Warm fridge section, cold freezer
ActiveSmart owners report this one more than any other. The freezer holds its temperature, but milk goes warm up top. Cold air is made at a coil behind the freezer panel. A fan then moves part of that air to the fresh food side. If that fan stops, the freezer stays fine and the fridge warms up.
Frost is the other cause. If the defrost heater quits, or the sensor beside it does, ice coats the coil. Air cannot pass through a block of ice. A white frost patch on the freezer's rear wall is the clue. We test the fan, the heater and the sensors before we name a part. More of the brand's products are on the Fisher and Paykel appliance page.
Fridge styles the brand sells
Fisher and Paykel started in New Zealand in 1934. Its US fridge line now has several layouts:
- Freestanding French door and quad door models.
- Integrated French door models that take custom cabinet panels.
- Integrated bottom freezer units in narrow widths.
- Columns, where the fridge and the freezer are two tall units.
Some models have a Variable Temperature Zone. You can set that space to Pantry, Fridge, Soft Freeze or Freezer mode. Integrated models keep the water dispenser and ice maker inside the door line. All of them use the ActiveSmart control system.
Ice and water trouble
When the ice bin stays empty, we check three things. The inlet valve at the back may not open. Ice can plug the fill tube. The ice maker unit may have a worn motor or a bad sensor. We thaw the tube, check the water pressure and test the valve with a meter.
Slow water from the inside dispenser is often a filter that is past due. A drip inside the fridge can be a loose line at the dispenser. Water under the crisper bins points at a clogged defrost drain.
Panel-ready models need extra care
An integrated fridge is bolted into the cabinet run. Your wood panels hang on its doors. To reach the back, a tech has to free it and slide it out without marking the floor. Door hinges on these units carry a lot of weight. When a door drops or will not close flat, the hinge needs to be reset or replaced. A door that stays open a crack will frost the coil within days.
Checks to make before we come
Listen with the doors shut. A steady low hum is the compressor and that is good. Clear food away from the air vents on the back wall. Run a hand around each door to feel for a gap in the seal. Look for a key or lock symbol on the panel. Never stab at frost with a blade, since one slip can cut a coil.
Visit fee and what it covers
Our home diagnostic fee is $79. It pays for the tech's time to test the fridge and find the cause. Choose to repair and the fee goes away. Before work begins you will see one set price with labor and parts in it. We are an independent company, not part of Fisher and Paykel. Techs are licensed, insured and background checked. Fridge calls are answered from 6 AM, and the last booking is 9 PM, Saturday and Sunday included. A same-day visit is often possible.
Repair or replace an integrated fridge
For an integrated or column unit, repair is often the smart call. The cabinet opening was built around it. A fan, a valve, a sensor or a hinge costs little next to new cabinet work. We are more careful when the sealed cooling system has leaked on an old unit. That job is large, and we will give you the numbers for both paths.
In Chicago and the suburbs, start with our Illinois appliance repair page. Fridge techs also run routes in Houston, Northern Virginia, D.C. and Los Angeles. Need help with another make? Go to refrigerator repair. The brand's drawer dishwasher is covered under Fisher and Paykel dishwasher repair. One thing to know about ActiveSmart. After a long power cut it can take a full day to settle, so wait before you judge it.