Samsung Refrigerator 22E Error: Ice on the Fan, and How to Clear It

22E usually shows up after a few days of clicking or scraping from the back of the fridge, and food that is not as cold as it should be. The code means the fridge's evaporator fan, the one that blows cold air through the fresh food section, is not turning as it should.

In most cases the fan is fine and ice is holding it: frost builds up behind the rear panel until the blades hit it. The fix is a proper defrost. If there is no ice and the fan still does not turn, the motor may have failed. The freezer has its own fan code, 21E, which is handled the same way. For warm-fridge problems in general, see fridge not cooling.

Start With These 30-Second Checks

1. 1Listen at the back of the fresh food section. Clicking or scraping that gets louder over several days is fan blades hitting ice.
2. 2Look at the rear wall and the air vents. A white frost patch, or ice around the vents, confirms it.
3. 3Check that food is not pushed against the rear vents and that both doors close fully. Warm, moist air getting in feeds the ice.
4. 4Put a thermometer in the fridge. Above 40°F (4°C) means food safety matters now, so read the warning below before anything else.

1. Do a Full Manual Defrost

This clears most 22E codes. It takes time, not skill.

1. 1Move all the food into coolers with ice or freezer packs, the freezer's contents too, because the whole fridge will be off. Check the coolers with a thermometer during the day and top up the ice.
2. 2Unplug the refrigerator, or turn off its breaker if you cannot reach the plug.
3. 3Leave both doors open and lay thick towels on the floor and in the bottom of the fresh food section to catch the meltwater.
4. 4Wait. A light frost melts in a few hours, but ice thick enough to stop the fan sits behind the rear panel where you cannot see it, so allow up to a full day.
5. 5Wring out the towels, wipe the compartments dry and close the doors, then plug the fridge back in and give it several hours to cool before you reload the food. If you smell burning or hear buzzing, unplug it again and call a technician.

2. Clear the Vents and Check the Door Seals

Ice builds up faster when warm, humid air keeps getting in. Skip this, and the defrost only buys you a few weeks.

1. 1Keep a hand's width of space in front of the air vents on the rear wall; do not push containers against them.
2. 2Close each door on a strip of paper and pull it out. If it slides out with no resistance, that stretch of seal is not sealing.
3. 3Clean the seals with warm soapy water and dry them. A sticky seal that folds over lets air in.
4. 4Make sure nothing on a shelf stops a door from closing fully.

3. Restart the Fridge and Watch the Code

Once the ice is gone, the fan should turn freely again. On most models the 22E code clears by itself after the fridge has been unplugged and restarted.

1. 1Plug the fridge back in and listen: you should hear the fan running in the fresh food section soon after the compressor starts. If you smell burning or hear buzzing instead, unplug it again and call a technician.
2. 2If the code is still showing, check your manual for how your model clears error codes; the method differs between Samsung ranges.
3. 3Give it a full day and check the temperature with a thermometer before you trust it with food again.
4. 4Listen for the clicking over the next weeks. It is the earliest sign that the ice is coming back.

4. When the Ice Keeps Coming Back: the Defrost System

If 22E and the clicking return within days or weeks, the fridge is not defrosting itself as it should. That is a fault in the defrost heater, its sensor or the control board, not in the fan.

1. 1Note how long the code stayed away after the manual defrost. Days to a few weeks points to the defrost system.
2. 2Look for water pooling under the crisper drawers, a sign that the defrost drain is blocked too. See fridge leaking water.
3. 3Book a technician for the defrost heater, sensor or board. They sit behind panels, next to live wiring and the evaporator; a repair typically runs around $150 to $350 with labour.
4. 4Until then, a manual defrost each time the clicking starts keeps the fridge usable.

5. When the Fan Motor Itself Has Failed

If there was no ice around the fan and it still does not turn, the motor may have failed.

1. 1Leave this to a technician, who unplugs the fridge and removes the rear panel of the fresh food section to reach the fan.
2. 2With the fridge unplugged, the technician checks whether the blades turn freely by hand. If they do and the motor still does not run, the motor or its wiring has failed.
3. 3A replacement fan motor typically costs roughly $30 to $90; with labour, expect around $150 to $300.
4. 4On an older fridge, weigh that repair against its age before you book it.

6. When to Call a Pro

Call a technician if any of these apply.

1. 122E comes back within a few weeks of a full manual defrost.
2. 2You smell burning or hear buzzing from the back after the defrost. Unplug the fridge and leave it unplugged.
3. 3The fridge still does not cool after a full day, even with the fan running.
4. 4The fridge is under warranty. A defrost is fine, but opening panels can void it.