FORCED (manual) DEFROST mode on a Samsung Refrigerator--Top Secret Setting

[@jakeguitar01]

Parts: amzn.to/3b5a2sX

[@helenbrown1773]

Thanks Jake. After unplugging the refrigerator, it took 9 hours, and a lot of patience to melt the ice mass on my condenser coils. For anyone who's new at this, it's not easy to remove the condenser cover, so never try to pry it off or you will damage the insulation. I used a space heater elevated atop a dry container as to not come into contact with any water. This helped speed up the process. Once it is completely defrosted, the next step is to clear the frozen drain tube. I used a rubble bulb, the type used to clear an infants nose. Use the bulb to remove any moisture from the drain then use the bulb to put hot water in to open it. One reminder, when you defrost manually, make sure the coils and cover are dry before putting the cover back on to prevent new ice from forming when the condenser it turned back on. The error codes are still confusing so I'm making a 'go to' list to keep near by for future reference.

[@jamesburgan4448]

were you able to finally get the back cover off? Mine is still frozen and im having the same issue trying to remove it. I am even using a turkey injector and squirting hot water into the plastic holes and i can hear ice cracking

[@erinfitzgerald4457]

Thanks so much! I ran the forced defrost (Fd) about 5 times, with the doors open to our samsung fridge. The freezer stayed frozen, and all the frost and ice that had built up in the back of the refrigerator compartment melted. I'd reccommend taking out all of your shelves and drawers, as the water pools at the bottom of the top fridge section under the large pull out drawer. Make sure to wipe that up so it doesn't freeze again. I also used a hair drying to help the defrosting along, and to dry things out. Worked like a charm and the noise from the fan hitting ice is completely gone! Thank you again! Saved me a lot of time and money!

[@danm8937]

If water is pooling in the bottom of the refrigerator area, I would bet that the evaporator drain is blocked by ice and/or debris. There are YT videos that address this common problem. I cleaned out the debris and replaced the drain heat sink with an improved aftermarket device (a piece of aluminum that transfers more heat to the drain). No more pooling of water and no need for a forced defrost.

[@erinfitzgerald4457]

@@danm8937 thank you!

[@j.l.5724]

S,@@danm8937

[@cathynakayama470]

I ran the forced defrost once now I can’t tell if it’s still doing it or not it’s two hours later but the dingdong noise or beeping has stopped quite a while ago that started when it went into forced defrost.. I switched the circuit breaker to turn off the fridge and turn it back on two separate times because I wanted to run the forced defrost again but nothing happens when I press the buttons. Now I don’t know how to turn the fridge on cold again?

[@robertpavkovich6797]

I would like to say Thank You! and DO NOT change the amount of time you explain things, you do not know who is watching this nor how fast they are. I appreciate your patience!!! Thank You!!!

[@TheLaurenalyse]

I was literally about to buy a new refrigerator. You saved me thousands of dollars. You are my hero.

[@jakeguitar01]

The bad news is you probably will still have to replace that fridge.

[@ThePearce05]

Thanks for this. Your video (plus a couple of others and a few forum entries) helped me solve the fridge icing problem, at least temporarily. I've written a complaint email to Samsung Canada on the subject as it seems hundreds of thousands of folks have had the same problem with their fridges. I'm going to write some appropriate reviews on reviewing sites in order to warn prospective buyers. I would encourage everyone here to do so also. Unless customers apply pressure, the company won't do anything to solve the problem long term.

[@drewtheline9995]

I want to thank you for posting this video. We've had problems with our Samsung refrigerator fan for about 6 months. I came across this video, I followed your directions and it's now back to sounding like a refrigerator and not a grinder. Much appreciated.

[@jakeguitar01]

Since this is an ongoing issue with these refrigerators, I would recommend doing a manual forced defrost every two or three weeks to help prevent a total freeze up.

[@jocelynstokes7384]

@@jakeguitar01 hello & thank you for the video. I have model # RF263BEAESR & everything in the fridge is freezing it has code 80F & when I adjust the temperature it changes back to 80F. Would you happen to have any suggestions as to how I can adjust the temperature of the refrigerator so it stays at the correct temperature? Thanks in advance for any help you could give me.

[@JayLopezplus]

Worked for me! Force defrosted for 20 mins and the problem has been resolved. Thanks for sharing!

[@SuperAmira12]

Did you leave the ice bin in during the defrost?

[@celesteb3380]

With all our new technology we've come full circle to when Mom used to defrost the freezer part with a bowl of hot water underneath. I bought the POS Samsung due the kitchen cabinets having a space made for a 36" counter-depth fridge. Year 2 and 3 the ice tray stopped working. Best resources were online. I opened the doors and let the ice melt with the circuit breaker OFF. Once I could I pried the box full of melted and refrozen ice out and emptied and dried it. I put paper towels all around inside the ice tray area and melted the ice in the back with a blow dryer on low slowly. It is something everyone who owns one should do. Saves a service call. It just takes half an hour of time and patience and it's like new. Worked perfectly till we had a power outage in 90F and ice jammed in the tray again. Now my fan is making grinding noises when I open the French doors. What a POS only 4.5 years old. I turned the breaker OFF for half an hour and reset it. Twice. Then it wouldn't start cooling. I'm going to try the defrost mode suggested here and do it a few times. Sounds like an ice jam starting in the fan. Never again. It's pretty but a piece of SAMSUNG crap. I have LG appliances and when I move I'm replacing this one. Ridiculous to go back to the dark ages with a high tech fridge. Maybe it's time to buy an ice box and have huge chunks of ice delivered. Cheaper than a service call for these Samsung sh*tboxes. UPDATE: The circuit breaker off for 1 hour twice did the trick. The fridge started cooling and has been working well. Force melt seems to work well for this problem. Damm P.O.S. Samsung. Don't waste money on a Samsung fridge and if you have like me, try my tricks. My fridge is 5 yrs. old now with 0 service calls. 🤞

[@arribaficationwineho32]

Celeste B you are so right! Sh*tboxes indeed! I moved into a home with all Samsung appliances after a lifetime of whirlpool and maytag. I HATE them all as they just do not perform well. They look very nice but I will replace with dependable appliances as they break down which seems that I might be doing that soon! I am defrosting it must but am leery of trying he FD as I am not tech saavy and do not know what I would do now if I messed up the refrig which IS working....at least for now! We are asked to be at home and use only essential services so I won't call anyone over the freezer issue right now if I cannot get it to work.

