Samsung RS21 Evaporator Cover Repair Guide

www.ukwhitegoods.co.uk
Some Background...
Samsung are generally well known for their range of HiFi and electronic products such as TV, Video and
audio equipment. However. within the last few years they have introduced a range of American style and
convention fridge freezers. Currently, they have the largest sales of American style and hold their own
on conventional. Obviously, the more products they sell the greater the number of units that fail (averag-
ing 2% of total sales). It has become apparent on UK Whitegoods that more people are asking ques-
tions about Samsung and this short write-up is aimed at informing the public how to resolve problems.

Firstly and most importantly Samsung appliances are guaranteed for two years covering parts and
labour.

Secondly, equally important is that within this guarantee period Samsung trained engineers will look af-
ter you free of charge. Please take this guarantee period seriously, once the two years is up the ball is in
your court. Take comfort in knowing that you have been given two years, not the normal twelve months.

Extended warranty/service contracts through insurers may not get Samsung trained engineers but most
engineers that subscribe to repairs@ are able to repair or can get the necessary info to repair.

Your fridge can be covered easily using the UK Whitegoods Extended Warranty Scheme whilst it is still
within the warranty period. Simply email us for details and a quote.

VERY IMPORTANT: We cannot provide technical sup-

port by phone or email, please use the UK Whitegoods
forums to get technical support.
Stainless steel cleaning
We had to advertise something in here for putting this guide together and
making it freely available so, since so many Samsung fridge freezers are sold
in stainless steel we thought you might like these cleaner to keep it looking
tip top. And, besides which we hope you think that were jolly nice people and
will buy any parts you need from us as well.

Chromol
This is an amazing stainless steel cleaner/conditioner from Ecolab that is recommended
by engineers and manufacturers like Liebherr, Bosch, Neff, Siemens and others for clean-
ing stainless steel fridges. But it does so much more as it was designed for professional
kitchen cleaning in a commercial environment and is generally not available to the public,
we didnt think that was very fair as it is so good, so we did something about it.

It just works... brilliantly on stainless steel.

The 500ml bottle lasts for absolutely ages as you only require a very small amount to
clean a huge area.

Click here to buy Chromol

Helios
Helios steel cleaner, also from Ecolab in Germany, is again a proffessional steel
cleaner and forms the first part of the Chromol/Helios partnership. Using Helios first
will ensure that any major deposits are cleared before a final clean and polish with
Chromol and used together they are a highly effective cleaning system for stainless
steel.

Once again supplied in a 500ml bottle that lasts for absolutely ages in domestic use.

Click here to buy Helios

General Notes
Firstly, be aware that this is a complex appliance and that refrigeration repair is a specialised trade (like CORGI
gas engineers). Most faults with these appliances are simple to fix, when you know what you are doing, but
extremely expensive if you dont. The following information is to allow you, the public, to identify if you have
a problem. Be warned however that electronic testing of this machine does not always show up mechanical
faults.
The most common electronic faults are shown by noting the current display, switching off and back on at the wall and
seeing what the display now shows in the first minute. If any odd segments in the display or strange LEDs light up you
have a problem. (dont panic - the fridge-freezer will revert to normal after a couple of minutes delay.) If you have found
you do have a problem, post a question on the UK Whitegoods refrigeration forum and someone will help you out.
Secondly, all refrigeration equipment suffers from pilot error ie little Johnny left the door open and either defrosted the
food or froze up the workings. Both are very common, a fact of life and down to parents to sort out not Samsung. The
following are however common faults and should be sorted out by a post to the UK Whitegoods forums or a visit from an
engineer.
Noisy fan
Temperatures outside of safe margins
Strange noises
Leaks
Appliance dead
Display/Led errors (mentioned earlier)
The common sensors and thermal fuses are available fairly readily, some carried as stock in our store but it is worth not-
ing that the fridge back panels are very prone to failure and these cost the best part of 100. Do be aware that we have
seen many of these Samsung spare parts being sold at ludicrous prices on the net, if you need parts simply email us for
a quote on spares@ukwhitegoods.co.uk
Finally, this short article is designed to allow you, the customer to recognise a fault if you have one. It gives you a route
to follow if you need one (ie Samsung if in guarantee and to repairs@ if out of warranty) and allows you to contact the
hundreds of experienced service engineers that log in daily if you need advice.
Please note: before posting your question use the forums search facility as, quite probably, the same problem has been
encountered before and the answer will most likely already be there for you. Reading back is much faster than waiting
on a reply.

