i have just bought a fridge freezer apm6855 diplomat the fridge temperature keeps going up to h in a matter of hours what am i doing wrong or is it faulty

shona grant, January 2008

I have got the same kind of problem and repairer has told me that the coil burnt out in fan motor - normally the problem is with the bearings? I note Rich's comments and his purchase of generic unit from UKWhitegoods. I have been in contact with them and they say it won't fit and that I need the much more expensive part number 512021001. From forum comments I have read elsewhere UKWG seem very dependable. So now don't know whether to risk generic part or not.

Diplofangone, July 2014

Tried the same thing nearly murdered it almost damaged the pipework when removing the fan cover contacted which who put me onto www.agsrefrigeration.co.uk they came out and replace a faulty thermal fuse the guy said i was very lucky because the fan was catching on pipework another pull and i would have needed a new fridge.

Simon, November 2013

Thanks Rich and RobB - you certainly did save me a few pounds! Fitted the new fan motor and all now seems to be working fine.

Only slight issue I had was the motor came with bare end wires so I had to purchase some lucar connectors (£1.59 from Maplin) to be able to connect the new fan up.

Thanks again guys!

Carlos, May 2013

I found a generic motor for £18 that worked perfectly from http://shop.ukwhitegoods.co.uk/Refrigeration+Parts/Universal+Parts/Fan+Motors/FRG5205.html

I hope this helps someone save a few pounds

Rich

Richard n

Thanks very much Rich!
The one below worked for me.


http://shop.ukwhitegoods.co.uk/Refrigeration+Parts/Universal+Parts/Universal+Fan+Motors/FRG5205.html

RobB, May 2013

I seem to have the same problem on this fridge/freezer. The freezer keeps frosting over; I have to defrost every 3 or 4 weeks but it happens again. If left for longer than 4 weeks the freezer continues to work but the fridge becomes warm and the 'H' is displayed on the fridge.
I have replaced the "no frost probe" and "freezer ambient probe" with no change. The fan seems to be running correctly and have now run out of ideas.
What does the thermo fuse do? I have looked at http://www.hygenadiplomatspares.co.uk/cgi-bin/jvfident/shop/ and the Z3 thermo fuse is exactly the same as I have in my unit - is it worth changing this??
Can anybody else please give me some pointers as to where the problem could lie?
Many Thanks

shackles, April 2013

Hi chers for the post chris the guys at www.agsrefrigeration.co.uk saved my bacon for i had defrosted the bl.... thing but the problem kept coming back called these guys out and they were on the ball straight away brilliant.

Mat, March 2013

Any MAKE of fridge/freezer with APM6855 as the Model number seems to have the same design problems. The Freezer keeps going but the fridge stops working.
Reason: The cold air blown from the freezer area is not reaching the fridge area. Could either be 1) the gap through which the cold air is blown is full of frozen water or 2) the blower fan has stopped working.
DIY help to solve 1 above:
First thing to do is find somewhere to store (or use up) the freezer food. Then switch off the whole machine for 48 hours. Water will come out at the bottom, so arrange some towels in the bottom of the freezer compartment and under the machine at the back.
After 48 hours, switch machine back on, check the settings and wait 12/24 hours. If the fridge is not cold then call an Engineer.

Michael Spence, March 2013

I am having the same problem.

Can anybody who used Kintaras fix please repost it, the link that has been reposted has expired and isn't there anymore?

Even some general guideance as to what was said in it would be appreciated.

Dannywinch86, January 2013

We had the same problem freezer kept icing up was told to defrost it by different engineers however the problem kept coming back to haunt us and we were just about to chuck it out for rubbish when we manage to get hold of someone from agsrefrigeration.co.uk who came along and found the fault within a couple of minutes which was a slow running fan motor which the engineer changed. We have had no further problems since.

chris, July 2012

my fridge freezer is apm 6855 i cant get the freezer temp to drop any less than -30 degrees can you advice.

