The short answer for this family
On an Alpicool refrigerator in the ET family, a cabinet that will not hold temperature comes back most often to a defrost cycle that has stopped running. The brand-generic page opens elsewhere, and the ranking below says which cause moved and what moved it. The first checks below need no tools and no panel off, and they remove most of this list between them.
What the owner sees
- It cools in cool weather and fails in warm — A marginal heat rejection path shows itself seasonally.
- The display looks normal and nothing runs — Power present and no compressor is a different problem from a compressor that runs and fails.
- Food at the front is warmer than food at the back — A vent blocked by the load will do exactly this.
- The cabinet is warm but the unit is clearly running — The compressor is audible; the air inside is not cold.
- Frost builds as a sheet on the back wall — A sheet rather than the usual light dusting is an airflow story.
- No second ET unit to compare against — One model carries this key, so there is nothing in the family to cross-check — the observations below stand on their own.
- NEAR MISS — only the ice has stopped — Ice can stop for reasons that have nothing to do with cabinet temperature; that is the ice page.
Causes, most likely first on the ET family
- A defrost cycle that has stopped running — It is where this family starts. The unit works normally for a while after a manual thaw, which is the clearest evidence of this cause.
- A cabinet loaded past its vents — Second on this family. It costs nothing to test and is ruled out faster than anything else on this list.
- A frosted evaporator blocking the air path — Third. The ice builds quietly over weeks, so the owner notices the warmth long before noticing the frost.
- A sealed-system leak or a failed compressor — Ranked last. It is the least likely cause on this list and the only one that cannot be checked from outside.
- Body: The brand-generic article on this symptom opens on a frosted evaporator blocking the air path. Here it does not: a defrost cycle that has stopped running has moved above it, and a frosted evaporator blocking the air path has moved down the list. What moved it is what this page's model table shows about how many builds sit under this key.
Check in this order, and why
- Note whether the frost returns on a schedule after a manual thaw — A cycle that has stopped running leaves a little more ice behind each time.
- Move the load away from the outlets for a day — A unit that recovers when it is unpacked has told you the answer.
- Take the freezer rear panel view and look for a frost sheet — A sheet rather than a dusting is the air path closing, and it explains a running machine that is not cold.
- Look for oil traces at the compressor — Oil outside the tubing means the system is open and the checks above no longer apply.
- Body: Because the ET key covers one model, the order below skips the identification step that a multi-model family needs and goes straight to the likeliest cause.
Before any panel comes off
Safety
Power off first, every time. Unplug the appliance or switch off its breaker before removing a panel, since a capacitor can hold a charge after the power is off. Leave the door switch wired as it is: it cuts the fan when the door opens for a reason, and defeating it puts a hand near a blade that is still able to turn. Anything on the sealed side belongs to a licensed technician. That line does not move because a fault is small or a part looks accessible.
Models in the ET family
Reference| Model number | Family key |
|---|---|
| ET60 | alpicool:refrigerator:et |
When to call a technician
The line on these models is the point where a check needs a panel off or a tool you do not keep. Work down the checks above first; they cost minutes and they remove most of this list. Call once they have all come back clean, because what is left is a sealed-system leak or a failed compressor, and that is the one cause here with no owner-side check at all. Two things end the owner-side list immediately: a burning smell, and oil anywhere outside the tubing. Both mean stop and call rather than continue.
Other ET pages
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Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
