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Kenmore Elite represents the up-scale lineup of Kenmore home appliances, including refrigerators. They’re well-designed machines, but you should still learn how to troubleshoot their common problems in advance.
Kenmore Elite refrigerator troubleshooting can include many issues. Whether it’s a lack of cooling, water dispensers that don’t work, ice makers that can’t freeze ice, and loud noises from inside the compartment. Thankfully, these problems are pretty straightforward to troubleshoot and fix, even without consulting a technician.
This guide will equip you with the knowledge you need to troubleshoot your Kenmore Elite refrigerator. More importantly, you’ll know which parts to check and what solutions to use if you ever run into issues with your fridge.
Kenmore Elite Refrigerator Troubleshooting:
If you want to know how to troubleshoot a Kenmore Elite refrigerator, you must understand the most common problems it might face.
Here are 4 of the most common problems experienced by Kenmore Elite fridges and how to troubleshoot them:
Refrigerator Not Cooling
What part to check: The first and most common problem that might affect a Kenmore Elite refrigerator is a lack of cooling. You’ll want to focus on troubleshooting the condenser coils and the evaporator fans when that happens.
The condenser coils are crucial to the fridge’s sealed cooling system. All heat removed from inside the refrigerator flows to the condenser coils, where it’s then released to the surrounding environment.
Meanwhile, the evaporator fans are inside the fridge’s compartments. They’re designed to distribute cold air evenly throughout each compartment, keeping them cool.
What’s wrong: When your Kenmore Elite fridge fails to cool, it’s because the condenser coils are dirty or the evaporator fans have failed.
The condenser coils are an external portion of the cooling system. Plus, there’s a fan continuously blowing air through them. Combining those two factors causes the coils to get dirty and dusty very quickly.
When they get too dusty, they lose their ability to efficiently release heat into the surrounding environment. As a result, the fridge struggles to stay cool.
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As for the evaporator fans, the blades could become damaged, or the motor could wear out. When that happens, cold air generated by the fridge’s cooling system won’t be distributed throughout the compartments, leaving them warm.
How to fix it: These problems are fixable. Firstly, clean the condenser coils by vacuuming loose dirt and using a brush to scrub off anything that remains.
Next, inspect your evaporator fans to see if they’re still working. Damaged fan blades are replaceable, and they’re typically not expensive.
However, a failed motor will also require a replacement that costs more than fan blades.
Read: Kenmore Elite Refrigerator Temperature Setting
Water Dispenser Not Working
What part to check: When there’s no water from the water dispenser on your fridge, you have to troubleshoot the fridge’s incoming water supply and water inlet valve.
The incoming water supply refers to the water line connecting your fridge to your household’s water supply.
That water line connects to the fridge through its water inlet valve that controls the flow of water into the appliance to supply the water dispenser.
What’s wrong: A fridge water dispenser that doesn’t work has two likely causes. Firstly, there’s an issue with the water supply.
For example, there might be no water flowing through the water line. Besides that, the water line might be kinked or bent, preventing water from flowing through.
However, the water inlet valve in the fridge might have also failed to open and let water through.
Both of the above will cause the refrigerator’s water dispenser not to work.
How to fix it: You can save a lot of time and effort by troubleshooting the water supply first. So, ensure that the water valve is fully open and that the water line isn’t obstructed in any way.
Once you’ve confirmed there’s a water supply, inspect the water inlet valve. Some valves are clogged with sediment, which you can clean away to restore their functionality.
However, if the valve has failed due to excess wear or some other damage, you’ll have to replace it with a new one.
Read: Top 6 Issues When Kenmore Elite Refrigerator Stop Cooling
Ice Maker Isn’t Making Ice
What part to check: The ice maker in a Kenmore Elite refrigerator won’t make ice if it doesn’t receive incoming water. If you’re sure there’s a water supply and the inlet valve is functioning correctly, you must troubleshoot the ice maker’s water line.
You can identify the affected water line by following the one connecting the inlet valve to the ice maker.
What’s wrong: Unfortunately, the water line has frozen with ice. That will clog the water line and prevent the ice maker from receiving the water it needs to function.
How to fix it: You’ll need to defrost the frozen water line to clear it out. Firstly, disconnect the ice maker’s water line at both ends. Then, flush the line with warm water to melt away the ice inside.
This process will take a bit of time and effort, but once the ice starts to melt, you’ll clear the water line soon after.
Read: Where Is Kenmore Freezer Reset Button?
Refrigerator Is Noisy
What part to check: Kenmore Elite refrigerators typically operate with a soft and gentle humming sound. Check the evaporator fans inside the compartments when it makes a loud vibrating or hitting noise.
