Samsung FDBM evap heater add
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 29 ก.พ. 2020
- This video is meant for professional appliance technicians.
Supco heaters - 120 VAC ONLY! 15 watt heaters:
www.amazon.com/Supco-SH502-Dr...
www.amazon.com/Supco-SH201-Br...
Zip Ties, (220 degree F):
www.anixter.com/en_us/product...
www.amazon.com/Cable-Nylon-Lo...
Silicone Grease:
Samsung Drain Kit:
partsdr.com/part/da82-01415a-...
Displacement Connectors:
www.zoro.com/3m-displacement-...
Thanks so much for this solution. I was getting tired of manually defrosting the fridge every 2 months to get rid of ice buildup and noisy evaporator fan that was hitting the ice. I almost ordered a new fridge then saw your video. I ordered from Amazon Canada the Supco series sh201 15 watts braided aluminum heater because it was longer & covered all the unheated coils at the top. I also ordered from Amazon the high temp zip ties. I has been over 5 months now of trouble free operation. Thanks again.
You are the man! I have been frustrated with my fridge since it started acting up in the first year of having it, have had a few appliance techs out to check it out since it's been under warranty, but nobody could provide a long term fix.
I did this and have had a normal fridge for months now, I am so grateful to you that I cant even really put it into words. I feel like a 6 year stress has been lifted, thank you again!
Thank you for posting this excellent info...it was exactly the problem in our Samsung and after 4 weeks since doing the new heater wire, no problems with the freezing fan so far. Much appreciated.
Just finished installing the supplemental heater per your video. Install went smooth. Tested the new defrost heater and it definitely got warm. Thanks for help!
My fridge is still kicking ass ever since I did what this guy is showing you. Listen to him he knows his shit. Thanks again and keep up the great work.
How long has its been working?
Those iced over coils look exactly like what we just found when we took off the back panel. While defrosting, found out the drain was frozen too. Thanks for the information, going to try fixing this week.
Very nice and detailed install with a good close-up shot. Installed today and tested to see if it warms, which it does. Hoping my sensor is still working and ordered one to replace it incase. Nothing but problems and icing over my fan area.
I've been fighting this stupid problem in my fridge for over a year now. I ordered the SUP201 (all I could find). Thanks so much for posting this! I look forward to trying it!
Work for you or not? Didn't solve the problem for me.
My fridge would not get as cold as I wanted it too but my freezer would I bought everything shown on this video and my god it’s working like a charm. Thanks for the video my guy! You saved me a good amount of cash. When I removed the panel there was ice everywhere including inside the fan..
This is a clever and sensible solution to the frost issue. Your installation process, workmanship and guide all very well done. In my opinion the best video on YT to address the Samsung icing with a viable solution. I'll be doing today to my RF23HCED. Thanks very much
Thanks for the steps and links! Did this and so far it’s been two months it’s would freeze every 30 days. Hopefully it stays working.
Just ordered the parts. Thanks. This problem has been plaguing me for years. Tried the drain wire fix. tried insulating the upper coolant line. Nothing worked. This looks promising. I'm going to secure the heater with some 14ga copper wire instead of zip ties, based on the comments about burning smells.
If you get high-heat zip ties, it's no issue. At 160 degrees, you won't have any burning smells. If someone uses the incorrect wattage heater, I could see that causing smells.
I want to thank you also for a great video and great idea. This solved my problem .3 months and going strong. I must have torn my fridge apart 4 times in under a month and replaced everything that they say might be causing the problem and nothing worked. i was still getting ice build up on evaporator fan. Driving me crazy and ready to give up on Samsung but Thanks to you its working fantastic. I appreciate you posting your ideas to help people out and saving them money. Keep up the good work and happy holidays my friend.
Glad it worked for you, I have gone back on one's I had put in after a couple of years and found no abnormal frost build up. It took a lot of time and effort to come up with the solution because you have to understand the system first, then the flaw in design to come up with a working solution. Cheers.
@@electronicsprojects4708 Nice video. What do you think about wrapping the 502 using 14 ga copper wire instead of ties?
