Candy CPCA240FFK - Salad draw freezing!

[Brovashift]

Hello all,

My fridge freezer has very recently started to freeze everything in the bottom salad draw, and the bottom shelf above. I usually have the temp set on number 2, but have tried 3, 2, and 1 setting with no obvious difference, still freezing and slight icing to my water in the door shelf.

Reading around online my guess is that its more than likely the fridge thermostat has gone, and have read on here that you can buy a thermostat kit that comes with instructions. However, the thermostats and kit dials dont look the same as mine, and so am wondering if i can replace the internals bits and still keep my existing dials.

This is assuming that its the thermostat that has gone, Im open to suggestions.

Also, if I am to go down the thermostat replacing route, how exactly do you go about it? I will try and attach some pics of my unit, but I do not see a way to remove the front panel where the temp dial is, nor is there anything to remove internally. The fridge light housing just contains a bulb, and if I am going to need to dig into the foam insulation at the rear, what about the heat sink (cage) on the back. Can this be removed or loosend, as the pipes to the compressor look to be soldered on and a little delicate. Is it just a case of digging out foam insulation from between the heat sink, without removing it, when looking for the fridge thermostat?

Any help and insight appreciated. Thanks.

TIA

[redroge]

Defrost the fridge to see if there is anything clamped to the evaporator ie a sensor if not the likelihood is there is a sensor clamped to the pipe work within the insulation I had a similar problem with a Beko fridge freezer

[Brovashift]

Hi redroge, thanks for the reply.

My fridge freezer is auto defrost, but I have scrapped off that powdery stuff at the back of the fridge and unfortunately didn't see anything other that solid while plastic.

Do you know where I will be able to get specifics on my unit i.e. what type of sensor/thermostat I need, as well as where to find it?
I have see this one mentioned in another thread: https://www.buyspares.co.uk/fridge-sensor/product.pl?pid=847037&query=cpca240ffk

But when looking for the kit as mentioned elsewhere I came across this one: https://www.espares.co.uk/product/es956053/fridge-freezer-thermostat-kit

So Im not sure which one is the correct one. The second one from espares has a different dial to mine, as mine sits flush with the fridge face, and the espares one seems to stick out. This is why I was wondering if I could use the new thermostat while still keeping my existing temp dial. I would have thought they would make the front panel removable and place the thermostat behind it for easy access and replacement. Why on earth do they bury these things in the insulation! Made not to last I guess.

https://www.espares.co.uk/search/mo428682/fridges-and-freezers/candy/cpca240ffk?page=4

[frank]

Auto defrost or not, I would firstly manually defrost the fridge for 48 hours, unplugged and doors open, to see if this fixed the issue.

Reminds me of ' engineers' stripping the guts out of a fridge to find the fault instead of checking the fuse in the plug top first :D

[redroge]

The sensor you need is the one from buyspares that plugs into a pcb ,if you’re getting excessive frost check your door seal also check previous threads on this site for the same problem

[Brovashift]

Cheers guys,

I spoke to Candy and Hoover technical supports yesterday who both told me that unfortunately they are not trained engineer's and so would not be able to help, so Im not sure what "technicals" they support! lol

Anyway, will try turning off and defrosting for 48hrs as suggested, once I've either eaten or figured out what to do with all the food in the freezer. I have heard this suggested elsewhere as it could be that the sensor has become frozen, and defrosting the unit might help to get things functioning again.

However, my confusion with this is that if the sensor had become frozen for whatever reason, then wouldn't it make more sense if the fridge was not able to keep things cool i.e. frozen sensor reads "too cold", so back off the refrigeration until desired temp reached. So warming the fridge temp.
Whereas in my case it too cold, freezing everything. So in theory, if the sensor is still working, it'd make more sense that the sensor is reading too warm and trying to cool things down. But as its freezing everything there doesn't seem to be anything telling it that the desired temp has been reached, and so continues to cool, and freeze. Which makes me think a sensor is more likely and dont hold out much hope for a defrost.