Hector, March 2012

i have model HJA6855 it keeps knocking off ruining all the food in freezer its only 3yrs old howdens says its out of warranty and i have to pay £129 to have it fixed

margaretbutler, October 2011

sounds like your fans faulty we had same prob and our neighbour did cost around £63 for the part

pat, September 2011

Can anyone help me with the kintara link from rob with the solution? the link appears to be dead and my fridge has the 'H' as well!!

Does anyone have the link to re-post??
thanks!!!!!!

emma, August 2011

what a crock, got it from howdens, just kept defrosting itself then freezing, get rid of it, it will only cause stress.

rees, July 2011

thanyou kintara followed your advice fridge freezer seems to be working fine this seems to be a common problem that the fridge stops working although the freezer is fine. thought i would have to buy a new one but your advice has seemed to have worked thankyou again.

maria, February 2011

The minimum that a fridge freezer should last according to Trading Standards is 6 years. Mine has now gone on the blink twice at three years old.
Have now written to Howdens stating that this fridgefreezer has a generic fault due to the number of these units braking down at a very short age under the sale of goods act 1979 looking for them to exchange or fix? will keep informed

Robdeone, February 2011

Thank you Kintara for the instructions. You are a star. MFI deserved to go bust. My kitchen has caused me nothing but problems since it was fitted. once again thank you.

deb, December 2010

hi i have 3 buttons on my Diplomat fridge freezer "cooler, freezer and super", does anyone know how to change the freezer and fridge temps? ive lost the manual...

J, November 2010

Its all caused by the faulty defrost probe read here for the fix

http://www.howtomendit.com/answers.php?id=106888

stu., October 2010

I had the same problem and followed the excellent instructions, however it did not work. I found that the motor was actually broken and a replacement ranged from £60 to £100!

I found a generic motor for £18 that worked perfectly from http://shop.ukwhitegoods.co.uk/Refrigeration+Parts/Universal+Parts/Fan+Motors/FRG5205.html

I hope this helps someone save a few pounds

Rich

Richard n, October 2010

Hello all
After several successful years with my diplomat, I had the same issue, I looked at the instructions & being visually impaired decided it was not for me, so I tried simply emptying & defrosting the freezer & yes it worked.

Baggiesgirl, August 2010

Kintara - Thanks for this advice. I've now fixed my fridge freezer following the steps in your link. Excellent result in under 40 mins. Thank

Julie, July 2010

Exactly the same problem has just happened to me - during the hottest period of the year! My fridge freezer came from Howdens about 4 years ago so well out of warranty. Many, many thanks to Kintara who has saved me hundreds of pounds with his very straightforward, easy-to-follow instructions to remedy the fault - a bit scary taking the fan out but now operating at 3 degrees for fridge and minus 21 for freezer. Great fix!

Julie, June 2010

The final answer is.....

Ditch this model and bite the bullet. Buy a new one that will fit the 50- 50 size so the decorative doors can stay. I have seen ones that fit the unit in Gardiners of Bristol, but in the end I ripped out the fridge and cooker units and replaced it with an American style F/F with ice and chilled water dispenser. Also fitted an under unit oven. All the MFI (Diplomat , Zanussi, etc) stuff that we bought for the kitchen in 2004 has now (largly) been replaced. Really, thats the only solution - Sorry

Kintara, June 2010

Just got home from work to find my fridge is also showing H. Freezer is also doing as it likes will try all the suggestions and will let you know. It appears that this type of fridge freezer had a fault and howdens still sold them. Has anyone contacted Tradeing standards??