[@user-bz8rb4gr2z]

Thank you, you saved my sanity this evening. My Samsung defrosted spontaneously and then screamed like a banshee for hours. Your fix explained everything. I am a happy girl.

[@carlavoigt643]

This was a very helpful video. I put my fridge in Forced Defrost regularly now to avoid ice build up since I had to open it up to get the chunk of ice out of the back this summer. Since then, I experienced a new problem which I have not been able to find much information on the internet. The refrigerator compartment was getting too cold and freezing up my fruits, veggies and liquids. After much trial and error I determined that the issue was that the damper door in the back of the crisper tray was somehow "stuck" in the shut position. This resulted in the cooler air, meant to go into the crisper drawer was being routed to the top of the fridge instead, resulting in it being too cold. I don't know if others have had this problem, but if they have, it could be the topic of a helpful video particularly showing how to take the crisper compartment apart to replace the damper if needed. I was lucky, that mine seems to be working (so far at least) once I forced it open, so I have not yet had to replace it, but I can tell that removing the shelf where the water filter unit sits is not easy and necessary for damper replacement. A replacement damper is about $45 on line. Thanks again for your helpful videos.

[@Elizabeth50ful]

Had to do three times that day, but it worked! And fridge has been quiet and ice maker working for a month now. Thank you!!!

[@barbaraboissonnas4500]

Thank you! After resetting filter I saw OF for both freezer and fridge on the display and temp started rising fast. My model is different from yours in the video but holding Power Freeze and Energy Save together made the the compressor start up just as you said! I am so grateful, it's 8 pm on a Friday night and you have saved everything in my fridge!

[@memeco50]

My landlord is about to give us a Samsung fridge he had in his garage. It was frozen in the inside lower back. I've been watching videos. I'm the handy helping man. This one looks like a good, simple solution. Like they say in other videos, Samsung should stick to making phones and TVs. Thanks

[@musicken33]

You saved me a service call! I had to do the defrost cycle 3 times to get rid of the ice buildup, but now the noise is gone and the fridge is back to its proper temperature. Thank you!

[@jakeguitar01]

Don't be surprised if there is a lot of ice still back there. The ice may be out of the way of the fan, but I would bet you $100 that the coil is still iced over. Probably best to run the defrost cycle a little longer or do it once a week as a preventative. You are dealing with a chronic issue. You didn't fix the problem, you simply got your fridge working again temporarily untill it happens again.

[@musicken33]

You were right; the fan started hitting the ice not long after my 3rd defrost. So I took the inside rear panel off and got rid of the ice with a hair dryer. Took about 45 minutes from start to finish. Best part: free labor!

[@tshuman59]

It was a helpful video,better than trying to find it in the literature.I am sorry I ever bought this refrig.The ice maker stopped after 1-2 years now this freezing issue! Thanks

[@magda1ena]

THANK YOU for this video. This is the first time I've seen instruction on how to get to forced defrost for my fridge (RF263) THANK YOU!!!

[@baronistheone]

Thanks for the info! I didn't read all the comments so this may have been mentioned - there is a retrofit kit part number DA82-01415A This includes a better designed little aluminum piece that is heated by the defrost coil and sticks down inside the drain tube. It also comes with 2 new drain tubes (installed from the back). If the problem originates from water not draining and backing up, freezing, etc. This kit may help the defrost problem. I needed it because my RF267 was draining down under the deli tray.

[@cindycitizen1455]

We did that! It was our original problem and the solution worked perfectly. NOW the coils freeze up at the top instead. This causes ice build-up on the fan which eventually stops working. Sigh... hopefully, this video will solve that issue. I'm not opposed to forced defrost once a week but I am tired of taking my frig apart every six months.

[@kevincummings8755]

I added the drain kit and changed the sensors. I also bought pipe insulation for the exposed copper tubing behind the panel. No longer ices up. It's been 9 months.

[@cindycitizen1455]

UPDATE: After watching all the numerous videos and trying all the suggested fixes, it continues to ice up... FD worked for 2 days at most. Ice was now forming on the back wall inside. After having it apart 4 times in 2 years, I finally just trashed the whole thing. Bought a Whirlpool instead. Fingers crossed!!

[@def3797]

This happened to us as well. We did stop the leaking but now, 2 months later , the fan is very noisy.

[@Thrasher857]

@@kevincummings8755 what do you mean by changing the sensors? Just to confirm, this was insulation around cold or warm pipes? I’m not sure where the evaporator outlet is, nor do I promise to be an HVAC tech, but I’m having the same issue after installing the aluminum defrost adapter.

[@jeanniefox5991]

Thank you so much. This really saved us alot of trouble . It took us 30 minutes for the beeping to stop but when it did our fridge no longer had the fan sound. This was incredibly helpful!!

[@jonbeazer2847]

I'm glad I tried this method before tearing the inside of the fridge apart. I ran the defrost mode three times. The first defrost took about 40 minutes before it automatically went back to normal operating mode and the compressor kicked on. The fan was still hitting some ice so I ran the defrost mode two additional times. The second and third defrost each took about 25 minutes to complete before automatically kicking back to normal operating mode. It seems to have worked since the fridge is now quiet again.

[@jack71348]

I was ready to tear into pulling out the fan when I saw your forced defrost tip. It fixed the fan noise so well it's hard to tell it's running. And like some others have said, it recycled itself after about an hour. Thanks for this valuable info!

