The short answer
On the G family a cabinet that runs without cooling is far more often an airflow or defrost problem than a dead compressor. That puts the evaporator and its fan above the sealed system in the order, which is the opposite end of the brand-generic list.
What you observe
- Freezer side still cold, fresh-food side warm — Near-diagnostic on a shared-evaporator cabinet, and it points at the air path rather than the system.
- The unit never cycles off — A machine that cannot reach its target runs continuously and works its compressor far harder than normal.
- Cooling recovers for a day after the doors are left open — Near-diagnostic for a defrost fault: melting the ice restores the air path temporarily.
- The compartment is colder at the bottom than the top — An air-distribution problem rather than a failure to make cold.
- NEAR MISS - silent and not cold — That is a no-power or start-relay fault and belongs on a different page.
Causes, most likely first on G
- Blocked airflow from a frosted evaporator — Ranked first on the G family: a tall built-in cabinet depends on forced air along its whole height, so an iced evaporator starves the far end of the cabinet first. These codes share an evaporator arrangement and a defrost scheme, so a finding on one is worth assuming on the rest. What moves against the brand-generic order is lower down: condenser coil choked or its fan stalled sits above door seals, door alignment and loading here, because this family is a single build with fixed access points.
- Evaporator or circulation fan not running — Second: the fan is the one part in the cold side that turns continuously, and a cabinet that warms from the top down is usually telling you it has stopped.
- Condenser coil choked or its fan stalled — Third: a built-in cabinet vents through a narrow grille, so a blocked grille is as bad as a blocked coil.
- Door seals, door alignment and loading — Fourth: a heavy built-in door can drop on its hinges and leave a gap at one corner that is invisible until tested.
- Sealed-system or compressor fault — Last: last, and on a built-in it usually means the cabinet comes out of its housing.
Check in this order, and why
- Listen at the cabinet for the circulation fan — It separates the two likeliest causes before any panel comes off.
- Pull the unit out and check the condenser and its fan — Worth doing early because it needs no tools and no panel removed.
- Look behind the rear panel for a frost sheet — A solid sheet rather than a light dusting confirms a defrost fault.
- Test each door seal with a sheet of paper — Last, because it explains a struggling cabinet rather than a warm one.
Before you open anything
Safety
Kill the power at the breaker first, shut the water at the stop tap before touching a fill line, and call at once if you see oil at the compressor or smell burning.
When to call a technician
Call once the fan runs, the coil is clean and the seals are good but the cabinet is still warm: what is left is the defrost circuit or the sealed system, and neither is owner work on this family.
Other G pages
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