The spinning fan blades are the most likely source of those noises you hear.
What’s wrong: The evaporator fans will generate loud noises when they’re partially frozen. The ice buildup will get in the way and cause the fan blades to hit it repeatedly as they turn.
Those loud noises will continue for as long as there’s ice in the way.
How to fix it: Melting the ice buildup is the only way to solve this problem. You can do it slowly by turning off your Kenmore Elite refrigerator and leaving the compartment doors open.
Doing so will defrost the ice slowly but surely.
If that’s not a practical solution, put a pot of hot water inside the affected compartment. The steam from that pot will melt the ice that’s blocking the evaporator fan.
Depending on the buildup’s severity, you might have to refill the pot with hot water to melt everything away.
Avoid using a heat gun or hair dryer, as the focused heat damages the fridge’s plastic panels.
Unfortunately, the slow and steady approaches are the best when it comes to melting ice buildups.
Read: Top 5 Reasons Why Refrigerator Compressor Is Hot
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Here are a few more pointers to help you troubleshoot your Kenmore Elite refrigerator:
How Do I Defrost My Kenmore Refrigerator Freezer?
You can defrost your Kenmore refrigerator freezer by shutting off the appliance and leaving the door open. That will allow warm air to enter the compartment and melt away all the ice built up inside.
Where Is The Defrost Heater On A Kenmore Refrigerator?
The defrost heater is concealed behind the rear wall inside the fridge’s compartments. Therefore, you must remove the panel to see and access the defrost heater.
Read: 3 Reasons Why Kenmore Fridge Is Not Making Ice
How Often Does A Kenmore Refrigerator Defrost?
Kenmore refrigerators defrost every 8 hours.
How Often Do Refrigerator Coils Need To Be Cleaned?
You should clean the condenser coils on your Kenmore Elite refrigerator every 6 months. That will prevent dust from building up there and allow the fridge to keep itself cool.
Can I Use My Ice Maker Without A Water Line?
Yes, you can use the ice maker without a water line by manually pouring water into it. However, this is a tedious process that should only be done for the short term, perhaps while waiting to repair a faulty ice maker.
Related: Kenmore Elite freezer not working
Related: Fridge leaking water inside
My Kenmore Elite three door refrigerator/freezer accumulates water and ice above the freezer but below the wide bottom refrigerator drawer. I have to use plastic spatulas to break up the ice (about 3/8″ thick) and then use a towel to remove the water. We don’t use the icemaker. It has its own issues. But we do use the water dispenser. I can’t see where the water is coming from. Can this be a condensation issue?
It is more likely a blocked or frozen defrost drain. On many models, you can check it by accessing it through the back panel of the freezer, behind the drawers. Use hot water (not too hot to touch) to pour into the drain hole. Maybe use a turkey baster, cooking syringe, or squeeze bottle. Eventually water should start flowing through it. If not, you can use a wire or pipe cleaner to gently clean out anything that may be blocking it.
This would be the first thing I would look at. Hopefully it helps!
My Kenmore Elite in-door ice maker quit freezing and all the ice in it melted. The mechanical portion seems to be fine. When I push the cycle button the ice tray turns and dumps the water out and refills ok, but the water doesn’t freeze. The freezer temperature is -9F (a manual thermometer agrees with door indicator) but the in-door ice maker compartment is only 30F.
If your model has a fan for the ice maker, it could be bad or stuck. You may be able to hear it running, or if not, you may have to inspect it.
If the air duct/chute is blocked or iced over, it could be preventing the cold air from getting into the ice-making compartment.
If your model has a sensor (thermistor) for the ice maker, it could be malfunctioning and reading the wrong temperature.
If you have a door seal issue, allowing warm air into the unit, that could keep the temperature above freezing. Though this is unlikely.
Lastly, you may have a bad control board. I wouldn’t suspect this until all else is checked.
My Kenmore Elite 3 door fridge sweated unusually about 2 months ago now there was a chemical smell inside and then noticed nothing is cold/frozen?
Could it be more then one problem?
What you’ve described could be caused by one or more of the following:
Refrigerant leak. This could cause both the smell and the lack of cooling.
Faulty compressor. This could explain the lack of cooling.
Blocked or frozen evaporator coils. Cooling ability would be diminished.
Defrost system malfunction. Also could result in lack of cooling.
Hopefully, this gives you some direction in your search for the culprit.
My Kenmore Elite keeps making a loud noise in the back. When I open the door, I could hear it slow down and then stop, when I close the door it starts again.
What could it be?
