How To Put Maytag Fridge In Defrost Mode?

Maytag refrigerators offer an excellent solution to keep your food stored safely and for much longer. Unfortunately, they also experience frost and ice build-ups, just like any other refrigerator brand. While many models have auto-defrost features, sometimes you’ll have to manually put it in defrost mode.

To put your Maytag fridge in defrost mode, open the fridge door and hold the refrigerator door light switch. At the same time, press the temperature down button on the keypad 3 times within 10 seconds. That will trigger your Maytag fridge to begin its defrost cycle to melt away any excess ice inside its compartment.

Defrosting is a crucial task that keeps your Maytag fridge running efficiently throughout its lifespan. Keep reading to discover how to put the refrigerator into defrost mode and a few alternative methods you can use for the same reason.

How To Put A Maytag Fridge In Defrost Mode?

On many Maytag refrigerator models, you don’t have to enable the defrost mode manually. Instead, they have auto-defrost features that melt away any ice and frost build-up several times a day.

When the defrost cycle begins, the refrigerator will turn on its defrost heater. That will generate heat to melt away any ice and frost that might have built up, particularly around the evaporator.

The defrost cycle lasts for a short period and will happen several times a day. In doing so, the fridge won’t experience any excess ice or frost build-ups inside.

So, if your Maytag refrigerator comes with the auto-defrost feature, you won’t have to defrost it manually.

Read: Why Maytag Fridge Is Freezing Food? Troubleshooting Guide

How Long Is The Defrost Cycle On A Maytag Refrigerator?

The average defrost cycle on a Maytag refrigerator lasts 21 minutes. The fridge will pause refrigeration and power its defrost heater during that time.

The defrost cycle will repeat automatically every 8 hours, which means that it will run 3 times every 24 hours.

Read: 5 Common Maytag Fridge Problems

How Do I Force Defrost A Maytag Refrigerator?

Despite the auto-defrost feature on many Maytag refrigerators, you can still force the defrost cycle to begin if necessary.

To manually force the defrost cycle, follow these steps:

• Firstly, open your fridge door.
• Then, hold the refrigerator door light switch.
• At the same time, press the temperature down button on the keypad 3 times within 10 seconds.

The Maytag refrigerator will start a defrost cycle to melt away any buildups inside its compartments when you follow that sequence correctly.

Read: Why Maytag Fridge Is Leaking Water? Troubleshooting Guide

How Do I Know When My Maytag Refrigerator Is Defrosting?

Whether the fridge does it automatically or if you trigger it yourself, you’ll want to know when the defrost cycle is running. 

You can do so by looking out for these signs:

• Listen For Sounds – Listen closely for sounds of running water. Ice and frost will melt and flow through the defrost drain as the defrost cycle runs. If you can hear running water, that means the defrost cycle is working.
• Check The Temperature – If you have a thermometer at home, put it inside the fridge compartment for a few minutes. That’s an excellent way to check if the fridge temperature rises as it should during a defrost cycle.
• Do A Visual Inspection – Lastly, you can also inspect your fridge. Firstly, identify any ice or frost build-ups inside your Maytag fridge’s compartments. Then, check back the following day. If the defrost cycles run as they should, the build-ups should melt away by the next day.

Read: 3 Reasons Why Maytag Fridge Water Dispenser Is Not Working

Are There Other Ways To Defrost A Maytag Refrigerator?

Yes, there are several other ways to defrost your Maytag refrigerator. Here are 4 examples:

#1 Shut The Fridge Off 

The first and most straightforward method to defrost your fridge is to shut it off. When the appliance receives no power, its cooling system won’t run. Instead, temperatures will gradually rise and melt all ice and frost inside.

When using this approach to defrost your Maytag fridge, be sure to pad the inside with towels to catch all the water. That way, none of it will flow out onto your kitchen floor.

This method of defrosting your Maytag refrigerator can take 8 or more hours. So, it’s not a practical solution for everyone, especially if you have food items to keep fresh.

However, if you’re moving the fridge to another location, this is a very straightforward, fuss-free method to defrost your fridge thoroughly.

Read: Maytag/Whirlpool Fridge Ice Maker Not Working? How To Test?

#2 Increase Air Circulation

The first method works much more effectively when increasing air circulation inside the fridge. You can do that in several ways, including:

• Propping the fridge doors, so they stay open. That will allow air to flow freely in and out of the fridge, speeding up the defrost process.
• Pointing a fan at the fridge’s open doors to force more air circulation through the compartments.
• Use a blow dryer or heat gun to circulate hot air in the fridge. Keep the blow dryer a safe distance from the fridge panels when using this method. Too much focused heat can warp and melt plastic fridge parts.
• Move the refrigerator outside, if possible. Not only would this maximize warm air circulation through the fridge. But more importantly, it helps moisture from inside the refrigerator evaporate quicker.

Read: Maytag Refrigerator Control Panel Problems And How To Fix It

#3 Use Boiling Water In A Pot

Suppose leaving your fridge doors open or moving the appliance outside isn’t practical for you. In that case, you can also try defrosting your Maytag fridge by putting a boiling pot of water inside the compartment.

When you do that, the hot steam from the pot will help to melt away any trapped ice and frost in the compartment. Be sure to pad the fridge with towels to absorb any water that results from the process.

Depending on how severe the ice buildup is, you might have to replace the pan of hot water once it cools off. Then, repeat that process as many times as required to defrost your Maytag fridge thoroughly.

#4 Wipe Ice With Rubbing Alcohol

Last but not least, you can also use rubbing alcohol if you’d like a more targeted approach to defrosting.

Alcohol has a significantly lower freezing point than water. That means it’ll speed up the melting process when applied to ice.

Firstly, identify the parts of your Maytag fridge that you’d like to defrost this way. Then, wet a piece of cloth with hot water and a tiny bit of rubbing alcohol.

Next, take that cloth and dab the alcohol around the frozen areas you’d like to clear. After a few minutes, that section of ice will be loose enough for you to remove by hand or with a spatula.

Read: Maytag Refrigerator Troubleshooting

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Here are some other frequently asked questions about defrosting a Maytag refrigerator:

How Often Does A Maytag Refrigerator Defrost?

A Maytag refrigerator typically defrosts automatically every 8 hours. So on that schedule, the fridge will defrost three times a day.

Where Is The Defrost Heater In A Maytag Refrigerator?

The defrost heater in a Maytag fridge is located under the cooling coils. They’re behind the back panel at the rear of the fridge compartment.

How Do You Defrost A Fridge Freezer Without Turning It Off?

You can defrost a fridge freezer without turning it off by forcing it into defrost mode or putting a pot with boiling water inside. The steam from the pot will melt away any frost in the compartment. Alternatively, you can also wipe rubbing alcohol and water on the ice to melt it faster.

How Do You Know If Your Fridge Is Stuck In Defrost?

The defrost cycle typically lasts 21 minutes on a Maytag refrigerator. You’ll know that it’s stuck in defrost if the fridge remains warm and doesn’t resume cooling after those 21 minutes.

How Do I Test My Maytag Defrost Heater?

The best way to test a Maytag defrost heater is to remove it from the appliance and test it with a multimeter. The multimeter will help you check for electrical continuity. If there is no continuity, that means the heater is faulty, and you must replace it.