@@chilitoday as long as it's insulated and snug fit, I don't see a problem, you can also wrap the heater like a snake around the suction line, this was a mod suggested by another tech to save zip ties.
So far so good for me. One exception is i used sh201 and when I attached heater i put it to close to the thermistor. Had a call back on that one. Otherwise Ive done a half dozen others will great results to date. Thanks for the tip Mike.
What are the symptoms seen when the thermistor is too close to the new heater? How far away does it need to be?
Your procedure to repair this annoying, stressful and time-consuming problem is ingenious. This will save folks a lot of stress and money, including myself, since I was about to get rid of my Samsung refrigerator and replace with a GE. Your instructions while demonstrating the procedure was excellent. I followed it to the T but I still had a problem. The heater was not getting hot after I turned back on the fridge after the installation. The only thing that I did differently was use the red wire splice (11-18 GA AWG) instead of the blue splice (18-14 GA AWG). I acquired these from Harbor Frieght. The problem I had with the blue splices was that after crimping with the pliers, the heater wire kept falling out of the splice. When I switched to the red splices, the splice trapped the wire and, even when I tugged on it, it never came out. My question: Is there a problem using the red splice since you used the blue splice and the installation worked fine?
different companies make different connectors, so one may work for me and not you even with same color. Use the one that when you pull on the wire, it won't get dislodged. The defrost won't kick on if the evaporator is too warm, sensed by the defrost sensor on the right. You may have to either freeze spray it, or just use the fridge and if it fails again, address it at that time. This video is meant for techs that have done the necessary troubleshooting already to confirm all other standard repairs are not necessary and this re-engineering is a last resort to the frost build up.
Ok, so I just ordered all the parts...wish me luck! Thank you so much! I appreciate your time and knowledge.
How did it go? I have the same issue
@Sid Bharij it went well. I had no problems installing it. So far, it is good, but time will tell if I get ice build up again. I did everything exactly how it was explained in this video. I will have to wait at least 3-4 months to see if I hear the fan clanging again the ice. If I get any ice build up at all. I have my fingers crossed...
@@e.shealer2417 any update?
@@lewisvilleclemmons I'm sry to say, but no. I have resorted to hitting the Forced Defrost button every month.
@@lewisvilleclemmons oh,Im sry, I do have problems, I thought u were asking about another part I installed. I did have the ice come back after about 3 months then I install the part for the drainage hole, but it makes no difference. Samsung sold all of us a fridge which they knew was poorly designed... I think a class action law suit should be taken up.
This video will make me a super hero! Can't wait. Thanks for posting
lol
Great video, permanent fix! Installed this a year ago. No more icing issue. Problem solved. Thank you!
thanks, that should solve my final problem. I found that the foam across from the evaporator gets water logged, freezes and stops the defrost process. when the foam get water logged again after a replacement, it goes back to freezing up. I ran it for over a year with no problems by removing the foam and just having the aluminum plate bare. but still got freeze up in the top. thank you for posting this fix.
Very good video, thanks a lot!
I have that problem in my samsung fridge so I willl tray this myself!
Thanks so much again!
Thanks for the information. I just followed your process today on my RF323TEDSBR after once again hearing the fan thumping due to ice build up. I last had to open it up and melt ice buildup on March 28th 2021, then before that on Sept 6th, 2020. We'll see how it goes!
Hi, any luck with this?
So, How it's going?
How'd it go?
Well, a month ago everything was frozen up again. Adding the new heating element helped with a quicker forced defrost but for me did not stop the main problem. I may get around this by periodically forcing a defrost cycle.
@@mikemartin347 could it be an issue with the thermistor where it is not turning on the heating element?
Would you share the code sequence to force the defrost cycle and test it while the cover is off?
Very Nice of you to post this Sir , Thank You
Just going to drop this in here even though it'll get lost in the comments. This video was posted for refrigerators that run on 120v. If you live in Australia, the UK, or anyplace else that uses 220/240v, you will need a different heater rated for that voltage and 15w. If you run the 120VAC heaters on 240v, you'll be twice as hot as it should be and cause overheating issues.
