The short answer
This is the page where the generation matters most, because the identical complaint has opposite causes on the two cabinets. On an earlier direct-cool cabinet, visible frost on the cold plate is the expected state and a thick blanket of it is the fault. On a later frost-free cabinet, visible ice should never appear, and if it has, the defrost circuit has stopped working.
What you are seeing
- A thick blanket of frost on the plate at the back of the fridge liner — Note: Expected on the earlier generation, and the fault when it grows thick enough to insulate the plate.
- A solid sheet of ice behind the rear freezer panel — Note: Never normal. On a later frost-free cabinet this means the defrost circuit has stopped clearing the evaporator.
- The fridge is warm while the freezer stays hard frozen — Note: One compressor serves both spaces, so this is a sharing problem rather than a refrigeration failure.
- Both compartments are warm with the compressor running constantly — Note: Capacity is being lost: to ice, to a starved condenser, or through a door.
- Both compartments are warm and nothing runs at all — Note: A starting problem rather than a cooling one, and it has its own page.
- Food at the back of the fridge freezes while the front is fine — Note: Not a failure. The cold source is at the back on both generations and loading has to allow for it.
Ranked causes on this brand
- Frost blanket on the static cold plate, earlier generation — Why this rank: First for that generation because the plate is the evaporator and frost on it is an insulator, and because these cabinets are manual-defrost by design with no heater to clear it.
- Defrost circuit failure, later generation — Why this rank: First for that generation and ranked second overall because it is decisive when it happens: heater, thermal cut-out or control, and the evaporator ices solid until cooling collapses from the freezer outward.
- Ventilation path lost around the cabinet in its housing — Why this rank: Third because it applies to both generations equally, it produces a machine with nothing broken in it, and it is routinely created by a kitchen refit rather than by the appliance.
- Airflow or damper restriction between the two compartments — Why this rank: Fourth: it produces the very specific warm-fridge-cold-freezer pattern, which is why it is worth identifying separately rather than lumping with a general cooling loss.
- Door seal hardened with age or a door never re-shimmed after reversal — Why this rank: Fifth because it steals capacity continuously and feeds the ice that ranks first on both generations, and because cabinets of this age have gaskets that have taken a set.
- Loss of refrigerant charge or a restriction in the circuit — Why this rank: Last because every cause above it is more common and can be eliminated without opening anything, and because this is regulated work requiring recovery equipment.
What to check, in order
- Read the rating plate and look at the back wall of the fridge liner — Why: A visible cold plate means the earlier generation and a defrost job; a plain vented liner means the later one and a defrost-circuit question.
- Put a thermometer in each compartment overnight and read them before opening the doors — Why: Which compartment is warm selects the branch, and guessing by hand is not good enough.
- On a later cabinet, take out the freezer drawers and look at the rear panel — Why: A sheet of ice behind it is the single most decisive observation available on that generation.
- Feel the back and sides of the cabinet after it has run a while — Why: A warm skin proves the condenser is rejecting heat and the compressor is working, which eliminates a great deal at no cost.
- Check the ventilation route behind and above the cabinet in its housing — Why: A cabinet with no duct is starved regardless of which generation it is or what else is right.
Checks you can do safely
- Find and photograph the rating plate inside the liner, and note whether the fridge liner has a visible cold plate. — Tools: a phone camera — Time: ten minutes
- Stand a thermometer in a glass of water on a middle fridge shelf and another in the freezer, leave both overnight and read them before opening anything. — Tools: two thermometers — Time: overnight
- Empty the cabinet, unplug it and let it defrost completely with both doors open and towels underneath. Do not chip at any ice. — Tools: towels, shallow trays — Time: eight hours or overnight
- Draw the cabinet out of its housing, vacuum the condenser and confirm there is a clear path for warm air to leave behind it and above it. — Tools: vacuum with a brush head — Time: half an hour
- Check nothing is packed against the cold plate or against the vents between the compartments, and leave a gap in front of them. — Tools: none — Time: ten minutes
- Close each door on a strip of paper at four points on each side, and set the control one step colder before leaving the cabinet a full day. — Tools: a strip of paper — Time: twenty minutes
Before you open anything
Safety
Unplug the refrigerator before drawing it out, reaching behind it or removing a rear freezer panel. The start relay and overload sit on the compressor pins at mains potential whenever the cabinet is plugged in, and a capacitor can hold a charge after the plug is out. Never chip ice from a cold plate or an evaporator with a knife or screwdriver: refrigerant tubing is bonded directly behind them and a puncture ends the cabinet. The refrigerant circuit must never be opened by an owner. Discard food that has been above a safe temperature. Unplug the appliance or switch off its breaker before removing any panel. A capacitor can hold a charge after the power is off. — Id: unplug-before-service A refrigerator holds food safely at 40 °F (4 °C) or below. — Id: fridge-40f A freezer holds food safely at 0 °F (−18 °C) or below. — Id: freezer-0f
Where the service line falls
A later frost-free cabinet re-ices behind the rear freezer panel within days of a complete defrost, which points at the defrost heater, its thermal cut-out or the control. The cabinet has been fully defrosted, the condenser is clear and ventilated and the doors seal, and it still will not hold 40 °F (4 °C) or below. The freezer will not hold 0 °F (−18 °C) or below with the compressor running continuously and the condenser rejecting heat. The compressor clicks and stops on a repeating cycle rather than running, which needs a meter on live terminals. Any part is needed. Take the rating plate photograph with you, because on this badge a defrost heater, cut-out, fan or thermostat is identified by platform against the group-sibling machines rather than by brand name.
Nearest pages
What this page does not cover
This page covers both production generations and does not describe any one model family. It does not cover wine cabinets, commercial cabinets or units with a second independent compressor. For the everyday symptom-first version of this diagnosis, use the brand page rather than this manufacturer-entity one. This page is addressed to the manufacturer entity rather than to a single cabinet, so it covers both production generations and describes no one model family. Everything here depends on the rating plate inside the liner, which names the platform and is what a parts desk cross-references against the group-sibling badges that shared it.
Links down: - [Fagor Electrodomesticos / FAGOR Refrigerator: Ice Maker Fault](/blog/fagor-electrodomesticos-fagor-refrigerator-ice-production) - [Fagor Electrodomesticos / FAGOR Refrigerator: Door, Latch or Seal Fault](/blog/fagor-electrodomesticos-fagor-refrigerator-door-seal) - [Fagor Electrodomesticos / FAGOR Refrigerator: Water Leak](/blog/fagor-electrodomesticos-fagor-refrigerator-water-leak)
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