[@michaelbeltran8296]

When u put it in the n FD mode did you leave it until the beeping stopped?

[@kenpeterson4790]

@@michaelbeltran8296what is a 22. E. NOTIFICATION ON A SAMSUNG REFRIGERATOR? IT HAPPENED as i plugged it is

[@roman349]

@@michaelbeltran8296 Leave it until the beeping stops, I suggest repeating the process to ensure all ice is melted. The fan tends to have a lot of ice buildup and the heating coil is not around the fan. The first time this happened to my fridge I had a technician to come remove the panel, defrost and change the termostat...waste of money. The fan was all clog up in 2 months. I did the defrosting my self without changing the thermostat lasted about 3 months. Now I am using double Forced Defrost ...I have this Samsung fridge for 4 years-very disappointed

[@wanderingwithdan]

My Samsung Model # RF263BEAESR/AA stayed in the forced defrost mode for 1 hour. Then it went back to normal. Thank you for the helpful video.

[@earfal]

Have the exact same model and I just started the cycle. I hope it works *fingers crossed

[@robbyu.672]

Earl F did it work?

[@earfal]

Yessss, it worked did 2 cycles and it melted the ice that was clogging the ice maker cause I couldn't get the icebox out. The leaking under the deli drawer stopped as well. I run it once a week just to make sure. Good stuff and saved a lot of money. Thanks

[@robbyu.672]

Earl F I don’t have the same model so idk how to do the force defrost.

[@earfal]

@@robbyu.672 I didn't either I have a Samsung rf273beaesr I held down energy saver and fridge temp together for 10secs and the screen went blank and you press any button to get into FD mode aka forced defrost and it did the same thing described in the video.

[@dllstxplaya]

Out of all the YT clips about this topic, yours helped me the most!

[@matt.gillispie]

Forced Defrost @6:03

[@Nvable]

Thank you for suffering for us. LoL.

[@TexasNightRider]

This video saved me a couple of hours removing everything from the freezer to locate the problem or a repair call for my Samsung RFG298 Series french door refrigerator using the manual defrost. The freezer recirculation fan developed a loud buzz due to ice build up. Thank you. New Subscriber.

[@mylastbreakdown]

I think I have the same model as u. I’m having ice build up on the top where the twin cooling placard is. When you did the manual defrost did you remove all your food? About how long did the whole process take?

[@TexasNightRider]

@@mylastbreakdown Once I initiated the defrost process it finished automatically after approximately 45 minutes. I did not remove anything from the freezer and I kept the freezer/refrigerator doors closed. I hope it works for you. I did this on 10/23/2020, and the fan is still quiet.

[@jamesdunaway3358]

Enjoyed your video I’m on my second go around with the ice problem it started with the icemaker not wanting to make ice and making very small pieces of ice then for the heck of it I checked under the crisper drawer and yes there was ice and water. If I take the inside panel off and just move it out-of-the-way slightly and then use the force to defrost setting would I be able to touch the tubing and feel that it was getting warmer and also would it even work with the door open

[@cnkis]

This was the best video i've seen on this topic. It saved me calling a repair man or getting a new fridge! Thank you so much!!!!

[@Nclght]

Setting your fridge to 40f isn't going to help your frost issue since it's probably coming from a clogged drain. 40f is too close to the 41f danger zone where pathogens grow after 3.5 hours or more, i.e., ecoli, listeria, and salmonella. And you won't know if you have them since, unlike spoilage bacteria, pathogens have no odor, taste, or smell. So, thanks for helping your viewers enter into the food poisoning zone!! Your problem could be debris or scale buildup not affected by defrosting or even by your -8f freezer setting . Refrigerant on some samsungs run first through the evap in the fridge compartment then to the freezer. At -8f even if the fridge has hit set temp it's evap is still flooded with refrigerant but the fan motor is turned off causing cold air to drop to the bottom of the evap where the drain line is. The line freezes, causing water buildup. The fan may eventually become noisy and blocked by ice. If it stops making noise, it doesn't mean it's no longer blocked. Samsung's board polls the fan's rpms, and if it's below a certain point, the board will stop sending power to the fan, and now we have truly warm pathogen generating temps in the fridge section Some water will flow under your crisper drawers, and some will eventually be sucked up by the fan when it turns on and subsequently sprayed on refrigerant lines turning into ice and frost behind that evap cover. On models where the refrigerant bypasses the fridge evap and goes directly to the freezer, the drain line from the fridge can still freeze over since that drain runs inside the wall directly behind and adjacent to the freezer evap. so set freezer temp to recommend temp as well. Btw usually, once this happens, setting the temps to normal usually won't cure the problem. Running defrost helps some, but the excessive ice buildup at the top of the evap isn't going to he affected by the heater at the bottom of the evap, and you'll just make matters far worse. It would be better to open doors and turn off the entire refrigerator for a day or two maybe longer since the frost/ice buildup is in insulated areas of the fridge (think how long it will take ice to melt ice inside a closed igloo ice chest). BTW if you damage any of the styrofoam on the fridge evap cover, you're gonna have to replace the entire evap cover assembly. Also, if your icemaker isn't working properly, turn it off. Samsung's freezer on pre 2020 models go into ice production mode where the freezer drops to -14f internally (you won't see it reported on the interface) to try and push the icemaker to work. This happens regardless of where the icemaker is located and even for icemakers that get its cooling from a refrigerant line. Samsung's icemakers need from 5f to 10f to work. So this will produce the same results I discussed regarding your low freezer setting. To get you to properly understand this, Samsung's document states ' ice maker controls freezer temps. Until the ice bucket is full, Samsung drops the freezer to -14f. Anytime ice is used, the freezer will again be set to -14f. Once the bucket is full, the customer's freezer set temperature will be controlling. If ice Off is selected, set temperature will always be controlling. ' Samsung then gives an example " If water is not hooked up, freezer will always be -14f unless ice off is selected. " Of course, the same thing will happen if you have a faulty, slow-moving or overused icemaker. If it's debris or scale causing the clogged, you would need to physically clean the drain and/or replace the drain tubes in the machine compartment Sorry for the long post, but I see so much wrong info on Samsungs that every once in a while, I'll post. And no, I have no affiliation with Samsung, although I've been trained to repair them along with other manufacturer's appliances. About 12 years ago, I took it upon myself to learn them. Misinformation on Samsungs leads to a lot of problems that aren't fixed properly and perpetuates the myth that they are worse than the rest of the manufacturers. Truth be told, they all suck. Samsung is no worse. They just suffer more from misinformation and ill-trained 3rd party technicians.

