I have a Samsung RF266 bottom-freezer refrigerator from 2010. The fridge part is working fine; the freezer part is suddenly not able to cool below ~35°F.
I took off the evaporator cover and there was noticeable frost buildup on one of the pipes leading into or out of the evaporator:
Any ideas on what might cause this? Is this a situation to try to repair or is it time to get a new fridge?
Best Answer
Based on my reading, the real sign of a problem here is not the frost buildup on the one pipe... but the fact there there is no frost anywhere else.
Consider this (from mastersamuraitech.com):
Similarly this (from fixitnow.com):
See also a discussion of a similar problem at appliantology.org.
It seems that this is very likely a refrigerant leak. As such it's probably not a DIY fix (certainly not for me) and it's probably more cost-effective to buy a new fridge.