This is probably a sign of an issue with the evaporator fan motor or frost buildup interfering with the fan blades.
You may be able to test this by opening the door and manually pressing the door switch. Listen for the noise to recur. If it does, it’s likely the fan. Might be going bad or could be obstructed.
Check for frost buildup on the evaporator coils. This frost can come into contact with the fan blades and cause noise.
My Kenmore Elite refrigerator turns off and comes back on frequently in short intervals. It seems to hold the temps well, but it’s continuous and concerns me that something is wrong. What do I check?
Hi Jeff,
If you haven’t already, turn off the circuit or unplug the fridge for several minutes. Then restore power. Sometimes these newer electronic appliances just need a hard reset.
If that doesn’t solve it, I would check the power source. Look for a loose plug in the outlet. If it’s loose, the vibration of the fridge motor may cause it to intermittently lose connection.
Next, I would check the outlet itself to make sure the wire connections are secure. One easy way to test this is to plug a small lamp into the same receptacle as the fridge and see if the light goes off the same time as the fridge. Of course, this would mean leaving the lamp on for some time until the fridge does its cycling thing again. But it may save you from having to dig into the receptacle box.
If everything so far checks out fine, it may be internal to the fridge. Possible loose connection in the system. This would take some intricate troubleshooting.
It could also possibly be a bad control board.
Hopefully, one of these checks will point you in the right direction.
my kenmore elite refrigerator stopped making ice and makes noise like a fan hitting something. My insurance said it is the sealed system and not covered. I can make ice cubes in trays but ice cream doesn’t stay hard. Does that sound like the sealed system or it something else. I am in question on buying a new refrigerator or calling in repair man not from the insurance i bought. It cost, me $3,000 for refrig and only 10 year old.
Roberta, please take a look at these articles:
https://howtofixit.net/why-kenmore-fridge-is-not-making-ice/
https://howtofixit.net/kenmore-elite-refrigerator-temperature-setting/
https://howtofixit.net/kenmore-elite-freezer-not-working/
https://howtofixit.net/where-is-kenmore-freezer-reset-button/
Hopefully you can find a solution in one of those. Seems to me that, being a sealed system, that is all the more reason insurance should cover it, depending on the type. But they always seem to have an excuse buried in the fine print.
Hi. My sears Kenmore elite fridge is getting warm/hot on exterior sides. A code CF was showing on panel board. Unplugged and code went away but is back. Afraid of fire. What should I do
Kristi, the code CF likely refers to the condenser fan and indicates there is a problem. If the condenser fan is not working properly, it can cause excess heat to build up as it can’t dissipate it adequately. The fan may be blocked, stuck, dirty, is not getting power, or it’s broken. This is the first thing I would check.
My kenmore elite seems to intermittely freeze items in the back row like yogurt and/or milk. any ideas on what I should look at.
Thanks
Roger, the first thing to check is the temperature setting of the fridge. Since the coldest air is delivered at the rear of the fridge, it is coldest back there and can over-cool the more sensitive food items. 38 degrees F or less is a general rule of thumb for fridge temp.
Kenmore Elite freezer and ice unit seem to be functioning normally but just three days ago we noticed a small puddle under the freezer door….drip pan was dry but there was a 1/2 inch slab of ice in the lower freezer ….removed ice but it builds up again, up to 1/4 ich every two days…seeping water is originating from cold air feed vent at bottom rear of freezer.
Hi Bob,
Here and here are a couple of articles that might be helpful. They aren’t specific to your brand, but might point you in the right direction.
what could be the causes for the kenmore refrigerator to keep running. it is at temperature, it is clean, and no codes are showing.
Hey Dean,
It could be a bad defrost timer that isn’t registering properly. Also, a faulty capacitor or relay could be the culprit, though less likely. Sometimes a faulty or inhibited condenser fan motor can cause the fridge to keep running beyond it’s normal cycle time.
Hi Eugene,
Thank you for maintaining this site. Intermittently, the blue light for the water, ice cubes, and crushed ice dispenser for my Kenmore Elite refrigerator will go out and when it does these three actions cease to function. The light and the actions will cease for an hour or less or sometimes a day before the light and actions return to working. How can I prevent this from happening?
Hey Tim,
An intermittent electrical problem like that could be a few different things… such as a bad (or stuck) door cutoff switch, a loose wiring harness connector, pinched or damaged wiring, or even a bad control board. See if you notice any change as you open and close the door several times successively, especially when it is acting up. That might jar the door cutoff switch loose or reengage the wiring connection, depending on the exact issue.
Then you can narrow it down from there. Hope that helps get you started in the right direction!