This video is fantastic, ordered the parts and can't wait to get my fridge fixed once and for all.
thanks, I had added the 120 vac only to my video description above the links for the parts.
Thanks! It wold be great with a link to an equivalent 220v cable. I have looked around, but no luck!
Did you have a link to the zip ties you use?
Thank you. Very helpfull proffessional video. Straight to the point.
Thank you sir your tuition was helpful
Silicone grease also used for automotive light bulbs so check your local automotive parts store as a source as well. 👍
Great Job. Note from this electrical engineer: Mr. (Electronics project) in this video is basically adding a second heater in PARALLEL to the exisiting one. As an engineering rule, the added heater MUST match the voltage of the exisiting one. Two elements in parallel must have the same voltage. So make sure of that just in case some of you MAY choose another heater for whatever reason! be careful there
voltage and wattage must be correct, I had a cowboy tech add a different part number heater with higher wattage that got too hot and deformed the cover. only use part numbers listed in 'description' bellow.
@@electronicsprojects4708 I fixed my fridge using your video and ordered the same parts but after installation I got burnt smell, reopened the fridge the next day and zip ties were burnt/melt where in touch with new heating element.Fridge is working perfectly fine, no more ice buildup, it’s just the burnt smell that worries me although fridge cover and back have not been affected by the heat
@@belverde1 what was the brand and part number off the bag that you used, sounds like the wrong wattage heater. If you threw out the bag, you can also get it off of the receipt from where you bought it from. Please don't assume, double check, as having the right part number is critical. You can also test the temperature of the heater, when it's on after about 5 minutes (with the cover off) it should be 160 - 180 degrees. Not hot enough to melt the zip ties. I have done many of these and other techs I know, and there has only been one time that I heard a complaint about burning, that was when the tech used a different heater part number than the one I recommended. You may also have gotten the wrong heater in the right packaging, so taking it apart to test the temperature is important regardless. Keep me updated.
@@electronicsprojects4708 Thanks for your reply. Unfortunately I do not have the package. I got the heater from Amazon Supco SH502. I live in Australia, would the fridge wattage/voltage be the same?
Supco SH502 Drain Heater | B004XS12XO that’s on the Amazon invoice
How many zip ties come in one pack? Thanks Mike!
Do you find that the rd defrost mode is helpful for a RF261 fridge with ice buildup behind the panel in the fridge?
Wish you would show zoomed in pic of which wire (color) you are splicing onto, or state it in video
Brown
Would this work on a Samsung RF26HFENDSR/AA? I purchased the Samsung Drain Kit and applied it. The fridge still freezes but there is no icing on the vent ports. It freezes in the middle and toward the bottom of the panel.
How much did that cost you?
I did this fix mid March 2021 after trying other fixes such as moving the sensor to other pies ect. but felt it was worth reporting that it has not frozen up again up to this point mid may (2 months). I have a blue tooth temp sensor in the fridge and the temp fluctuations are acceptable and consistent. The last time I defrosted with out adding this heater fix, it didn't last a month before freezing up again. I have not taken apart the fridge again just to check the build up as there is such a bad history when I take off the back panel but would love to check what is actually happening back there but I don't want to rock the boat. If I do I will report back. Thanks for the video! Really appreciate it!
Edit, end of june 2021 - still no issues after performing this fix!
Edit - Jan 2022 the fan just started to click again and ice is visible through the center set of holes at the back. I will tear apart one of these days and make sure I have my heat line in the correct spot. I can observe ice and where it is not melting. It's been just about 1 year so this is great!
Edit - end of Jan 2022. FORCED DEFROST IS ALL I NEED TO SAY. So instead of tearing apart the fridge again I used the forced defrost feature for 20 or so minutes and then unplugged the fridge to stop the process. Plugged it back in after a min or so. There was no visible difference right away on the ice coming through the center holes. But over the next few days that ice slowly started to look different and looked smaller and looked as if it was melting. So I ran forced defrost again for 20 min. And today the ice that was coming through the middle sets of holes is nearly gone! Super happy! My theory is that the frost found a small area that is not heated enough or for enough time to melt it all away and that frost area was able to "crawl" around the new heating line and keep building up on it self making its way to where the holes are and apart to show it self. With a forced defrost cycle or 2 it broke the frost building snake and has melted away! I will just use the fd feature once a month ti stay on top of it. Here's to a great fix and another few years with this really badly made samsung fridge. I'll keep you all posted as I know how annoying this fridge is to everyone.