Robdeone, June 2010

hi i bought the hda hja6855 from howdens and it just when on the blink . the fridge is warm and the freezer just does what it wants , i had to throw all my food away ( but the best of it is iv got my own company and spend £$$$$ with howdens in the past , but cause its 4 mouth out its warranty they arnt bothered , so from no on ill never use them again , and will just buy a new fridge freezer ( the sell cheap shxt )

sean, May 2010

solved this ongoing problem.I am a 65year old bodger at D.I.Y but the simple and explicite instructions via www kintara solved the problem in under an hour.If I can do it so can you.Plenty of brownie points can be earnt from the wife-Thanks Kintara
Trevor

Trevor King, April 2010

Thanks Kintara your a genius followed your brilliant instructions seems to be working fine now. one thing i would add is that when you have stripped out the freezer ifound a small drainage hole that was blocked in the tray at the bottom i pushed a barbecue skewer down that hole and cleared it, It can now drain if needed.
Many Thanks you just saved me £600 for a replacment fridge freezer (No wonder Howdens dont sell them any more)

Gordon, February 2010

Thanks to kintara took your advice downloaded your instructions ans so far so good. It's been 24 hrs and fridge now at +4 freezer -19. thanks a million

C & P, February 2010

I would like to say a huge thank you to Kintara for the excellent advice. I am very pleased to say that everything seems to be working now - even the hair-dryer which was in danger of overheating.
I think the conclusions I have come to are - frost-free still need defrosting and I will think twice before buying a diplomat one - else I will check more carefully. But I went with the advice of the people fitting my kitchen using Howden products.

Liz, January 2010

Help, just moved into a house and my kitchen has a diplomat 6855, which is broken. I woke up this morning to find food spoliled in fridge and freezer defrosted. I'm a little panicked having read the foregoing posts that I won't be able to rectify this long term. I feel the urge to run out and replace, but i've never dealt with a built in appliance before & am worried about costs of fitting, sizes, & choosing a decent model....
Please help!

Arlene, December 2009

Mine has just done the same (XMAS DAY!!!!). Not impressed, its just over 2 years old and i will be contacting Howdens as soon as they re-open.

Looks like a trip to Currys in the New Year!

Paul Myers, December 2009

I have spoken to Howdens recently about our fridge freezer which is less than 18 months old and has done this twice in the last few weeks. They reported that they have not heard of this as being an issue and reported that they had not had complaints about this. I directed them to have a look at this website to see other dissatisfied customers. They told me to contact GDHA on 0845 006 0006 to arrange for it to be fixed but we would have to pay for it as over 12 months old. I contacted GDHA who also reported not having heard of this being a common complaint. I also rang DMK service solutions on 01920 444020 (directed to this via the number on the instructions) and when I explained they said it was v common with this model. However, can't seem to find out whether it is easy to fix or not - does anyone exactly know which part is broken and needs replacing. Several suggestions have been made from thermonstat in PBC (but I don't know what that means), to faulty defrost sensor, evaporator sensor - please help.

S Lynch, December 2009

Hi there,
I am having the same problem with the exactly the same appliance.
If anyone can help that would be great cos it's driving us all nuts.

Lynne, December 2009

Hi Hayley did you find anything out my fridge has just done the same thing today and now is very warm

joanne, August 2009

Hi everyone
We are just in the process if trying out the advice listed with our fridge. Unit has gone from very cold to warm with the H listing. I have had to dispose of a fridge full of fresh food today so am not happy. Bought from Howdens about 3 years ago. I have spoken to a local retailer who no longer stocks frost frees as they are problematic. Will not buy one again!!

Hayley, August 2009

I have the same problem with a 3.5 yr old fridge. Tried the defrosting, which worked for 1 wk but is now broken again. I have contacted Howdens who are not interested in helping in any way whatsoever. I am most annoyed.
Would love to know exactly how Phil achieved his result of a cost replacement. Also, for the rest of you who bought from Howdens - do you have trade accounts, or are you the end customers? I have no legal rights because my fridge was purchased from Howdens by my kitchen fitter.

