Official Kelvinator upright freezer parts

Troubleshooting steps to take when outer walls are hot on your Kelvinator upright freezer

It's normal for the outer walls of the freezer to get warm or hot when the compressor is running; refrigerant lines inside the cabinet walls remove heat from the compressed refrigerant. The hot refrigerant helps control cabinet humidity to prevent the cabinet from sweating.

If the walls get extremely hot, the condenser fan could be malfunctioning. The condenser fan blows air across the condenser coils to help cool the compressed refrigerant before it enters the evaporator. Replace the condenser fan if it doesn't run when activated.

Dirty condenser coils can also cause the hot freezer walls. Dust build-up on condenser coils interferes with heat transfer so the refrigerant stays hotter as it leaves the condenser and travels through lines in the freezer walls. Clean the condenser coils if they're dirty.

Performing routine maintenance on the freezer can also help keep the freezer walls from getting hot. Cleaning dust from the bottom front grill can improve airflow across the condenser so the refrigerant is cooler as it goes through lines in the freezer walls. Cleaning or replacing the door gasket can prevent air from leaking into the freezer compartment, causing the compressor to run longer and heating up the refrigerant travelling through lines in the freezer wall.

Common Kelvinator upright freezer replacement parts

• Control panel. The control panel houses the selection buttons and the display for the freezer. The control panel connects to the electronic control board through a wire cable that communicates button presses and display functions.
• Electronic control board. The freezer electronic control board controls the major electro-mechanical components in the freezer. When the electronic control board senses the compressor needs to run to cool the freezer, it sends voltage to the compressor and fans. It then receives input from temperature sensors to monitor the temperatures inside the freezer. With this information, the electronic control board controls the defrost cycle.
• Defrost heater. This heating element is mounted on the evaporator. When the electronic control board activates the automatic defrost system, this heater melts the frost and ice off the evaporator fins to increase the heat-exchange efficiency during the normal cooling process.
• Overload/PTC relay. The overload/PTC relay starts the compressor motor. It has 2 components: an overload protector that trips when the compressor motor overheats or locks up, and a relay. The relay manages the start-up of the compressor and keeps the compressor running until the compressor cycles off.