You can click here for more information and self help articles on UK Whitegoods
The Common One...
The common problem with the Samsung RS series fridge freezers is that the ice is not melted correctly behind the large fridge back panel or, as it is prop-
erly called, the evaporator cover. The following guide explains step by step how to diagnose and repair the problem where the fridge doesnt cool properly
but:

BE WARNED - THESE PROCEDURES ARE CARRIED OUT ENTIRELY AT YOUR OWN RISK!
If you in the least bit unsure or dont know what this is talking about at any point DO NOT take any risks with your safety or that of others! If this is the case
lives are worth more than an engineers callout charge, so get the professionals in.

UK Whitegoods will accept NO LIABILITY WHATSOEVER if you do harm using this guide as it is
intended for guidance purposes ONLY
It has been mooted that this is a design failure and allsorts but, at the end of the day, it is nigh on impossible to say that with absolute certainty as a num-
ber of factors can affect and cause this ice build up. These are a few:

Dont block the airways in the fridge as this is a recipe for disaster on an air driven fridge
Dont cram loads of fresh fruit and/or veg in there as these breath naturally and lead to condensation
Ensure that the ambient, or room, temperature is within the tolerances given in your instructions

If you follow these instructions it will cure the problem and, if fitted correctly, it will minimise the chances of having a
problem in the future. But, if you are in any way unsure or not confident please call Samsung Service and have the re-
pair carried out by a professional engineer.

Samsung Service: 0870 726 7864

Step 1: Diagnose The Problem
First thing to do is to check the machine for errors, to do this you have to enter into the diagnostics mode from the front
panel. AS indicated in the following diagram, press and hold the top two buttons on the control panel and the machine will
offer up a display of any errors as indicated by the chart.

If there is an error detected then something like this will be shown in the display...
Step 2: Check For Ice Build Up
REMOVE POWER FROM THE FRIDGE FREEZER BEFORE CONTINUING!!!
Remove all the shelves etc from the fridge and take of the evaporator cover. Check the fan housing and drain hole for
signs of a build up of ice, the defrost hole shown below as being clear.

If there is a build up of ice then this will indicate that there is a problem with the defrost
side and that a repair will be required, as detailed later.

The drain hole, shown to the right, will be filled with solid ice.

These images shows the evaporator in an over-frozen condition (left) and a

normal condition (right).

If yours looks like this be sure to check the defrost heaters for continuity, they
are simple elements so any break will be a problem. One can be replaced
fairly easily and the other is only supplied as part of the full evaporator as-
sembly, which isnt cheap.
 Step 3: Repair
If you have ice as above then you will have to replace the evaporator cover for the lat-
est version with the metal clip fitted to it, shown right.

This is much easier if you buy the repair kit (Samsung RS21 Evaporator Repair Kit)
available in our online shop or, if you desire, the evaporator panel on its own which is
part number DA97-00092S.
Click Here To Buy A Samsung Repair Kit

Click Here To Buy An Evap. Cover

Included with the new evaporator cover which we supply is the new clip (shown
as C in the photograph left). This is attached to the top two passes of the
evaporator defrost heater and is designed to make contact with the plate on the
cover when the parts are re-assembled.

This is designed to ensure that the drain hole is effectively defrosted in each cycle to prevent a future ice build up in
that area and, therefore, to stop the fault re-occurring.

Next ensure that the defrost sensor on the refrigerator evaporator is the latest type with a black cap shown right

If this is not what is fitted to your RS21 then you will have to fit one (Part number is DA32-00006U). THIS IS VITAL!

If this is the one already fitted then check the sensor is reading correctly.
Step 4: Check The Defrost Heaters
Please pay attention to the photograph top right, you will require a multi-meter and the ability to use on
properly to do this bit.

Pay attention to the top three plugs, the readings should be as follows going from top to bottom as show
above:

Top: This is the Thermal Fuse simply test for continuity

Middle: This is the defrost heater connection and the resistance values should read:
Main Heater = 480
Drain Heater = 2K

Bottom: Is the NTC Defrost Sensor which should read 13.3 K ohms @ 0oC (This value will change de-
pending on the temperature!)

Now check the thermal fuse for continuity (shown in the photograph bottom right) and positioning and
replace if it is or appears to be faulty. This MUST be positioned as shown below and MUST be fitted for
safety reasons. You risk serious damage by skipping this or not doing it correctly.

After this is done, reassemble and restart the machine and it should be fine, of course replacing any
other faulty components as indicated by the diagnostics.

If you follow these instructions it will cure the problem and, if fitted correctly, it will minimise the chances of having a
problem in the future. But, if you are in any way unsure or not confident please call Samsung Service and have the re-
pair carried out by a professional engineer.

Samsung Service: 0870 726 7864

 UK Whitegoods Limited
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