Kenmore 106 51133 210 freezer not cooling ice maker not working continuous humming noise — freezer door left open for 4 6 hours

Use only checks that match the exact appliance or system and its official guide.

1. Check 1

   Close the freezer door and keep it closed except for one brief observation. Note whether packages still contain ice crystals, are hard-frozen, soft, or fully thawed, and record the freezer temperature with a suitable thermometer if one is already available. Do not rely on smell or appearance alone to clear thawed food.

   Expected result: Food remains hard or icy, is partly soft, or is fully thawed and warm; the measured temperature is known or unavailable.

   Next step: Keep the door closed and move questionable food to a safe alternate freezer or apply current food-safety guidance. Treat the appliance diagnosis as a separate decision.

   Why this matters

   Why: The 4–6 hour opening is both a possible recovery cause and a food-safety event. Door openings add heat and make later temperature checks less reliable, while a later repair cannot make unsafe food safe.

2. Check 2

   From outside the cabinet, confirm the interior light or display has power and verify the temperature controls are not Off or set unusually warm. Check the receptacle and breaker only from a dry, safe position; do not keep resetting a breaker that trips again.

   Expected result: There is no power indication, the control is Off or warm, power is normal, or the breaker trips again.

   Next step: Correct only an obvious control setting if the manual permits it. If power cannot be restored safely or a breaker trips again, stop and use an electrician or qualified appliance technician.

   Why this matters

   Why: No cooling can occur without power and an active cooling control. A repeated electrical trip is evidence of a fault, not a successful reset.

3. Check 3

   With the door closed, inspect the accessible gasket contact area, door edges, and visible interior vents during the one brief opening. Move only a package that prevents closure, and do not scrape ice, pierce the liner, remove an interior panel, or use a flame, heat gun, or other high-heat source to defrost.

   Expected result: The gasket has a visible gap or obstruction, packages block vents, the rear wall or vent is heavily frosted, or these areas look clear.

   Next step: Remove only the external obstruction and close the door. If frost blocks airflow or returns after a safe manual defrost procedure stated for this exact model, arrange service rather than repeatedly defrosting or opening panels.

   Why this matters

   Why: A door left open admits humid air and can create frost; a poor seal or blocked vent can continue the same problem after the door is closed. Frost is a clue to restricted airflow or moisture entry, not proof of a particular defrost part.

4. Check 4

   Listen from outside the closed refrigerator during a normal cooling attempt and write down whether the sound is a steady hum, an intermittent brief buzz, a gurgle, or repeated click-then-stop. Do not touch a fan, remove a guard, place a hand on hot components, or cycle power just to reproduce the sound.

   Expected result: The hum is steady while temperature trends colder, the sound occurs briefly when the ice maker fills, refrigerant-like gurgling occurs, or repeated clicking is followed by silence and persistent warmth.

   Next step: Use the temperature trend and frost pattern, not sound alone, to decide whether recovery is occurring. If the freezer stays warm or the compressor repeatedly clicks or overheats, stop restarts and arrange qualified service.

   Why this matters

   Why: Fans, a compressor, refrigerant flow, defrost water, and the ice-maker water valve can all make normal sounds. A continuous hum can mean the unit is working hard after the open-door event, but it cannot establish that cooling is successful; repeated click-stop behavior or unusual heat is more concerning.

5. Check 5

   Once the freezer has been closed and the appliance is safe to observe, check only the ice maker's visible on/off control, the accessible water shutoff valve, and the visible water line for a closed valve or kink. Do not force an ejector arm, reach into moving parts, remove a filter housing, or run an ice-maker test sequence without the exact manual.

   Expected result: The ice maker is off, the water valve is closed, the line is visibly kinked, the filter was recently disturbed, or the ice maker is on with a normal visible water path.

   Next step: Correct only an obvious safe external valve or control setting and allow the freezer to stabilize. If the freezer reaches its normal temperature but ice production does not return, use the exact Kenmore manual or arrange service rather than guessing an inlet valve or ice-maker part.

   Why this matters

   Why: Ice production depends on freezer temperature as well as the ice-maker control and water path. A long-open door can delay ice production during recovery; a brief buzz can also be the water valve trying to fill, especially when supply is restricted or absent.

6. Check 6

   Record the exact Kenmore model, measured temperatures and times, food state, door-seal and frost observations, sound pattern, ice-maker setting, and whether the hum changes as the cabinet cools. Keep the refrigerator accessible for a technician without removing covers or attempting sealed-system tests.

   Expected result: The freezer remains warm after safe external checks, cooling is uneven, frost returns, the interior fan is absent or scraping, the compressor repeatedly clicks, or an electrical odor or hot surface appears.

   Next step: Arrange qualified appliance service. Do not order a gasket, fan, start device, compressor, or other part from the symptom alone, and do not open the sealed system.

   Why this matters

   Why: The remaining possibilities include airflow, defrost, fan, start, compressor, control, or sealed-refrigeration issues. These cannot be distinguished reliably from the sound or from a generic 106-series description alone.