Hi

I have a Hotpoint FF200EG, it's about 2 1/2 years old.

The freezer door was left ajar, the temperature rose, the freezer contents started to thaw - and the audible alarm eventually triggered.

Opening and closing the door stopped the alarm beeping, but the freezer stayed in 'emergency mode' - lingering at around zero degrees C 'to prevent the contents refreezing' (quoted from manual).

The manual states that normal operation can be resumed by turning the freezer control dial off and on again.

My problem? The freezer control dial is broken - it turns freely, but doesn't seem to be connected properly to the potentiometer behind. I'm stuck with the freezer in 'emergency mode' with no way of resetting it. Things are nominally frozen at zero degrees - but apparently not to a deep-freeze temperature.

My questions?
1) Does anyone know another way of tricking the unit back into normal freezer mode?
2) Is it a straightforward job to remove and replace the control panel (or part of it) - or should I pay the Hotpointers/an engineer to come and do it. I'm no electrician, but I've had a sneaky look behind the panel and it looks like it might be pretty 'plug-and-play' - not unlike plugging components into a PC (of which I've done lots).

Any thoughts or guidance gratefully received!

Many thanks

Chris