I went back out on one after 2 years, and found no frost build up. If you do this repair correctly, there shouldn't be any problems.
What was your symptom of the freezing problem? Was ice building up in the ice maker compartment as the overage from the ice tray couldn’t drain out properly?
@@stephenkusen8730 this repair is not for the icemaker issue. it's for frost build up in the evaporator fan area in the fresh food, the frost causes the fan to stop and warm up the compartment.
@@electronicsprojects4708 I followed your repair to a tee and while it worked briefly it began freezing up again.
@@stephenkusen8730 no it was not cooling in the fridge area. The fan would start to click because it was hitting frost build up and then the fridge wouldn't cool
Hi great video , was wondering does the secondary heater work with RF268ABRS Samsung Fridge? After opening the panel , it doesn’t seem to have the connectors on the right side as shown on your video.
if you don't see a 2nd loop (freon line) as in my video, (top right copper tube) then you have other issues. I have not needed to put the heater in one of those. I recommend calling a pro tech that can diagnose it in person that knows these Samsung refrigerators.
Hello any advice for the flex zone keep frozen the food ? Thank you
Thank you for this video. I have a temperature sensor on order as mine is bad. I'm hopeful that this will be the fix for my icing up issue behind the Twin Cooling cover in my Samsung refrigerator. I measured the temperature of the existing heater coil with a multi purpose meter and it measured 133 degrees. Is that a sufficient temperature or correct temperature for the coil? Your added heater measures approx. 30 degrees higher.
I would recommend calling a technician to do proper testing. The video is made for technicians and is not a comprehensive how to fix a frost up issue on a Samsung refrigerator. It's a video demonstrating the installation of a heater when all the normal fixes don't work because of Samsung's poor engineering.
So how long should this model last? We've had ours for 12 years and the problem with the ice build up under the drawer is just starting. Should I buy a new Fridge or try the fix in the video?
I just ordered the sh 201 for a unit I'm working on, and I'm wondering why Supco says the heater cannot be cut or spliced in any way?
You can't cut the heater or splice it. But the lead wires can certainly be cut. Supco assumes you know the difference between the heater and the lead wires.
Hi thanks for the awesome video! I recently tried this fix on my fridge, seems to be ok so far. I checked the back panel near the top and it appears warm at times and the top vent holes let out a small amount of heat, is this normal and expected?
will only let out heat when in defrost mode, not when its cooling. Defrost usually lasts for up to 25 minutes, and it happens about twice a day. If you used the SH201 or SH502 heater, then it only gets up to 160 degrees, which is a safe temperature for the back panel.
Every time it heats up all I can smell is burnt plastic. I have taken the cover off and it's burnt the plastic around the fan and the foam on the back of the cover. What do yo8 recommend for this?
Question Sr., Could I use any other sylicone grease? cause that one I can't get it as soon as I need it
yes, as long as it is rated for cold temps. you can look up the data sheet online.
Thank you...!!!
Great repair video. Would the the SH502 work for a RF18HFENBSR?
Yes, but typically I find it's the ones that have the second suction line loop that the heater is tied to that cause the problems. If the drain is clogged, and the evaporator drain pan has solid ice in it, then there is a mod kit for that and that has to be cleared for the frost not to build up again. Also the ff door mullion flipper needs to be operating correctly, or it can let air in the ff compartment, causing excess frost build up.
do you think the SUPCO SH540 Drain heater (25 watt) would be too much for my Samsung Fridge RF26J7500SR/AA. ? I like this heater as it is longer than the SH502 heater.