[@ryanmcdonald5351]

Golden information... Certainly not found in my product manual... Gratitude!

[@maxcase8546]

Thank you! It's great to find a source for help since Samsung isn't interested in helping. Thanks for the very valuable info!

[@renemartz1520]

I know this comment is 3 years later lol, but your video is super helpful!!!! Thank you!

[@Sinister692]

HAHA same here, thought it was just me checking this out lol!!!

[@autumnrodriguez3391]

Hello, my husband & I recently bought a house and the home came with a Samsung French door Refrigerator. The Ice machine on the bottom in the freezer works but for some reason the ice maker was not working on the top part. We tried and tried to get the ice bucket out, once I googled it I looked thru the hole and the bottom where you out your fingers to pull out the bucket and realized it was completely frozen inside. So I found your video on forcing it into defrost mode. I am currently trying that right now & pray it will make it so that I can retrieve the ice bucket to see further inside. Thank you for the video it was really helpful. Once I am done I will post weather it was successful or not but thank you again.

[@stevescott749]

Please be sure to let us now how you got on

[@e3a3c3]

Well....?

[@cmassi]

So ?

[@markoconnor954]

all talk, no reply

[@carolinecurran5336]

This was the most helpful video on this fridge I've seen out there! Thank you!

[@jakeguitar01]

You're welcome. If you can share it with people who might benefit, that would be great. Thanks.

[@rossn5186]

Absolutely awesome tip. My Samsung French door model was continually forming ice under the bottom freezer draw and then melting when it reached the very front. This tip (so far) has seemed to have worked. The only difference with stopping the forced defrost mode on my model is it uses the same 2 buttons as entering that mode . It cut off automatically after approximately 40 minutes and went into "normal" mode, so it would seem safe to do while occupied doing more exiting stuff as the continually beeping which can't be muted while in forced defrost mode is rather irritating.

[@MrHanowski]

Fd = forced defrost of frige + freezer, Rd = forced defrost of just fridge

[@dalewatkins9889]

Our thoughts are to basically empty the fridge of perishable items, and run the RD function for either 1 hour or 2 hours, then put it back to normal functioning. That should give it time to fully 'de-ice', albeit one could go for a shorter time, but it's doubtful all the ice would have melted, thus you'd have to do this again sooner! Appreciate these tips, and a big thanks for sharing this video!

[@Alias1107]

Forced Freeze/ Defrost is at 6:10 - you're welcome

[@cheloestrada3434]

Thank you Jake I happen to have one of those refrigerators that has a defrost problem but by your instructions you were able to help me thank you so much God bless you

[@jameslennie8503]

Holy cow dude, if you title your vid as forced defrost then get to that right away ,I don't need a tutorial on all the buttons before that.

[@toddheywood8837]

Ikr, Jesus!

[@kenseidersjr5488]

Skip to 4:55 for the real info on the service functions.

[@jchar8605]

If you're looking for the actual function to get to the Forced Defrost, just skip to the 6:00 mark. The stuff before it is totally unnecessary.

[@dianadonaldson8380]

I wish I would have seen this years ago! It would have helped us greatly knowing how to fd. We have so much trouble with the freezer icing up and now the back wall of the refrigerator too. Thanks for the video!

[@brunoonoahu]

Thanks my man..... your content saved me a service call.....also save me from taking a sledge to my fridge but that beside the point. Thank you for what you do.

[@ajupdh9993]

Force defrost runs about 30 minutes at least on my test. Sample size is only two though! You may have to pull the power plug out and put it back on to restart the compressor. Thank you for the video, it works beautifully.

[@christinesiler4356]

Having read about 30 of these comments, I think people just need to calm down, take a deep breath, watch the video and follow it carefully. I did, and it worked great! Nothing in the freezer or refrigerator spoiled. The only thing that defrosted was the icemaker, which is what I needed. I didn't have to unplug the refrigerator. I know it's frustrating when an appliance stops working, but it's not worth all the high panic and anger I see here. Easy does it friends!

[@Tapsomebong234]

How's your ice maker been working since you wrote this comment? I've seen different people say that they've either had to keep doing it every month or that it's been fine for a few months. Thanks.

[@riverraisin1]

@@Tapsomebong234 It's a crap shoot. Sometimes mine freezes up on a monthly basis, other times it can go 3-4 months between issues. I think it depends on how much you use it.

[@lastpme]

Thank you for making this video. The only reason I still have mine was when I decided to throw mine away and buy a new one, Lowe’s was closed and it gave me time to find your video. There should be a FD button since Samsung has all theses icing issues. Samsung needs to fix these design issues.

[@pete5677]

Forced defrost (FD) is the key to solving this issue without taking anything apart. It's not in the manual. Just watch the videos here and save yourself money and aggravation. The procedure varies among models. Look for the one closest to yours. On mine, the routine was an extension of the manual procedure for Fast Freeze (FF) which is in the manual. Just keep pushing the Freeze button until you see FD displayed. You will hear beeps while it is working. Let it go for as long as you can stand it (took me an hour). I couldn't figure out how to stop it. So I unplugged the fridge and let it sit for a while and plugged it back in. Worked like a charm. Fan noise is history (until the next time the condenser coil ice builds up). Wish you good luck.

