What this usually is on these models
A TA unit that runs constantly and stays warm is working hard at something that is not cooling. When the plate carries a sheet of ice the unit is insulated from its own cooling, and everything else is downstream of that, so the checks below start outside the cabinet and move in. Start with a frosted plate blocking airflow and leave a loss of refrigerant charge until everything cheaper has been excluded.
What you observe
- A sheet of ice on the cold plate — Frost thick enough to feel as a layer, with the cabinet warm despite it.
- It recovers overnight and fails again by afternoon — A pattern that follows the room rather than the machine.
- Cabinet temperature is stable but higher than expected — Steady rather than drifting, which usually means the control is holding it there on purpose.
- The compressor runs constantly and the cabinet stays warm — Never reaches temperature, never stops trying, and the machinery end is hot to the touch.
- NEAR MISS - cold but leaking water — A cabinet that holds temperature and leaves puddles is a drainage fault, and the water leak page for this line covers it.
Ranked causes for these models
- A frosted plate blocking airflow — It ranks high because manually defrosting confirms the diagnosis and restores the unit in one step.
- A fan that has stopped — Second: it is worth separating early because a stopped fan is a modest repair and a sealed-system fault is often the end of the unit.
- A door or lid that is not sealing — Third, and worth excluding before going further: a gasket that has taken a set, a door held ajar by contents, or a hinge that has dropped lets the cabinet exchange air continuously. The compressor never stops and the cabinet never gets down, so it reads as a cooling failure.
- A loss of refrigerant charge — It ranks last deliberately: every cause above it produces the same warm cabinet for a fraction of the cost.
What to check first, second, third
- Look at the plate before concluding anything — Note where the frost is heaviest, since that is where the warm air is arriving.
- Establish whether air is moving at all — Listen at the machinery end and at the compartment for airflow while the compressor runs. Silence where there should be air is the finding.
- Test the seal at several points — Watch the door close on its own without a push; a door that rests a fraction open is the fault, whatever the gasket looks like.
Read this before you start
Safety
Isolate the unit at the plug or the breaker before any panel comes off, because a capacitor can hold a charge after the power is off. If you find oil or a greasy film at the machinery end, stop: that means the sealed system is open and the unit should not be run.
Models in the TA family
Reference| Model number | Family key |
|---|---|
| TA35 | alpicool:refrigerator:ta |
| TA45 | alpicool:refrigerator:ta |
| TA55 | alpicool:refrigerator:ta |
When to call a technician
Stop and call if the compressor never runs at all despite a proven supply, or if it runs continuously with a hot condenser and a cabinet that stays warm. Those two describe the faults that need instruments rather than observation.
Other faults covered for this line
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
