mom got from Dunkin Donuts.

And yeah, you're right... incredibly good.

I need to make some this year. The bagged stuff you get at the store is OK, but it just doesn't compare to homemade.

Turns a grill cooked Nathan's or Ballpark Frank from a hot dog to a sublime experience.
Carbon Monoxide, sucking the life out of idiots, 'tards, and fools since man tamed fire.