How To Defrost Samsung Refrigerator Like a Pro with These Simple Steps

In this article we’ll show how to defrost Samsung refrigerator this can come in real handy if your ice maker is no longer working and has a lot of ice buildup,

the Samsung refrigerator ice makers unfortunately are plagued with a lot of ice buildup issues due to a very poor design,  but this ice buildup issue can be managed by using the force defrost mode which will completely thaw the ice maker chamber and hopefully get your ice maker working again

How to defrost samsung refrigerator in different models


There are a couple of different models of Samsung Refrigerators that may have slightly different Forced Defrost activation settings so here are some other instructions if needed.

How To Defrost Samsung Refrigerator

How To Defrost Samsung Refrigerator SRF680CDLS

To defrost Samsung refrigerator SRF680CDLS:

  • Press and hold the “fridge” and “energy saver” buttons for about 8 seconds.
  • press the fridge button, until there is a “Fd” on the display.

The forced defrost mode is on.

How To Defrost Samsung Refrigerator RF23J9011SR

To defrost Samsung refrigerator RF23J9011SR:

  • Press and hold the “cool select” and “freezer” buttons for about 8 seconds.
  • press any other button for 4 times to switch it to forced defrost mode.

There should be “Fd” on display.

The fridge would beep for 25 minutes after that, which is normal.

How To Defrost Samsung Refrigerator RF24FSEDBSR:

To defrost Samsung refrigerator RF24FSEDBSR:

  • Press and hold the “fridge” and “power save” buttons for about 8 seconds.
  • press the “fridge” button until there is a “Fd” on display.

The fridge would beep until the defrosting process is completed.

How To Defrost Samsung Refrigerator RF263BEAESR:

To defrost Samsung refrigerator RF263BEAESR:

There is an “energy saver” button on the left from the front side of the fridge. And there is a “fridge button” on the right side.

  • Press and hold both buttons for about 8 seconds.

the display would go blank.

  • Press 4 times the fridge button until there is “Fd” on the display.

How To Defrost Samsung Refrigerator Ice Maker RF263BEAESR:

To defrost Samsung refrigerator Ice Maker RF263BEAESR:

  • Press and hold “energy saver” and “fridge” buttons for 8 to 10 seconds.
  • The display would go bland and the fridge would beep.
  • Press the “fridge” button four times, both the refrigerator and ice maker would switch to forced defrost mode (“Fd” on display )

You cannot defrost the ice maker separately.

How To Defrost Samsung Refrigerator RF263:

To defrost Samsung refrigerator RF263:

  • Press and hold “energy saver” and “fridge” buttons for 8 seconds.

The display would power off.

  • press the “fridge” button four times, the refrigerator would switch to “Fd” mode (forced defrost).

How To Defrost Samsung Refrigerator RF28:

To defrost Samsung refrigerator RF28:

  • press and hold at the same time “energy saver” and “power freeze/freezer” for about 4 seconds.

Then you should hear a “beep”, and the display would show “OFF”.

For manual defrost:

  • press and hold “energy saver” and “fridge/power cool” for 12 seconds.

That would power the fridge off.

  • If you press the “fridge/power cool” button, then it will switch to forced freeze mode.
  • If you press the same button again for 3 times, then it would switch to forced defrost mode.

Should Refrigerator’s door be closed or opened when we defrost it?

Refrigerators’ doors should be closed during defrosting.

Logically defrosting should be done during nights as there are fewer chances of opening it.

why this should be done?

When one opens the door they allow moisture to enter in ref and more precisely in the freezer which will turn into ice when that moisture comes in contact with the freezer section and remember what are we trying to do during defrost melting the frozen ice on freezer coolant tubes which prevents cooling.

So basically when we open refrigerators’ doors frequently we are allowing moisture to enter and help in the formation of unrequired ice on the freezer which will affect cooling in certain areas.

How long does it take to force defrost Samsung refrigerator?

Over time a thick layer of ice will accumulate on the inside of the freezer. Now it depends on how much of this ice has built up. Waiting longer to defrost your refrigerator will decrease the efficiency of your refrigerator/freezer. Follow these steps to defrost your refrigerator in a timely manner.

  1. Turn ff your freezer
  2. Remove all contents from the freezer as quickly as possible

Consider placing them in a cooler or a box to keep them from thawing

  1. Remove the drawers, trays, and shelves
  2. Then , locate the drainage hose

Some Freezers will contain a drain at the bottom which leads to a hose. If you can locate the hose, pull it forward and attach it to a longer hose or redirect the water away from the freezer

  1. To prevent puddles from forming, place newspapers or even towels to soak up the water
  2. Select a Defrost Method

You can Wait for the ice to melt.