[@guillermone1]

pete masuck- Thanks for the suggestion. I tried it and it worked like a charm, but I wonder how long is it going to last before I have to do it again. Do you suggest I just do it automatically once a month, like on a maintenance schedule or do you think I should just wait until something happens, when I hear noises again? And by the way, one final question, is that really our last name? If it is true, it kinda sucks, don't you think?

[@scottintexas]

Agree completely. I suspect people with frequently recurring fan noise need to allow it to defrost for an extended period, so the ice build up melts completely. If you take off the inside back wall of the fridge, you will see a large buildup over time. A short fd cycle may solve the fan issue temporarily, but only until the top layer of ice builds up again. The way to solve it long term is to allow ALL that ice to melt not just the top layer that is impinging on the fan.

[@guillermone1]

Scott in Texas -Actually no, although it solved the problem at that particular point in time, it was unfortunately only a short term fix. Nevertheless, I continued to search for other solutions and came across a comment made by one of the subscribers in another video and he suggested to cover or wrap all the copper tubing with insulation tape. This will stop condensation buildup to settle on the copper and prevent it to freeze. This option thus far has worked the best out of all the dozens of videos I have watched searching for a solution. Check back with me in a few months and I will let you know how it’s been coming along.

[@scottintexas]

guillermone1 Yes, good idea, which probably should have been done by the mfr.

[@guillermone1]

@@scottintexas-EXACTLY..…!!!!

[@Michael-ns3ke]

Thank you for this video. Had no idea that it has this function, I was getting ready to take it apart and melt all the ice buildup around the coil.

[@virginiahorvath7595]

Thank you, we didn't pick out this Fridge it was in the 3 year old house we purchased had we known about the issue we would have brought our 17 year old Maytag with us instead of including it in the sale of our previous house.

[@fernandosq]

Great tip, just want to add that if you have to open the back panel at some point, add some copper wire from the heating element into the drain. It seems this problem is also because the heating element does not touch enough the drain in order to keep it from freezing. I added that wire and it kept me from freezing for 2 years.

[@haroldbrown3452]

skip to 6min so see force defrost hold Energy saver and fridge button at same time for 12 sec or so when display goes off, press fridge button to light display press button till FD appears, this is force defrost press hold energy saver and power to return to normal

[@troyetherton5869]

Thanks. I have a RF263teaegs. This worked. I screwed around with it until I found this combo. Holding freezer and light causes it to display two numbers that I can move up or down. Not sure what they do so I put them both back to 0. I will say this incessant beeping for Fd is annoying

[@celesteb3380]

@@troyetherton5869 I'll take the beeping any time over $200 service call. $100 for showing up and then I'm sure some defective parts will be found. Bunch of whiners.

[@shinobi1kenobi935]

Thanks so much for this brother. This refrigerator and I have gone round and round last two years with this freezing up crap. The FD mode has helped me avoid this! 👍

[@willynilly7247]

Shinobi1 Kenobi lucky you, I hoping for a miracle just when I think it’s on the mend it goes down again we paid $2300 it’s eight years old and still looks new I shall not be buying ANOTHER SAMSUNG

[@nejolo9563]

I thought the ice maker issue was related to my refrigerator water filter not being the brand they recommended but a HDX FMS1 brand. It’s the same size and fits but doesn’t allow water to run through. Taking the filter off, I still don’t get water nor ice. I’ll try the forced defrost to see if this resolves this as it would the water under my deli tray and the freezer not being cold enough. Is a filter even necessary to get water or ice? Will see what happens.

[@edwardschrank4803]

Fast forward to 6:10 to get to the defrost mode explanation. Skip the button explanation which is the first 6 minutes. Otherwise very helpful.

[@kvgilliam]

You that real MVP

[@ralphfirley3882]

Thank you!

[@okietipler4314]

Thank you for the information. I was so frustrated with the constant ice build up and of course didn't know I could turn it off without unplugging it. The control codes will help tremendously.

[@vickmastr]

If you are having trouble with accessing the "Forced Defrost" function by pressing the buttons mentioned in the video, this post may be for you. On some newer models in particular our 4 door RF25HMED press "Freezer" and "Lighting" at the same time for about 8 seconds. Then immediately press any button until you see "rd" displayed. The fridge will constantly beep as you are now in the "Forced Defrost" mode. Once the irritating beeps stop, "Forced Defrost" has ended.

[@pavapeters4208]

Hi I have the RF25 model but holding the buttons suggested is not working for me. Any suggestions please. The panel does not go completely blank. My water light is still on.

[@Ran57Man]

THANK YOU VERY MUCH, It worked perfect and after it stopped beeping about 45 minutes it reset it self and i did not need to do anything else. I am glad you took the time to explain the fix and Samsung should thank you also. This refrigerator issue will give them a bad rap and no one will repurchase their products again. Simple Hidden Fix, Thanks

[@danutaecimera6885]

Randy T Pls help me . I have the model RF220 and is not working .works for a bit after unplugging and touching the panel . What could this be

[@Ran57Man]

@@danutaecimera6885 I thought it worked but i was getting false temp readings. I set a thermometer inside and it was showing 55 but the fridge was showing 36. I un-plugged and re-plugged to reset it then it was back to usual not getting below 52°. Today i used an IR thermometer to check the back which was 30° at the back in a slot but showing 62° on the open area. I had to come back here to remember how to do the force defrost and maybe try it more than once or twice. You can put your make and model number in google and find a manual. I did and did not see a display like is in this video. I have a Samsung cell phone so i thought they made quality products now I know i was wrong. Good luck.

[@angelafleming9193]

Worked perfectly. Skip to 6:00. Thank you

[@adambrock]

thank you for including the time to jump to

[@thecapitalalliance]

Very useful. Thank you! For the RS2545SH (mine), the sequence is the same, but the display will not show the status except for 1 icon "ice def" in green, and a beep every second.

