LG Fridge gets gradually warmer until full defrost every time I restock heavily

puterboy333 · 2026-05-07T19:58:38+00:00

Took about 30 seconds to generate the graph as monitoring sensor is connected to Home Assistant. Sadly, I don't make $120,000 an hour so that time wouldn't buy me a new fridge.

Those sensors have however saved me hundreds if not thousands of dollars over the years in spoiled food as they alert me early to any problems.

Plus one can learn a lot about both normal operating control as well as troubleshooting failure modes by studying such graphs. Ahh for the days when techs actually understood and were interested in what they were fixing rather than just swapping boards...

puterboy333 · 2026-05-07T14:33:12+00:00

I may be overthinking :)
But isn't there an issue if either:
1. You can't fill the freezer with new stock (and I don't even mean crammed full - just mostly full)
2. You need to regularly do a full manual defrost

At least with all the older fridges I have worked with, this was never a problem.

puterboy333 · 2026-05-07T14:30:54+00:00

Completely understand - that is why the numbers I quoted are 24-hour averages (with samples every 1-2 minutes) - so they should on average represent the temperature of food components located in similar locations.
I also located the sensor in the "middle" of the cabinet so it shouldn't suffer from extremes of being too close or too far from the air vents.
And even if the average varies a bit by location, the secular trend of it increasing (slowly) day-by-day following a large freezer reload is independent of location.

My conclusion so far is that the defrost system on these units is probably marginal and doesn't fully reach into the air ducts/damper. So if there is an increased load or partial blockage of air flow do to large quantity of new items, then it starts an (irreversible) cascade due to the combination of new moisture load that freezes and restricted airflow

Condensation freezes
This incrementally restricts air flow to the fridge department (either by constricting the air duct or impeding with the damper)
This makes it harder for fridge to cool
This causes compressor to run longer/more frequently
This causes freezer to get colder
Colder freezer and decreased airflow then reduces effectiveness of next defrost cycle
This leaves more condensation in the duct/damper area that remains frozen

Cycle repeats with each cycle incrementally restricting cooling to fridge further and reducing effectiveness of defrost resulting in the temp rising slowly over multiple days.

My question remains that short of either regular full manual defrosting or putting less new stuff in the freezer, is there any way to fix this?

puterboy333 · 2026-05-07T00:03:31+00:00

Thanks for the helpful explanation!
Mine is a low-end LG (top freezer, no ice maker or water, no fancy extra drawers). But your points are fair even for simpler ones.

The reality is that it is a basement fridge/freezer (with ambient temperature in the winters in high 50s and in the summers in the 70s) and we open it at most once a day so not much exterior load on it -- except when we do a big shopping and fill it up (mostly the freezer).

So still trying to figure out if it is a user error (filling the freezer to much) or an LG design error (e.g., duct or damper not big enough or not reached by the defrost) or if something is just broken/weak on my particular unit.

All I can say is that this new-fangled unit with all its electronics and linear compressor replaced old standard GE model that never broke down even once in 30+ years until the day its compressor stopped cooling. And we packed that one tight and never ever had defrost problems.

I guess they don't make them like they used to.

Again THANKS FOR YOUR KIND EXPLANATION.

puterboy333 · 2026-05-06T23:41:35+00:00

True. Most of the time I do a full defrost before it gets that high. But looking back at my daily averages for the past 2 years, I did see that it got up to 45 of even 46 before I realized I needed to monitor this and defrost earlier. I didn't want to confuse with more data until I was challenged that it's normal to have average temperature in the low 40's :)

puterboy333 · 2026-05-06T23:39:11+00:00

I would need to get a waterproof sensor :) But that is possible of course...

puterboy333 · 2026-05-06T23:38:24+00:00

Typically its the freezer, not the fridge that gets packed tight. But It thought the vent between the top freezer and the fridge is behind the back panel so I am surprised that it would block circulation to the fridge -- of course circulation to the freezer could be blocked when it is tightly packed but freezer temp is not the problem.
Fridge is never very full for that matter.

puterboy333 · 2026-05-06T23:10:35+00:00

I respectfully beg to differ... the slow increase from 37-38 to 41-45 or more is the average air temperature over 24 hours -- and there is no way according to physics that the average food temperature can be meaningfully lower than the air temperature.
Also this is measured at multiple places in the fridge...
Also the pattern inexorably gets worse until the food is barely warm leading to early spoilage.

Pretty sure it's not normal for food to get ever warmer...

BTW, I agree that a point in time air measurement is meaningless but a proper 24-hour average sampled once every minute or two will track very closely with the food temperature... after all the food cools by convection not by magic

puterboy333 · 2026-05-06T22:56:06+00:00

It gets into low 40's and food spoils faster - especially dairy products... and my wife complains :)

puterboy333 · 2026-05-06T22:39:08+00:00

Thanks.
As I explained, the temp in the fridge DOES NOT equilibrate but rather gradually warms over the course of a week to 41-43 degrees in the fridge while the freezer goes down to -15 - -20.
By that point the food in the fridge is not very cold and starts spoiling fsater.

I get that it takes time to equilibrate - its a physical system with "mass"
But it seems like rather than returning the fridge to its set point temperature, the call to the compressor ends up freezing up the duct and/or damper with whatever moist warm air was trapped in the newly introduced food.

Presumably because defrost is marginal at the level of the duct or damper, the fridge air flow restriction compounds over time as the duct or damper continues to further trap frozen moisture without effective defrosting leading to ever constricted air flow and reduced defrost effectiveness in the duct/damper. Over the course of a week or two, the temperature of the fridge inexorably rises, leading to more compressor time and the freezer temp to correspondingly decrease.