I have had success with SH502, you can cut the heat shrink off of it to double its length. Or buy the SH201. If it gets too hot, it can cause damage to the cover or liner, I have tried hotter heaters as the SH201 and SH502 have worked just fine for me.
@@electronicsprojects4708 Ok, thanks.
What if the defrost heater is not functioning? Will this added Supco heater still fix the issue? I saw in other video that you should check resistance and make sure the heating element is not burned out. Thanks
If the only frost you have built up is at the very top, the defrost is not the problem. If you have frost top to bottom on the evaporator, the defrost circuit needs to be diagnosed. That would be an unrelated failure.
So where did you put the thermister after you finished adding the Supco heater?
I do not move it from its original location. No issues.
Hi.Great video man.A perfect solution to the eternal problem with defrost. And why did not Samsung do that? Can't or doesn't want to? And another question interests me ... how many watts in power does this heater have? Can the relay withstand the extra load? But anyway...Thank you so much !
Thanks, Ivan, 15 watt heater, the lower defrost heater is around 100 watts, so that totals 115 watts, lowest relay I have seen on these is 3 amps @ 250vac, so that is 750 watts, plenty of headroom.
@Electronics Projects In the video you mention that this is not a solution to the freezing drain problem. Have you found any long-term solutions to the drain problem yet? How do you resolve those? People report that the revised (longer) OEM drain heater probe doesn't resolve the issue. Could a 2nd SUPCO heater be fed down into the drain line? Any other solutions that work?
Samsung drain kit works for me. Also, check the mullion flapper that it is not staying open, that will cause excessive frost. Make sure that not only the back cover slits and condenser, but the base and front of the condenser is vacuumed out.
My Samsung French door never froze around the fan but the drain hole was freezing. I bought the revised (longer) OEM drain heater probe and drain still froze. Together with the heater Probe I added a 10 inch long copper wire, wrapped around the heater element a couple of times and feed it through the drain hole for about 7 in. also lowered the heating element down slightly closer to the drain hole. It has been about a year and no more ice buildup. It took 2 full days to melt the ice in the drain where i could feed a thick trimmer line all the way from the drain hole to the container back behind the fridge on the bottom. Vacuumed and cleaned the cores, cleaned both drain tubes as well.
Thanks for the video, anyway to put in the description which wires you connect to? They look like the brown ones? Also how do we test it to make sure it’s working and connected right?
Not all wire colors are the same for different models, check the schematic. To test, put it in diagnostics mode to defrost after you instal the heater. It should be hot to touch after a few minutes, can't keep your finger on it for more than a second. It's about 160 - 170 degrees.
obiously the two wires that the original heater is connected to. just follow the heater, it has a wire coming out on both sides. another way to test is to jump the defrost thermostat and that will trigger heating
Hey, good video. My question is, can the defrost cycle be changed to run longer so as to prevent the buildup? This will of course make the fridge somewhat less “energy efficient” but it would be worth it to keep the thing going. Yes, I have added the sh502. Samsung makes decent TVs but they gooched this baby.
some you can, some you can't. Samsung's 'Enhanced Defrost Function' is engaged (if possible) by this procedure: [assuming your model has on the display, 6 buttons, 3 on left, 3 on right]
-Press and hold middle left button and upper right button for 17 seconds until you hear a beep, display will change to ' 0 - 0 '
-Press middle right button incrementally until you reach option '17' on display. (There are many options you can change, and it will skip some numbers, this is normal) If it skips '17' as if it's not there, the info I have does not pertain to your model and I would have no other solution for you. If '17' is accessible,
-press middle left button until display number changes to '1'.
-wait 5 seconds until display returns to temperature setting
-reset fridge by unplugging for a minute and plugging back in.
-if successful, you will be able to go back into the options settings and if you go back to option '17', you will see it will already be on '1'.
-that's all the info I have on this.
@@electronicsprojects4708 Thank for reply. Btw instead of ties I used 12ga copper wire to coil around the heater and copper lines, loosely wrapping the entire right side loop helping the heat transfer get to all of the top area piping.