Michelle, August 2009

Guess what I have the same problem. freezer fine fridge warm on H. Its not quite three years old. I shall try defrosting the whole thing and see what happens. I do have a contact number for repairs( from MFI help line)DMK Service Solutions 01920444020, but don't know anything about them or where they're based, so I'll try defrosting first.

christine, July 2009

I have exactly the same fault with the Diplomat APM6855 and it is less than 18 months old. I am just going to Howdens to see the manager. I have contacted the Trading Standards department who have explained that they expect a fridge freezer to last for up to 6 years and therefore the product we have all bought breaches the Sale of Goods Act, and that Howden's should fix or replace it. However I do agree with an earlier comment that there should have been a product recall.

Iain Ross, May 2009

Depending on your own opinion, here is some good news for all those people out there who seem to have had the same problem as me regarding the APM6855.

I have had two of these models in a 4 year period. The first was replaced under warranty after 11 months after incurring the same fault with the fridge indicating 'H' and not cooling down properly.

The 2nd came up with the same problem 3 weeks ago and despite an engineer visiting twice and each time resolving the problem temporarily, the appliance has now broken down again with the same fault. The engineer has now indicated that the repair of the machine is not cost effective and therefore needs replacing.

Unhappy with this result, I have now approached Howden's Joinery where the appliance was purchased. After some deliberation, they have agreed to replace the appliance at cost price, therefore no loss for them and at a hugely reduced price to me. As the problems seem to mainly occur with the frost-free model I have opted for the non frost-free which I also have in another property and have had no problems with (APM6852 or HJA6852).

Howden's cost prices are around £225 for the frost-free and £160 for the non frost-free excluding VAT.

Therefore, with an old machine of 3+years being replaced for a relatively nominal figure and complete with a new 12 month warranty, I see this as a reasonably fair result. Although I appreciate some people would prefer to move away from this model completely, interestingly though there are only a couple of posts regarding the same issue with the non frost-free model so fingers crossed!

Anyway I wish you all good luck with your own endeavours and hope you achieve a similar result.

Phil, April 2009

Hi Guys
I have written a guide for those of you who want to try the defrost method. The URL is

http://www.kintara.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/Rob/APM6855/APM6855.htm

Hope this helps you

Kintara, March 2009

Thank you guys for all your answers especially bobsyouruncle. Just cleared out the frozen food into my neigbors fridge. And just cleaned out the holes and stuff, so will know in a few hours. But I reckon it'll work, if it does then thanks. If it doesn't ney bother, as I've learned about how a fridge works. And its all in the learning. Keep up the good work

karl St johns wood, March 2009

fitted2005 new kitchen all units and appliances supplied by Howdens. 1st fridge freezer had no gas cannot remeber about the next one but the third one worked until now.Oven fan did not work when oven 1st switchd on new fan fitted the grill still does not work properly but can live with it.The hob stopped working but refitted a wire but still 2 rings can not be controlled properly. just need the dish washer to go wrong now and that will be the lot.A new fridge freezer will be bought but not the rubbish supplied by Howdens.If it had been known at the time that Howdens and MFI were tied in together my builders recomendation would have been ignored.

tom, March 2009

Just had the same problem with APM6855 18 months old bought from howdens - just replaced it with a new model HJA6855 does anyone know of any problems with this model?

Lou, March 2009

I've had the same product for nearly 18 months and it has done exactly the same as you all describe. Freezer works but fridge doesn't and also displays an H in the contol panel display. Mine was bought from Howdens and this is disgraceful that they get away with it.

Iain, February 2009

Hi,there is definitely a fault with your fridge.How old is it.if it has 2005-2007 on the serial number then the fault is probably the evaporator sensor.things to check before blaming that part,has it been installed properly,secured in,mainly at the top above display panel.3 screw holes are these being used.If you open fridge door,look at the top of the freezer door seal.Is there a gap(shadow)on edge where it touches panel between fridge and freezer.If this is ok,can you hear the fan,which will stop if you open fridge or freezer door.If all of these are ok,then I would say it was the defrost sensor,which i could supply,and would take about 30 mins to replace,job done.