[@alanbickford175]

Loads of information, but as the title says for those of us looking, go to minute 6:10 to learn how to power defrost. POWER DEFROST MINUTE 6:10

[@immanuel9697]

Thankyou very much my freind! Will try this method the next time my fan makes noises. Have been ripping apart my fridge, melting down the ice on the coils for thre last few months, and its really anmoying. Hopefully this method will work and save me time.

[@trencher7]

So will it warm up fridge too and not just freezer? Or can the fridge still be kept cool when you force defrost?

[@dalewatkins9889]

Wondering the same thing...whether the fridge should be emptied prior to doing the FD?

[@rbrotherman6990]

Thanks for the defrosting tip Jake. My RFG237AARS/XAA took about 45 minutes to quit beeping. The compressor noise stopped and it seems to be cooling down without without anymore "button pushing" on my part.

[@carlosmendez3757]

interesting points ,if anyone else wants to learn about best phone number lookup app try Tarbetti Phone Finder Tutor (do a google search ) ? Ive heard some great things about it and my buddy got excellent success with it.

[@TrungBui-uw2fj]

I did the FD, the sound beeps for 30 minutes and it automatically goes back to normal mode. Fyi, I still see lots of ice formed underneath the tray after the FD. I might need to unplug the refrigerator and clean up first and do this cycle FD again and probably I will do this cycle every 3 months after that to prevent the ice formed below the tray again. Thanks for the great tips.

[@Padoinky]

Thank you for this very helpful tutorial - had a layer of ice in the lower freezer compartment - set the unit to demo mode for a few hrs, making certain to not open the refrigerator section as it was still filled with food - this took care of the ice layer and related ice in the rear drain ports of the freezer.

[@johnwalker1471]

Jump ahead to about 6:30

[@fpav4049]

Thanks for this series on this model. I have the exact one when I bought the house in 2018. Same problems. No owners manual was left for me. Icing is a pain. will use the Fd mode and maybe defrost and get to the back on a total defrosting.

[@davidstroud2303]

Thank you so much for this info! We have a slightly newer model, but the same issue was occurring, and your tips helped to save us a repair charge!

[@melissaallen2299]

David Stroud

[@nodakor]

I have a Samsung RF26XAERS and tried this force defrost and it worked great! I have a request - please post how to remove the control cover to access the water dispensing tube to allow cleaning! Thanks!

[@joedelarios1]

skip to 7:20 for forced defrost

[@kioa104]

You’re the man!

[@markdorpinghaus2320]

Thanks for the information. My Samsung fridge starts to make the fan noise after about a month without a defrost. At first, I was moving food to a second fridge and unplugging the Samsung overnight to defrost. As I said, this would clear up the fan / noise issue (build up of ice) for about a month. After watching your video, I decided to try the RD mode. I believe this only defrosts the refrigerator compartment. After one cycle, this did not correct the fan noise. So, I immediately ran the FD mode which I believes defrosts both compartments. This did eliminate the fan noise and will hopefully give me another month before I need to defrost again. I plan to run the FD mode next time. The defrost modes lasted less than 30 minutes. I do have a thermometer in my fridge compartment (near the coils) that showed the temp raised to about 60 degrees F during the defrost. I do not see this as an issue as the temp was raised for less than 30 minutes. I have had a control board issue with this fridge as the front ice / water control would error and beep at times when switching between ice and water. I replaced the front board at $150 (part cost - I replaced by myself), this did not completely clear up the issue. I most likely need to replace the main control board but am hesitant due to the $200 part. I do not want to invest more money in this fridge. My thoughts are that the main control board is not controlling the defrost mode properly as well as causing the issue with my ice / water dispenser. Here is a link to more information on the controls and different control panels by model. repairmanuals.yolasite.com/resources/MSA-Samsung-Fridge.pdf Good Luck!

[@stevescott749]

What's the issue with ice/water dispenser?

[@larrytaylor7943]

My new issue is the water function don’t work and the display shows JUST the set temps for Refer/Freezer not the actual temps after you press the middle buttons

[@dunlaoghaire1000]

Did you made the video a about ongoing freezing problems of Samsung refridgferator, which you promised?

[@michaelgillogly3551]

Thanks for sharing, being that the Samsung freezes up constantly since I’ve owned it that forced defrost mode should have been in the user manual

[@joannekissinger133]

Thanks for this! I learned a lot. Now I'm trying to figure out how to make ice for the dispenser (above) and the tray (below). The manual has nothing. Help!

[@itsnotny1963]

Finally after trying multiple FD video's, I was able to get my fridge in defrost mode, I'll let you know how it works out - thanks!

[@stefanmane]

I have a Samsung RB193KASB and it has icing build up behind the back wall inside the refrigerator chamber. For the past 5 months I defrosted twice the coils with a hair dryer. This issue comes back every 2-3 months. The menu for my fridge is a little different and to get in the defrost mode, press simultaneously for 8 sec the top 2 right buttons: Super Cool + Fridge, and then the screen goes blank. Press fridge 2 or 3 times and then it will appear Fd on the display. I've tried this "Fd" twice and it beeped for about an hour and 20 minutes (each time). It appeared to me that there was still ice at the back and I opened up the back cover. Obviously this Fd function didn't work for me because the defrost and evaporator coils were completely covered in ice and no signage of defrost. Here are few values for the components inside the refrigerator: Drip tray (drain) heater = 340 ohms, defrost heater = 113 ohms, thermal fuse is ok = 0 ohms, Fan + 162.6 ohm, chamber thermistor = 6.1 Kohm at room temperature and changes the value when exposed to ice ~ 10.5 Kohm - Same value and response for the thermistor mounted on the evaporator coil. This makes me believe that all components inside the chamber are ok and I may have an issue with the control board located at the back of the fridge. Any suggestions?