@electronicsprojects4708 can I use 2 extra heaters, i see it's not defrosting in the middle too, so i thought to put 1 at the top and 1 in the middle
If the fridge is not defrosting at all, you have a different issue. I recommend calling a technician to troubleshoot the problem.
@@electronicsprojects4708 it’s defrosting just lower part. Half of the coil.
I have never had to use 2 extra heaters. What I have seen is the upper area where the fan is, above the evaporator gets frosted up. If half the evaporator is frosted up in your case, then you could have an issue where the heater is cutting off early, possible due to a bad defrost sensor, or the new added heater is right next to the defrost sensor, causing an improper read by the board of the evaporator temperature.
What if you just insulated the same little section of copper tubing that you attached the new heater to? Souldn't that also stop the ice build up??? HD sells 1/8" insulation tape made for refrigerant lines...
give it a go
Hi about to try this fix on my samsung. I am in Australia which uses 240V, hopefully supco provides 240V version. Just with the cable tie, do I need to look for specific high heat resistance cables? or any standard ones would work? Thanks
Find a heater that's 15 Watts and gets to 160 or 170 degrees F. You can search for high heat zip ties, you can also just tie the ends and wrap it around the suction tube like a snake, if you are concerned for heat.
@@electronicsprojects4708 Thanks for the advise, i managed to find a 15 watts heater from supco at 240v
Will be trying this omg wish me luck
I am wondering what part I would use on my Samsung fridge in Australia, ours run on 240V.. any ideas…? Mine is an SRF752DSS
I am not familiar with 240v drain heaters, where you could get them. I assume you can, since they are very common in commercial applications. You want a 15 watt heater, should get to 160 or 170 degrees F.
thank you
I'm having this same issue both the drain and fan are freezing over.
It happens about every 2-3months. I have a Samshng Model RS2544SL.
I checked everything. Everything else on the fridge is good. I will be adding the drain kit. Which my fridge does not have at all. My question is this my model fridge also looks different once I open the back of the inside of the fridge. Will this work for my model fridge and if so where exactly is best to install it?
I have not had to instal the heater on a side by side Samsung. On those, I find the drain gets clogged and I do use the Samsung drain kit, very common. Also, clean out the condenser compartment, (including all vents inside and underneath) That makes the fridge more efficient and less prone to frost up again. You want to make sure that once you defrost the drain, you can power a glass of water in the pan and it flows all the way through the drain with no problem. I also widen the hole in the drain pan for the drain. It has a metal grid I don't like. I just make it into a round hole like a normal pan from other manufacturers. I use needle nose pliers for that. Make sure you clear ALL the frost from the cover (taking the fan housing apart to do so) and especially the top of the evaporator around the fan area. Easiest if you just unplug and let it defrost with the doors open for 4-5 days. It saves time in the defrost process. I don't have the luxury of that option with my customers, lol. But if it's a garage fridge, no big deal.
I have the same problem. What city and state are you located in?
Hi,
There is another video on you tube that claims this problem was fixed long term by using spray closed cell foam to cover the refridgerant tubing leading to the evaporator. Doing this blocks moist air from coming in contact with the cold tubing and the foams insulting properties keep the exterior of the foam above the freezing point of water.
Any comments / thoughts on this approach?
Pete
More than one way to skin a cat. I have only used the method I posted, about 4 years now and have had good results. I would say it's over 95% successful, with only those that have a serious sealed system failure, like a restriction or inefficient compressor, that this heater can't overcome. I know of other techs that use the heater method and have reported their techs doing thousands with very good results as well. I have not tried the method described, but I am familiar with the method. I see no reason to change my approach.
Well I tried this fix and it only worked for a short time and it's back at it again. I'm afraid I may have to throw in the towel. I have replaced the thermostat and defrost sensor behind that panel as well. Any more suggestions to prevent this issue? Is there a timer on this fridge? RF263TEAEBC thanks.
You do have to rectify the source of the problem which is the drain, Samsung has a modification kit, part number is DA82-01415A. I don't mention it because this video is for professional technicians and techs know about the recurring issue. I would recommend calling out a professional to finalize the repair and make sure the added heater is hooked in correctly and working properly.