  • Consider using a hairdryer to make the ice melt faster
  • Use a fan to circulate air through the freezer
  • Place hot water in bowls inside the freezer
  • Use a hot spatula to scrape off the ice chunks
  • Use a hot cloth to help melt the ice faster and loosen the ice
  • Mop up all of the water
  • Clean your freezer
  • Dryer the freezer before turning it back on
  • Place back the shelves and contents inside your refrigerator/freezer
  • Turn on your freezer/refrigerator!

Make sure to check the seal/gasket on the door. A poor seal/gasket can lead to a build-up of frost and more warmth will enter your appliance.

How often should you defrost a refrigerator?

It depends on what kind of refrigerator you have.

Most modern refrigerators are “self-defrosting”. They are designed to never frost.

It is rare, but some older refrigerators do frost-up especially in the freezer. If you have a frosting freezer, then you should defrost it (turn it off and collect the melted ice-water) when the freezer walls have collected about 2 inches thick with ice, or when the walls are beginning to close in with ice.

Once again for most modern “self-frosting” fridges, the answer is never.

It is always best to set your fridge’s temperature dial at around 5 out of 10. There is usually a notch in the fridge’s temperature dial at “5” this is the best setting for most fridges. You do not want to set the dial so high that things in the fridge begin to freeze.

What is the danger of not defrosting a refrigerator for 10 years?

A refrigerator/freezer that does not defrost properly will become inoperable within about 4 to 7 days, depending upon the humidity. This is because the evaporator coils will frost over, and block air from circulating inside the freezer.

There are two kinds of coils for a common refrigerator/freezer.

The coils which are on the outside of the fridge are the condenser coils. 

The coils inside, which are normally hidden behind a panel are the ones that freeze over.

two things will cause the evaporator coils to freeze over:

1. the fan stops working and

2. the timer for the coil heaters fails.

A plugged drain hole won’t necessarily but it could, depending upon how the seals are placed cause the system to freeze over, but it may flood the inside of your refrigerator.

The Refrigerator/Freezer will not function beyond about one week, so 10-years is not even in the equation.

So, every 6 months or so, you had to unplug the fridge, empty the fridge, and place pans inside to catch the water.

What is the reason why the fridge did not start after defrosting?

When high-pressure hot refrigerant condenses in the condenser, a lot of heat is dissipated during this conversion.

But when the condenser coil is dirty and loaded with debris, This heat stays inside the refrigerator and reduces the cooling.

There are evaporator coils and a circulating fan in the freezer zone of the refrigerator. Poor cooling can be a result of excessive frost development on the evaporating coils.

Over time frost accumulates over the coils and fan. When frost gets accumulated over the evaporator coils, they get insulated. Due to this, the circulating fan is unable to draw air over the frosted coils.

There may still be a small amount of cooling because of the frost over the coils, but with no airflow over the coils. This frost should be removed by manual defrosting or automatic defrost for proper cooling inside the refrigerator.

There are so many reasons which cause the cooling effect of the fridge.

  • Dirt on condenser coil:

When high-pressure hot refrigerant condenses in the condenser, a lot of heat is dissipated during this conversion. But when the condenser coil is dirty and loaded with debris, This heat stays inside the refrigerator and reduces the cooling. So you may clean it to fix the issue.

  • Insufficient refrigerant: 

Refrigerant is like the blood of the refrigerant cycle. Refrigerant leakage or under-limit refrigerant also affects the cooling inside the refrigerator.

  • Faulty Evaporator Fan: The fan circulates the cool air from the freezer to other compartments inside refrigerator. When evaporator fan stops working it can not circulate Due to which the freezer continues to be cold but food section does not cool.

Can you defrost a Samsung freezer without turning the refrigerator off?

Yes. But it will take longer and your electric company with sending you a thank you note for running up your electric bill.

No, seriously you should disconnect the power to the freezer. Then get a hairdryer and blow hot air on the ice.

And put a try on the shelf to catch the water. And large terry clothes towel on the bottle.

Your freezer is upright. A chest freezer, you would do the hair dry thing, if you want it back online. Or leave it disconnected from its power source and let defrost naturally.

Read also:

Nevertheless, here are eight different ways you can quickly defrost your freezer.

  1. Wait for Ice to Melt. …
  2. Use a Blow Dryer. …
  3. Use a Fan. …
  4. Set Bowls or Pans of Hot Water on the Shelves. …
  5. Heat a Metal Spatula. …
  6. Use a Hot Cloth and Rubbing Alcohol. …
  7. Scraping. …
  8. Use a Wet/Dry Vacuum