[@SuperNova2747]

Im in the UK and found that most of the fd videos are based on american models meaning my button arrangement is diffrent. Although my display looks newer than yours the button order is the same and so it got my fridge into fd mode..many thanks.

[@DrHarryT]

When entering "forced mode" and a forced function is selected, the unit will continue that function beeping permanently. Instead of using "demo mode" to cancel the forced function, you simply enter forced mode again, scroll through the forced functions until the screen is blank like it was the first time you entered forced mode and don't tough anything, after a few seconds it will exit forced mode but with the previously selected forced function now disabled.

[@gotredeemed]

Nice Vid Jake. We have some ice on the fan in the Fridge. Thought we would try the DF mode as suggested. There is also a block of ice in the bottom drawer of the freezer.Thanks!

[@arnoldseno9080]

Thanks so much, as you said it is better than to remove the evaporator cover which is not easy to do because it is glued to the fridge with ice. There s a chance of ripping the styrofoam insulation.

[@adrianmcgowan3788]

it will come off once defrosted. Have to be patient, it is a process. I have done it twice. If it is in the home it will take a little bit longer. I have done it twice, and will tell you this if its done in a heated area, it will drop fast.

[@triciaingersoll9072]

does the FD do the freezer as well or only the refrigerator?

[@timbod3367]

Geri, if yours is a RF267 and has the flooding and freezing problems (as with all 267s) it is the defrost drain at the bottom of the coils in the back panel of refrigerator compartment. The defrost system defrosts the coils (producing lots of water) but does NOT defrost the ice from the drain hole and tube that is supposed to get rid of all that water. So.. The water goes everywhere except the drain. Simple fix for this is to pull the compartment back panel and add a little wire (I use copper) to the defrost coil. I just wrap the wire a couple of times around the defrost coil right above the drain hole and run the wire down the hole 10 inches or so. When it defrosts it heats the wire a little and keeps the drain cleared, and abracadabra! No more water problems for about .50 cents. Or you can pay $200.00 plus to have it done by a Samsung Tech.

[@ericponce8388]

Timbo D Hello, and thanks for the comment, as my RF267 is starting to show these symptoms. Flooded all over my floor and noticed ice was forming around the vent holes within the fridge. I am about two thirds of the way getting the back panel off due to the ice accumulation. My question while I wait for it to completely defrost is since the drain hole gets clogged, is it safe to say it is due to the fact that something is not right with the evap coil? Whether it's not staying on long enough to completely defrost or it isn't getting warm enough to do its job in its entirety? Had this fridge for a little over 7 years and this is the first issue I've had with it in regards to ice buildup within the fridge. Just seems a little weird that only after 7 years the ice buildup would occur with it being nothing more that the drain hole being plugged. I understand the plugging is part of the issue but is that a result of faulty coils? If adding the copper wire down the hole is a 50 cent "hack" I'm still all for it, I was just curious if it is indeed a hack in order to prolong repairing the coils which I know is a much more costly repair or is it a bad design by Samsung?

[@timbod3367]

In (my opinion only) I think the coil weakens somewhat over time like they do in dish washers. I did this to my own thinking about the same thing you are. Mine started freezing up at year five. I knew the defrost coil was good because I could hear the little sizzle sound now and then when it was defrosting indicating the coil was hot. Your problem could well be a bad coil or board but with mine it seemed worth a shot, and it worked great. You will see the little tab put there to defrost the drain opening and you will also notice it is far to short to do much good. The wire did the trick in my case. Be sure you defrost it (completely). There's a great little video by majdr622 "How to fix Samsung RF 267 drain problem - water under crisper" Check it out, and good luck!

[@ericponce8388]

Timbo D Thank you for that valuable information. I defrosted it for about 14 hours, adding hot water down the hole and sucking it back up. Only thing is it would never drain. I opened up the back panel and took the hoses off both the freezer and fridge and placed 2 small cups to catch any water....nothing! Bone dry! The fridge was unplugged and i even stuck a 14 inch plumbing snake down the hole and another 14 inch snake from the bottom end up...there was no resistance on either end but they did not reach each other! Only thing I could think of was either the clog was between the snakes somewhere or since the fridge was off that there's some sort of trap door within the hole that prevents any water to proceed into the drain pan while off. I added a 4 inch copper wire into the hole and reset everything. It's been about 12 hours so far and freezer and fridge are back to operating temps...I guess I'll just wait and see if ice builds up again. Wish me luck! And thanks again for the help.

[@timbod3367]

I don't think there is a check valve in the drain, but by all means my friend.. good luck.

[@stevescott749]

There's an aftermarket drainer to clip on to the coil and insert in to the drain. I just ordered it www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008KFG9NO/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[@jkim972]

Excellent. I have the same model as you and FD cycle ran for 30 minutes and went back to normal operation. Definitely quiet down the fan noise

[@martyculleton3973]

That stainless looks dazzling, did you spruce it up just for this video or does it look like that all the time?

[@jakeguitar01]

Here is how to clean stainless. You gotta strip it first: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hYSYi6WqqsZ3odU

[@stevescott749]

Lol. Maybe the only thing about this fridge that's dazzling.

[@izzyzanin4047]

Thank you for the info you posted. I've been fighting with this fridge for about a month and very frustrated with food spoiling.

[@danm8937]

I used this method to force a defrost on my Samsung refrigerator when removing the evaporator access panel. After a 15 to 20 minute forced defrost, the stubborn panel was finally removed. It seems that the forced defrost helped the panel removal.

[@constancecampbell4877]

THANK YOU!!! LOOKED FOR 2 HOURS on how to FD my refrigerator.

[@msparker4073]

Thanks you're good person who has shared his wealth of wisdom. 💋❤✌

[@anysillyoldname]

I have the RS277ACRS getting water in fridge bottom. Tried hairdryer. If I do the forced defrost will it heat up the freezer side too as it has two seperate cooling systems. Need to know if I should move everything out of the fridge.