My Samsung French door never froze around the fan but the drain hole was freezing. I bought the revised (longer) OEM drain heater probe and drain still froze. Together with the heater Probe I added a 10 inch long copper wire, wrapped around the heater element a couple of times and feed it through the drain hole for about 7 in. also lowered the heating element down slightly closer to the drain hole. It has been about a year and no more ice buildup. It took 2 full days to melt the ice in the drain line where i could feed a thick trimmer line all the way from the drain hole to the container back behind the fridge on the bottom. Vacuumed and cleaned the cores, cleaned both drain tubes as well. I had tried many different things before with no luck. Also lost 3 icemaker buckets where the blade flexes and gets trapped behind a metal shield.$100 bucket gone. So took apart the last broken bucket and saw how close the blade is engineered to the shield. So took apart the new bucket and bend the inner blade 1/4" away from the shield. Works like a charm for almost 3 years now.
The issue I'm having with this is when the unit goes into defrost the suction line is not freezing because compressor is not running, I'm confused on how this is supposed to prevent ice build up around evaporator fan motor especially since ice builds up due to warm air being sucked in by the fan motor and not a defrost issue. Another issue is the original heater pulls a certain current and adding additional heater without slight voltage adjustment will affect how this unit works. Please explain
since the heaters are in parallel, you have the same voltage across both heating elements, 120vac. the added heater heats the suction line that has frost build up on it already, it melts it, that way it can't build up into the evaporator fan motor housing. the moisture build up can be caused by a drain issue, which needs to be rectified (vast majority) or long compressor run times due to a sealed system failure.
Wish me luck I’m going to try this.
Why won't my forced defrost kick the heater on? I changed out the heat sensor and I also changed out the thermal disconnect...any ideas? Thanks for your time man...it will power on for a second but then turns off
if its sensing the temperature is too warm on the defrost heater, it won't turn on the heater. If it won't kick on when frosted up, you may have a defective relay on the main board. Use the schematic and ohm out the circuit from the wire harness connector at the board. If you get 100 ohms approximately, it's the board.
Thanks for the great video! After tearing my fridge apart 3 times to defrost with no good fixes from Samsung or had previously found online, I'm hopeful this one will do the trick. Question for you: Last time I tore mine apart, I damaged some of the foam on the back cover. Do you think I should replace that cover because it will give me issues and cause excessive frosting? Or do you think the heater up top should fix my problems? Just trying to save $100 on a new cover if possible.
if the foam is still there, I usually just use a white silicone from WP, it's food grade. that way I 'glue' it back together without having to replace it. If there's enough styrofoam missing, it could cause air leakage issues and unbalanced cooling. Just depends on what is missing and where. Whirlpool p/n is 482338 for the silicone.
@@electronicsprojects4708 Thank you for the advice. I don't have any or much foam missing, so I will patch it up with some silicone. Thanks again!
Glad to hear your experience. I was hoping I could just get away with defrosting and it would be good for awhile, but after reading this I'm going right for the repair.
Well, I added the heater, 2 months later, fan noise appears...any suggestions
Can you check via touch if the original samsung defrost is working using the “rd” forced code?
You can test it in forced mode, but the defrost sensor must be cold or control will not start the defrost process.
Hey there just did the heat trace wire awsome video just got question how do I put mine in defrost mode model Rf260BEAEWW thanks no paper work
Force Mode
Press the Power Freeze and Fridge buttons simultaneously for 8 Seconds, until the display goes blank.
Press any key within 15 seconds to cycle through the mode in the following order:
Manual operation1(FF) → Manual operation2(0F-r) → manual defrost of fresh food compartments(rd) → manual defrost of fresh and freezer compartments(fd) → cancel(Display all off)
'rd' (Refrigerator Defrost) is what you want to see on the display. It will automatically exit service mode in 25 or 30 minutes, if you don't exit, or you can unplug it to reset as well.
Hey mate thanks the video very helpful. A question after installation I find the area near the newly installed unit is really hot and now the fridge isn't staying cool, any insight or ideas?
if you installed the correct heater, it should be around 160 degrees. Test the temperature with an ir gun or thermocouple.
