Hotpoint Freezer HF 1801 evaporator fan noise

[Max105]

My Hotpoint HF1801 tall freezer has started making a noise right at the top of the freezer like fan blades hitting something. Just below the main control panel at the top of the freezer I can see a white plastic grill with some iced up pipes behind it. My guess is this is the evaporator and maybe in there is the evaporator fan? I also guess maybe it should not be iced up?

At any rate, the noise is from in there and can be heard "running down" when de-powering. I wonder if possibly some fan blades are hitting the ice accumulation?

Anyone know how to access the fan in this model and see what is going on or what might be the issue? Is ice in that compartment behind the fixed grill normal for example?

Thanks for looking.

 

[JohnD]

Give it a manual defrost.

See below "related threads"

 

[Max105]

Many thanks JohnD. I did a search but obviously had not brought up the right threads, so some handy links from you.

Think combination of the very humid hot weather and my dear daughter leaving the door open for while she uses something from the freezer might have exacerbated the issue. I turned it off for several hours, and now back on again. The evaporator looks wet rather than frosted and the noise is totally gone. If the issue comes back I will give it the full defrost, but not easy at the moment in the current high summer temperatures (to keep the food frozen!).

Out of interest, one of the threads says: "I spoke to Hotpoint and he said......... frost free freezers should be defrosted once a year."

My instruction manual says: "It is not necessary to carry out any defrosting operations for the no frost models because it happens automatically."

Seems they need to change advice in their own user manuals!

 

[Ronancolin]

Ours had a software update and is now ok.
We had to empty it and turn it off for 3 days to ensure it was fully defrosted.
All the food was spoiled anyway as it had gone up above zero C.