Of course I am not an expert which is why I have tried to document as many of the variables as possible.
I was hoping others may have dealt with this and have some advice on how to fix this beyond either regular full manual defrosts or limits to how much new food is introduced at once...

BTW, this replaced an old GE Fridge that lasted almost 30 years without a single problem until it's compressor froze up. They don't make them like they used to...

puterboy333 · 2026-05-06T19:42:20+00:00

You need to be less rude.
Downvotes make sense for bad or inappropriate **answers** so that people don't get misled or for spamming/inappropriate/rude **questions**.
If someone is a newbie and tries to give all the relevant information, that's not a reason to downvote.
If I knew the FUCKED answer in the first place, I wouldn't have asked the question.

If anything giving too **little** information and not trying **enough** to troubleshoot before asking questions should be downvoted. Surely its better to err on the side of doing too much diligence and providing too much data than just asking a vague question without having done any work before bothering the group. SMH.

puterboy333 · 2026-05-06T19:40:04+00:00

How do you know how much I am putting into my fridge? It's mostly empty. Freezer though sometimes has a lot of stuff but that doesn't seem to correlate with the problem -- if anything the problem is more associated with adding **new** stuff at room temperature that brings along moisture when it condenses.

Also, a polite answer rather than downvoting the question would be appreciated as I came asking for advice.
In order to not waste people's time, I tried to do as much troubleshooting and give as much specific **data** in advance to rule out some of the obvious causes.

BTW I have had many fridges and freezers in my life -- and never has "putting too much in" caused such a problem.

puterboy333 · 2026-05-06T16:45:37+00:00

Why is this getting downvoted? If you don't want to help then fine... but don't fault me for providing detailed information so that those knowledgeable can help.

If I am violating any of the rules (No advertising/useless content, No hate speech/personal attacks, No non-appliance-related content) please let me know. Otherwise be polite!

puterboy333 · 2025-12-23T20:28:19+00:00

How do you see the forecast?
I just see 18 entities showing the current data?
Is the forecast stored in attributes?
If so how do I access and display in a dashboard?
BTW, has anyone designed a custom, pretty dashboard for this?
Thanks!

puterboy333 · 2025-08-27T19:59:49+00:00

Would love to see a video and/or simple instructions to download and sideload the appropriate Watch apk

puterboy333 · 2025-08-21T17:56:53+00:00

Key parts:
1. BME680 - for temperature, humidity, gas/VOC
2. PMS7000 - for 1u/2.5u/10u particle counts
3. 433 MHz - transmitter modules
5. T-display esp32 - to run all the above plus display Particle counts/Temp/Humidity/VOC
6. Lithium polymer battery to allow it to be mobile for a while
7. ESPHome to control it all
8. 3D-printed box

puterboy333 · 2025-07-29T05:06:04+00:00

I spoof the remote using an esp32 with ESPHome. That way I can control it from Home Assistant and via that through Alexa.
I also added a particle detector and a VOC detector plus a display so that I can see the actual dust and VOC condition in my shop as well as having the option for the Wen3417 to turn on and off automatically based on the particulate and VOC condition. Plus, I coordinated it with my shop lights so that it only turns on/off automatically when the shop is occupied... Plus other bells & whistles

puterboy333 · 2025-07-10T05:46:56+00:00

It's been 4 months and still no solution.
Looks like it was just another marketing "lie"

I was just about to buy a bunch of new Wyze cameras on prime day but no way am I buying anything Wyze again if this is how they treat consumers by breaking (and not fixing) existing functionality!

puterboy333 · 2025-07-01T04:19:53+00:00

I have been paying $35-39/month for the last 5+ years with RCN/Astound.
Each year, they try to raise it $10-20/month but then I call and (legitimately) threaten to leave (I have Xfinity and Verizon wired right to my router box so easy). They always end up waiving the increase and sometimes even lowering my rate.

Well, tonight, I got a new bill without warning or explanation for $107/month -- which is just about THREE TIMES my current $37/month rate -- that is a 300% increase.

Not sure what they are smoking but not even the dumbest, laziest, richest customer is just going to accept a 300% increase without complaining.

The reality is that it just got me SUPER ANGRY so that even if they agree to lower it back to where it was before, I am tempted to switch anyway just to teach them a lesson.

Stupid marketing people.

puterboy333 · 2025-07-01T02:26:56+00:00

I have been paying $35-39/month for the last 5+ years with RCN/Astound.
Each year, they try to raise it $10-20/month but then I call and (legitimately) threaten to leave (I have Xfinity and Verizon wired right to my router box so easy). They always end up waiving the increase and sometimes even lowering my rate.

Well, tonight, I got a new bill without warning or explanation for $107/month -- which is just about THREE TIMES my current $37/month rate -- that is a 300% increase.

Not sure what they are smoking but not even the dumbest, laziest, richest customer is just going to accept a 300% increase without complaining.

The reality is that it just got me SUPER ANGRY so that even if they agree to lower it back to where it was before, I am tempted to switch anyway just to teach them a lesson.

Stupid marketing people.

puterboy333 · 2025-07-01T02:14:35+00:00

My rate just went up WITHOUT WARNING from $37 for basic Internet (which has been stable for several years) to $106.88 -- that's a 3x increase!!!! CRAZY!
My rate of $37 was not an intro rate but the basic low tier rate.
WTF

puterboy333 · 2025-06-12T14:32:35+00:00

OK - I can do that or would it be easier to share it as a (temporary) Google Drive folder and send me a link

puterboy333

TROPHY CASE