Official Kenmore Elite top-mount refrigerator parts

Cleaning condenser coils on your Kenmore Elite top-mount refrigerator

• Unplug the refrigerator or shut off the circuit breaker for the refrigerator.
• To access the condenser coils, remove the bottom front toe grill. On many refrigerator models, you can pull the grill straight out and off of the refrigerator. Check your owner's manual for instructions for removing the front toe grill on your refrigerator. If the coils are under the refrigerator, remove the toe grill to access the coils.
• Push a coil brush into the condenser coils under the refrigerator. The coil brush knocks the dust off of the condenser coils. Vacuum the area to pick up the dust. After knocking the dust from the coils with a coil brush, vacuum the dust.
• Snap the bottom front toe grill onto the front of the refrigerator. Plug the refrigerator power cord back into the wall outlet.

Troubleshooting your Kenmore Elite top-mount refrigerator when its freezer isn't cold enough

Defrost system problems, dirty condenser coils, fan failures, leaky door gaskets or control problems can lead to your freezer not getting cold enough.

If your freezer is too warm to keep the ice cream firmly frozen and you see lots of frost inside the entire freezer compartment, then warm, moist air may be leaking through the refrigerator or freezer door gaskets. Check all door gaskets for damage and replace any damaged door gaskets.

If the gaskets are in good shape but a door sags on its hinges and creates gaps between the door gasket and the cabinet around the door openings, adjust the refrigerator door hinges so the gaskets seal properly to the cabinet around the door openings.

If you see frost buildup only on the back freezer compartment wall, then the automatic defrost system may have failed. When working properly, the defrost system melts frost off the evaporator coils every 8 hours or so to keep the air paths through the evaporator clear so the freezer and refrigerator compartments cool properly. If the automatic defrost system breaks, frost builds up on the evaporator and back freezer compartment wall. The frost buildup blocks cooling air paths through the evaporator so the freezer doesn't cool well. Our video troubleshooting defrost system problems in refrigerators will help you diagnose and repair the defrost system in a common top-freezer refrigerator. You can also use the basic steps in the video to troubleshoot defrost system problems in side-by-sides and bottom-freezer refrigerators. If the defrost system in your refrigerator isn't working, you may need to replace the defrost sensor, defrost heater or other defrost components depending on the type of defrost system that your refrigerator uses.