Reading an Asko manual or talking with a technician means running into a handful of terms that are not always self-explanatory, and this asko refrigeration glossary collects the ones that come up most often when a refrigerator, freezer, or microwave needs attention.
Refrigeration terms
No-Frost / RFN prefix – Asko’s automated defrost system, seen in the “N” of model numbers like RFN2826S, that circulates cold air past a hidden evaporator and melts accumulated frost automatically on a schedule, so ice never builds up on food or shelving under normal operation.
Sealed system – the closed refrigerant loop of compressor, condenser, evaporator, and connecting lines that actually produces the cooling effect. Repairs touching this loop legally require a technician certified under EPA Section 608.
Plinth – the low panel directly beneath a built-in appliance, at kick-toe height, which on an integrated refrigerator usually carries the ventilation grille the compressor needs to reject heat.
Symbol / warning indicator – a visual alarm icon, such as the “Symbol D” temperature alarm documented on the RFN31831EI, that flags a general condition like rising interior temperature. Asko does not publish a table decoding refrigeration or freezer indicators into more specific numbered meanings the way some appliance categories use error codes.
Combined fridge-freezer – a single appliance body, such as the RFN2826S or RWFN2826S, that holds two compartments at different target temperatures using one shared compressor and refrigerant circuit rather than two separate systems.
Microwave terms
OM – Asko’s built-in microwave-only line, with no convection or steam function.
OCM – a built-in combi unit combining microwave energy with a true convection oven function in the same cavity, such as the OCM64BSH or OCM8478G.
OCSM – a “5-in-1” built-in unit adding steam cooking to the microwave and convection functions found in an OCM.
Waveguide cover – the small mica or fibreglass panel protecting the opening where microwave energy enters the cavity from the magnetron, requiring gentle cleaning rather than scraping.
Door interlock switch – a safety component that confirms the door is fully closed before the appliance is allowed to generate microwave energy; usually more than one is fitted for redundancy.
High-voltage capacitor – an internal component that can hold a dangerous electrical charge even after the unit is fully unplugged, which is why microwave repair is never a DIY job.
Shared terms across both categories
Art. No. (Article Number) – the specific parts-catalog identifier printed alongside the Model and Serial number on the rating plate, and the field parts suppliers actually use to guarantee an exact-fit replacement part.
EPA Section 608 – the federal certification legally required to handle refrigerant, relevant to any refrigerator or freezer sealed-system repair.
Terms this asko refrigeration glossary deliberately leaves out
You will notice this asko refrigeration glossary does not include an error-code decode table for refrigerators, freezers, or microwaves – that omission is intentional, since Asko does not publish one for these three categories, and listing invented meanings would be actively misleading rather than helpful. Where a term relates to a genuinely coded system, such as dishwasher or washer error codes, that content lives in our appliance-specific error-code pages rather than in this general glossary.
How this asko refrigeration glossary is kept current
As Asko updates its product lines and as new model families are confirmed through primary manuals and official regional sites, terms in this asko refrigeration glossary are reviewed and updated to keep pace, rather than left static once published. If a term you encounter in an Asko manual or on a control panel is not covered here, it is worth checking directly with a technician during a visit rather than assuming an unlisted term must be invented or unimportant – it may simply be one this glossary has not yet been expanded to include.
Why some terms appear only in European documentation
Because Asko refrigeration and microwave models sold in the US market are limited, some of the terms in this glossary come from European or Australian manuals rather than a US-market document, which is worth knowing if you search for a term and only find it referenced on a regional Asko site rather than us.asko.com directly – that does not make the term any less real, just reflective of where the product itself is actively sold.
Putting these terms to use
If a term in this asko refrigeration glossary came up during a problem you are troubleshooting, our related guides go deeper on each one – see No-Frost refrigeration explained or built-in microwave types. Our experienced, independent technicians are happy to explain any of these terms in more detail during a visit. Browse our full guide library or book a visit at /schedule/. Asko’s own product documentation is at us.asko.com.