MARK STEVENS, February 2009

I HAVE HAD A DIPLOMAT FRIDGE FREEZER FOR 1 YEAR, AND HAVING SAME PROBLEM AS MOST HERE, AND ITS SMELLY BEYOND BELIEF (EVEN WHEN EMPTY), I HAVE ALREADY HAD THE FAN REPLACED AND NOW ONCE AGAIN LOOKS LIKE ITS AWAY TO PACK UP, NO WONDER MFI HAD PROBLEMS IF THEY WERE SELLING DODGY GOODS! WOULD NEVER EVER BUY DIPLOMAT GOODS AGAIN TO SUM IT UP IN ONE WORD C***!!!

sindy, January 2009

Fix for Diplomat Fridge/Freezer APM6855

Fridge does not cool - goes to H

Pull out bottom drawer of freezer - check at bottom/back for ice build up. If you have a small avalanche of clear ice forming here then the problem is that the defrost water is not draining out of the freezer compartment. The solid ice has blocked the air flow to the fridge compartment. Defrosting alone is not the answer as it will occur again.
The unit will have to be pulled out of the cabinet. Disconnect power for safety. Two pairs of hands are required to pull it out safely - protect your floor if it is vulnerable.
At the back, on top of the compressor, is a plastic evaporator tray. If this is bone dry we are on the right track. You'll see a short drain pipe where the defrost water leaves the freezer compartment. It has a small black rubber teat valve. This is the likely cause of your problem. Deposits form in the valve and prevent it opening easily. Pull off the valve and clean it thoroughly. I pushed a small cable tie through it to encourage water through. Refit valve.
The unit must be thoroughly defrosted before restarting. Melting ice water will probably over fill the evaporator tray.
You can remove the two back panels in the freezer if you want to be sure all the ice and water has gone - but beware you ensure the fan sits properly in place when you put it back. Spin the blades to ensure free movement.

bobsyeruncle, December 2008

we got the same problem now.been like it since we bought it.we have had it over 12 months now so now we got to pay for the repair bills.never buy one of these again

jason, November 2008

We've also had the same problem and have 3 times rapidly de-frosted the freezer panel (which was totally iced up) only to find that the problem returns within a matter of weeks. Having spoken to an independent repair specialist, we understand that the problem lies with faulty thermistors in the PCB - not a cheap job to rectify. So the appliance is soon to hit the recylcing depot once the non-MFI replacement has been delivered.

Doug, September 2008

We have had the same thing - its a common fault - we should not have been sold these appliances - dont know about you but mine was £ 500 two years ago and now weekly it goes on the blink. It was bought from MFI!!

We all need to band together and those who bought from MFI or Howdens do what I ahve and compalin that these items should have been recalled - not sold on when they MUST have known there was a common fault.

Suzanne Wightman, September 2008

Hi, I had exactly the same problem after 18 months. I have searched several Forums for an answer to this problem and have discovered the following - This is a common problem with this product. The Heat Exchanger ice's over and although this can be defrosted, the problem generally returns 4 to 5 weeks later. My suggestion would be to purchase a different Fridge/Freezer, I certainly will not be buying Diplomat again. Sorry for the negative feedback, I have approached several leading outlets and asked them why they are selling an inferior product that obviously has a design problem.

A Scott, May 2008

hi. If in doubt, call the helpline, it shouldn't keep going to h. This means it's too warm. We've had a Diplomat fridge for about a year and a half and it's just done the same thing. I noticed the fridge was warm and there was a h on the display, which means that the temperature is over 9 degrees, which it shouldn't be. We've turned the whole thing off, defrosted the freezer part and have now restarted it. So far so good, the fridge seems very chilled. We're checking it in the morning. We're hoping maybe some ice got stuck somewhere and was overworking it.

Jayne, February 2008