Happy to be wrong of course, because its cheaper, and easier. lol

[redroge]

You don’t need to defrost the freezer, sensors can break down and go out of range causing your problems

[frank]

On most fridge/freezer combos, the fridge section is cooled from the freezer via a short vent between the 2. The vent has a flap controlled by the thermostat which shuts when the fridge is at the desired temp.
If items in the fridge are starting to freeze, it idicates that something is preventing the flap from shutting correctly, allowing excess cooling of the fridge section. More often than not, this is the build up of frost/ice which can be cured by a prolonged defrost.
If this first step does not solve the problem then further investigaton should be done to test the operation of the stat, pcb or sensors.

Although, some of the modern combos have separate evaporators on the same circuit where the fridge section is fed from the freezer evap and runs quite cold.

[redroge]

Check previous threads on FE for your fridge

[Brovashift]

I have seen YouTube video's explaining about the flap getting stuck open, or it coming off its hinge, but my fridge freezer is about 18 years old and doesn't seem to have a flap or vent anywhere, so not quite sure how it works to keep the fridge cold. My guess is there must be some kind of plate or somthing in the bottom (top of freezer) that transfers the cold from the freezer through the bottom of the fridge. There is a hole at the back that I thought might be acting as the vent from the freezer, but turns out thats just a drainage tupe that goes down to a drainage tray above the compressor.
As for a pcb board, I don't think it got one, I cannot see where one would be, unless buried inside the insulation like the temp sensor. There is a plastic cover sticking out the back but I thought this was to do with the fan behind the freezer compartment.

Unless it is behind here (image)?

[seanf]

To me, looking at the pictures on your first post,

It looks like the fridge compartment has its own cooling and is not taking cold air from the freezer.

The temperature dial bit looks like it could have one of those fast freeze buttons? They by-pass the thermostat and run the fridge constantly. (does the fridge ever stop?)

For removing the top plastic trim/thermostat panel. If I think about the commercial and domestic fridges Ive seen like yours, they can have plastic clips that pop on to secure it to the steel of the body hidden behind the plastic.
Also may have screws as well as the clips holding it on, the door hinge screws sometimes and also behind the left hand side hinge mounting point thats got a plastic cap popped on it. And sometimes screws countersunk flush with the top of the plastic trim/panel, may also be countersunk with plastic screw head caps hiding them.

[Brovashift]

To me, looking at the pictures on your first post,

It looks like the fridge compartment has its own cooling and is not taking cold air from the freezer.

The temperature dial bit looks like it could have one of those fast freeze buttons? They by-pass the thermostat and run the fridge constantly. (does the fridge ever stop?)

For removing the top plastic trim/thermostat panel. If I think about the commercial and domestic fridges Ive seen like yours, they can have plastic clips that pop on to secure it to the steel of the body hidden behind the plastic.
Also may have screws as well as the clips holding it on, the door hinge screws sometimes and also behind the left hand side hinge mounting point thats got a plastic cap popped on it. And sometimes screws countersunk flush with the top of the plastic trim/panel, may also be countersunk with plastic screw head caps hiding them.

Hmm... interesting! I thought myself it would make more sense if they put thermostat components behind an accessible panel like the thermostat controls at the front, but couldn't see a way to remove it, other than pulling and hoping it was clipped on. Cant see any counter sunk screws, but does look as though the door would have to be removed before the panel could come off. I've not looked under the left hinge mounting point. When I turn it off to defrost for 48hrs I will investigate this more thoroughly.

Im not 100% sure if the fridge ever stopped at all, possibly for short periods, but recently it has started a constant intermittent bubbling noise coming from the back which is new, and that must be linked to the current issue. I assume its because its just running at full freeze mode with nothing telling it to 'chill' (no pun intended) and do a defrost cycle.

I've been eyeing up some new fridge freezers at the ready, just incase this repair goes tits up, right before Christmas. Got to have somewhere for the Turkey :)

[redroge]

Check with buyspares if fitting instructions are included with sensor as rear of fridge has to be cut away to get at sensor

[Robert35]

Hello there; I had the same issue, and the experts resolved it. I will tell you how to remove the thermostat and how to replace it. I'll include as much information as possible. First and foremost, the thermostat is located behind the refrigerator panel. You can remove a panel with a handle on the right side of the refrigerator by pulling it forward. You'll have to remove the refrigerator's back panel if you don't. This is written on the back of the fridge: - The following are located beneath the panel: - If the thermostat kit includes a thermostat and a connector, you can remove the wires and install them on the new thermostat.