The short answer
On the FBFD 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 FBFD
- Blocked airflow from a frosted evaporator — Ranked first on the FBFD 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. Every model code in the table above shares the same air path, which is why this ranks above the sealed system rather than below it. 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.
- Check nothing is packed against the rear vents — Blocked vents give exactly the same symptom as a failed fan and cost nothing to rule out.
- Compare the two compartments against each other — One cold and one warm is an air path; both warm is the system or the condenser.
- 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 immediately if you see oil at the compressor or smell burning, because oil outside the tubing means the system is open. Otherwise call when the owner checks above are clean and the temperature has not recovered overnight.
Other FBFD pages
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
