Goomba wrote:
>On 12/26/11 11:40 AM, KenK wrote:
>> Last August I replaced my failing refrigerator with a new Kenmore. All
>> the many years I had the old refrigerator the freezer temp was a bit
>> below 0, until its last few weeks. The new Kenmore was also, the first
>> three or four months. Then it suddenly changed to + 4 to + 7 or so with
>> the analog freezer thermometer. I called warranty repair and the repair
>> guy checked it out and said it was normal. I was doubtful. I bought an
>> additional thermometer, a $10 digital freezer thermometer. Then, last
>> Saturday, the temp suddenly went up to +17. It seemed to go up to 17 or
>> so, then the cooling would come on and reduce it to around 0, then with
>> the cooling function off it would go back to 17, slowly, over and over. I
>> think it is a defective freezer thermostat, or don't they work that way
>> anymore? I called for service again Saturday, which will come this
>> Wednesday. How can I convince this service person this time that I really
>> have defective freezer function so it gets properly repaired? I'm afraid
>> the next temperature change, or the one after, will be to above freezing.
>> These Sears repair guys work on all the appliances and perhaps understand
>> none of them really well.
>>
>> Or am I wrong and this is within normal freezer operation parameters?
>> BTW. the non-freezer portion of the refrigerator has, according to an old
>> analog thermometer, remained normal.
>
>Was it going through an automatic defrost cycle? My understanding is
>that rising temps (still low though) are how self defrosting freezers work.

Sounds more like there is not enough mass in the freezer, an empty
freezer won't maintain a constant temperature, especially as the
seasons change along with the ambient temperature. Also the controls
between the fridge and freezer may not be set in an equilibrium for
contents and how often opened. If all there is in the freezer is one
frozen pizza and the fridge is full of canned beer and he opens the
fridge for another brewski every twenty minutes and leaves the fridge
door open for five minutes while staring blankly into space the
freezer temperature will fluctuate wildly.