[@mims0125]

I will NEVER buy Samsung again! It’s CRAZY that one can invest $3000-$4000 in a refrigerator that starts having problems across the board in less than 2 years!!! The fridge worked beautifully...until it doesn’t (like I said...LESS than 2 years!) You will pay multiple repair calls until finally your warranty “runs out” and “too bad for you”...DO NOT let this happen! Demand a replacement BEFORE your warranty runs out! Don’t be naive like so many and assume Samsung will do the “right thing” ...they care about money. Period. My husband is...as I type this...once again holding a blow dryer to the block of ice built up behind the panel. The whole fridge was warm (61 degrees). It’s a wonder no one has gotten ill in my family. Which angers me because I have children. There are COUNTLESS other families out there who are in the same boat. (Check our FB pages) Do yourself a favor if you are reading this....do not buy Samsung!!! Buy AMERICAN! We are shopping now for a replacement. I pray I make a better choice!

[@mrlindgren2705]

Everything. I agree with everything you wrote. And who would program something to beep obnoxiously every second of a forced defrost that can last up to forty minutes?! Just have a flashing signal on the display. Ugh this is obnoxious.

[@I-can-do-IT.]

every samsung we have bought has major problems fridge front load washer microwave. Last samsung we ever buy!!!!!!!!

[@harleygrad56]

I will never buy another Samsung either! What a moronic thing to do to put that annoying beeping sound on a defrost mode! I had to find it by pressing freezer & lighting, not energy saver & fridge like the other models. I hate this fridge! First time it quits It will go to the dump & I will buy as plain a refrigerator as I can find.

[@Sweetp520]

Hi ...I hope your still around Sure could use some help. if I force my frig to defrost by the coil heating up does it also defrost my freezer .? And I can't pull my frig out ( stuck in there really good), so I just wanted to make sure water doesn't run out the back anywhere ? My model is 28HDEDBSR/AA and it has a very simular panel as yours

[@nobodymatters3294]

At this point, I believe my fridge just likes hearing your videos. So I am going to leave my phone with it.

[@2001callie]

Jake , is there a good video for changing the reset button? I have taken out the ice maker,checked to see if any wiring was loose. My ice maker is making ice but will not dump it ? I bought some ice to see if it would dispense it and it does!! So what would you look for now?

[@crypto1701]

In case you haven't noticed, this is not a technician making these videos.

[@Thrasher857]

Any video on how to take the ice maker out?

[@elsadegelder643]

My forced defrost timed out on its own and resumed normal running after about thirty minutes. I heard the compressor kick in, and the whine of the fan all over again. Giving it another go, and hoping this'll work. I've also got it on rd, which someone else here commented was refrigerator defrost (mine's a twin cool, so it sounds right.) Edit: After the second defrost run, the fan is running beautifully and quietly again. Thank you so much!

[@cjakeyang]

My fridge also has rd mode. Did you use rd or fd to solve your problem? Thanks

[@elsadegelder643]

@@cjakeyang I did the rd one.

[@richardlevy9203]

Thanks so much for this. Forced defrost fixed my fan noise without the need to remove the panel. I've got the RF24HSESBSR, and this gives a rd option for refrigerator defrost, as well as fd for freezer defrost.

[@jakeguitar01]

Richard Levy --- excellent. glad it helped. it's probably a good idea to do a forced defrost once every week with these Samsung refigerators. As long as there is not too much ice back there, you should be able to defrost it in an hour or so. Just don't forget to turn off forced defrost when finished.... all your food will spoil.

[@jaimeborjas]

Thanks for the video, really helpful. I'm having issued with my RF28HMEDBSR on the ice maker with ice build up and the tech says needs to replace the auger motor. Can I run this FD mode with the food inside without getting spoiled? What about the food in the freezer will defrost as well? Thanks again

[@Danabolic]

Defrost instructions start at 5:24

[@cristine872]

Thank you so much! I hate that our fridge has been doing this lately. I'm going to try this today.

[@jb-il3vh]

Ok..Model RF268... press energy saver and freezer for 10 or so seconds...toggled to RD, left it there. Beep will continue for about an hour. Ok so I did this, forced defrost (FD) and took a 5 mile walk, came back beeping was stopped and fridge settings were back and fridge was operating as should noise free. I presume it defrosted for an hour and returned to operation. I dont think it defrosted completely, but noise is gone. I will cycle this again tomorrow to get rest of ice. Left towel along backside and did collect water... easy peasy. Our fridge was 12 years old before it developed the problem... che k your settings dont make it too cold

[@mbrooks9305]

Thanks so much, also have RF268 & going to operate on it. Tons of ice buildup!

[@jb-il3vh]

@@mbrooks9305 I did a second cycle which cleared all ice buildup, has been good since.. .

[@mariabermudez7323]

Thank you, great video. I have a samsung rf268arbs and the ice drawer won’t lock. Any suggestions?

[@wuyonghui]

Stay away from Samsung fridge, be aware of design defects.

[@JeanetteDooley]

Absolutely, this is my 2nd! Was not aware of problem! My bottom ice marker quit etc....fan froze etc...spent $400 or so got thawed out didn't worry about ice maker because that one had 2. Bottom and top. Froze up again within a few months....so found another one almost identical only difference was just top ice maker only for $500.00 with 90 day warranty... All good? No, within a few months started making noise, ice maker bin was getting cracks, water part had issue...so...$550.00 later...ice maker fixed and new bin for ice....all this had been in the last 18mos...few weeks ago it started making noise and leaking water..started turning ice maker off and freezer temp done...all good...then Friday it started making loud noise...turned temp up and down through day, ice maker off indefinitely at this point..Sunday the fridge temp started blinking...so far this video has fridge doing good!

[@michaelgillogly3551]

Thanks, great information based on the poor performance of the Samsung that sounds like information we should’ve had in the user manual… So thanks a lot for sharing

[@niners5time822]

Haha so many mad Samsung Refrigerator owners that just want to see a 30 second video!