Appliance Spares
Quick answer: Fridge warm but freezer still cold? Nine times out of ten it’s one of two things — the evaporator fan motor in the freezer has stopped spinning (so cold air can’t move up into the fridge), or the defrost drain is blocked and ice has packed solid over the evaporator coil. Both are fixable. We stock evaporator fan motors for LG, Samsung, Westinghouse, F&P, Haier, Hisense and Beko — same-day Sydney dispatch.
Why the fridge is warm but the freezer is still cold
On every frost-free fridge sold in Australia — Westinghouse, F&P, Samsung, LG, Hisense, Haier, Electrolux, Kelvinator, Beko — there’s one cold-making coil, and it lives behind the back wall of the freezer. A small fan motor blows cold air off that coil up through a duct into the fridge.
So if the freezer is still rock-hard but the milk’s gone off, the cold is being made — it’s just not reaching the fridge. Three culprits, ranked by how often we see them:
- Evaporator fan motor stopped spinning — bearing seized or coil burnt out.
- Defrost system failed — ice has built up over the coil and is blocking airflow.
- Damper jammed shut — flap that meters cold air into the fridge has frozen up or the motor’s dead (common on Samsung/LG/Haier side-by-sides).
The three checks — in order
1. Listen for the fan (60 seconds, free)
Open the freezer, push the door switch in with your finger (opening the door cuts the fan on most fridges). You should hear a soft whirr from behind the back wall.
- Hear it running cold air is moving. Problem is the damper or a blocked duct.
- Dead silent fan motor or the defrost system. Go to step 2.
- Tick-tick or grinding bearing’s seized. Fan blade’s hitting ice or the motor’s on its way out.
2. Pull the freezer back panel — look for ice (15 minutes, free)
Empty the freezer, unplug the fridge, drop the plastic back cover (3-6 screws). You’re now looking at the evaporator coil (small radiator) and the fan motor (small black or grey motor, top of the cavity).
- Coil encased in solid ice, fan blade buried defrost system has failed. Manually defrost (24 hours unplugged, doors open, towels on floor) and replace the defrost heater, thermostat or sensor for your brand. We stock the F&P defrost heater (H0064001597), the Haier defrost heater (H0064000843F) for HSBS555AS/AW, the LG defrost termination thermostat (6615JB2002T) for the GN/GR range, and the Hisense defrost timer (B03081038) for HR6TFF203/270/460.
- Coil clear but the fan isn’t turning when you trip the door switch fan motor is dead.
- Puddle in the freezer or pooled at the back defrost drain is blocked. Melt-water from the auto-defrost cycle can’t drain, refreezes over the coil. Clear the drain hole (back wall of the freezer, behind the coil) with warm water — a turkey baster works.
3. Replace the evaporator fan motor (30-45 minute swap)
Match the part to your brand and model range — these aren’t interchangeable across brands and not even across all generations within a brand.
| Brand & range | Part |
|---|---|
 LG GR-332SF, GR-372SF, GR-432SF, GR-482SF, GR-T382G, GR-T452G, GR-T502G, GR-T542G, GR-T582GS, GR-602TVF, GR-S592GC | LG evaporator fan motor (4680JB1019T / 4680JB1034G) |
 LG GC-B197/L197/P197, GR-B207/L247/P207 | LG 13V DC evaporator fan motor (4681JB1027A / 4681JB1029A) |
 Samsung SR/SG/SRL/RT-series (SG629 family, SR418MW, SR447NTS, SRL550DW, SRL551DP) | Samsung evaporator fan motor (DA31-00003L) |
 Samsung RL/RT/SR-series (RL36/RL39, RT32–RT50, SR223/228, SR-L627/L629) — 60+ models | Samsung evaporator fan motor (DA31-10109J / DA31-00244 / DA31-00002P) |
 Westinghouse / Kelvinator / Electrolux BJ415G, BJ424T, FJ302V, FJ362V, RJ212S, RJ412Q, RJ452S, RJ532S, RP432V, WBM3700/4000/4300/5100 range | Westinghouse / Kelvinator / Electrolux evaporator fan motor (1434362) |
 Hisense HR6BMFF453S, HR6FDFF701SW, HRBM417S | Hisense fan motor (K1870599) |
 Beko RFNE290E23W, BVF290W | Beko DC fan motor assembly (5979271200) |
Confirm by your model number before ordering — connectors, blade pitch and voltage vary across platform generations.
The swap:
1. Unplug, empty the freezer.
2. Drop the back panel inside the freezer.
3. If iced up, defrost first — don’t chip with a screwdriver, you’ll puncture the coil.
4. Unscrew the bracket, unplug the connector, note the blade orientation, swap the motor.
5. Reassemble, plug in, run 30 minutes, feel for cold air at the fridge duct outlet.
When it’s the damper, not the fan
On Samsung, LG and Haier side-by-sides especially, the damper motor in the duct between the freezer and the fridge can freeze shut or die. Fan runs fine, freezer’s cold, but zero cold air reaches the fridge. Send your model through the Part Finder — damper assemblies are model-specific.
Frequently asked questions
Why is my fridge warm but the freezer still cold?
On a frost-free fridge there is one cooling coil, behind the back wall of the freezer, and a small fan blows that cold air up into the fridge. If the freezer is cold but the fridge is warm, the evaporator fan has stopped, the defrost system has let ice block the coil, or the damper is jammed shut.
How do I check my fridge’s evaporator fan motor?
Open the freezer and press the door switch in with a finger — you should hear a soft whirr from behind the back wall. Dead silence points to the fan motor or the defrost system; a tick-tick or grinding noise means the bearing has seized or the blade is hitting ice.
How long does it take to replace a fridge evaporator fan motor?
The swap takes 30-45 minutes: unplug the fridge, empty the freezer, drop the plastic back panel, then unscrew the bracket, unplug the connector and fit the new motor. If the cavity is iced up, defrost first — never chip ice off with a screwdriver or you’ll puncture the coil.
What causes ice to build up over the evaporator coil?
A failed defrost system or a blocked defrost drain. When the drain blocks, melt-water from the auto-defrost cycle can’t escape and refreezes over the coil. Clear the drain hole behind the coil with warm water, and replace the failed defrost heater, thermostat or sensor for your brand.
Are fridge evaporator fan motors interchangeable between brands?
No. Evaporator fan motors aren’t interchangeable across brands, and not even across all generations within one brand — connectors, blade pitch and voltage vary between platform generations. Always confirm the part against your fridge’s model number before ordering.
Why is my fridge warm when the evaporator fan is still running?
If the fan runs and the freezer is cold but no cold air reaches the fridge, the damper motor in the duct between freezer and fridge has frozen shut or died — especially common on Samsung, LG and Haier side-by-sides. Damper assemblies are model-specific, so match by model number.
Disclaimer: this article is general information only and is provided without warranty of any kind. Appliance designs vary between models and production runs — always follow the manufacturer’s instructions, switch off and unplug the appliance before starting any work, and confirm parts against the model number on your appliance’s model sticker. Any repair is undertaken at your own risk and Oz Appliance Spares accepts no liability for injury, loss or damage arising from work performed after reading this guide, to the maximum extent permitted by law. If in doubt, use a qualified technician.