@@electronicsprojects4708 it was working at around that temperature, but the main problem was that it was so hot that it didn't allow the fridge to cool. You could physically feel the heat coming through the back panel
Could there be an issue with the frequency and duration that the heater is staying on?
@@addramz if it's 160 degrees you won't feel it through the panel unless it is staying on all the time. In that case it would be installed incorrectly. Has to be in parallel with the defrost heater. Stays on for about 20 minutes during defrost.
@@addramz I have never seen the defrost heater stay on more than 25 minutes because it has a safety timer built into the board. So if the newly installed heater is staying on longer, it is not in parallel with the heater and needs to be reinstalled.
Hmm I came across your video because I have a Kitchenaid twin evaporator model and the evaporator on the refrigerator continues to frost up, but the freezer side is clear. It seems like the refrigerant diverter valve is supposed to pipe warmed refrigerant to the evap coil because there is no heater on that side (no air diverter duct either), but there is on the freezer evap coil. So then, what is to stop me buying a second heater and defrost thermostat and fitting to the fridge coil? I could add a relay to take the defrost signal from the freezer .. so when the controller calls for defrost it would simply run both coils. I would add a second power cord and a fuse to avoid overloading the existing circuitry. Thoughts?
It's a big project as you would have to route the wires through the back, so that means drilling holes, making sure you don't hit the freon lines. I have seen this done before, but it's much more complex a challenge than what I do in the video. I find that the dual evaporator units on the KA fridges tend to have sealed system failures and that is the root cause of the problems. Usually come with a 5 year sealed system warranty from the manufacturer (If a compressor is running an inefficient sealed system, the static defrost can't keep up and builds up frost over weeks or months) So for the Samsung we are implementing a mod to fix a failed engineering design. You would be modifying it because the fridge has a defect. That being said, diagnosis by proxy is not iron clad, I have to recommend a professional in-home diagnosis. Appliances are very complex and a professional tech just have the field experience on appliances that diy'ers, no matter how smart they are, don't have. Good luck to you.
@@electronicsprojects4708 Well funny you should mention that but after I posted this I said .. "wait, this fridge barely keeps up with cooling and relies on hot refrigerant to melt the ice" Now if the the system is low on charge that might explain both symptoms. So I am going to check the refrigerant level first.. Thankyou for your reply.
Well I got my can of R134a and checked the freon level.. it was way low... pulling a vacuum on the suction line.. topped it up to +3psi and OMG what a difference in cooling capacity and it switches the three way valve from side to side as it hits setpoint in the respective compartment. Now I just have to wait to see if the defrost function has come back.
Hi, great video! Is the Supco SH502 compatible with a Samsung RF23HSESBSR? Thanks!
SH502 is
@@electronicsprojects4708 Great, thanks for the fast reply!
Good video. I have the same issue, and I installed the heater sh502 but is not working. I'm sure there's no issue with the wire installations. Do you think there's no power in one of the connectors because of the motherboard or something else?
If the defrost is working, and the sh502 heater is in parallel with the defrost heater, you only have two options. Bad connections, or a defective heater.
@@electronicsprojects4708 I found out it's a defective heater. Thanks for your fast response.
Any update on lawsuit against Samsung on these ?
Hi I went to the displacement connectors link and there are two..which guage do I need? Thank you
I have used both successfully, but the blue ones, I do prefer.
So my samsung fridge is having some frost issues. I opened it up, replaced the drain piece, that didn't do anything. Still freezing and what I'm noticing is that there are chunk of ice on the bottom side behind the drawers. Not sure why there are ice buildup on the outside down there? Please advise.
The video is for technicians, I recommend calling a professional to diagnose it that has experience with these refrigerators.
Hi mate. I'm in Australia. I have a samsung srs583hdp fridge. Since we have a 220v-240v rating here. I'm assuming the supco sh503 is the one I need?
yes, it's 240v and 15 watts
@@electronicsprojects4708 awesome. Thanks you... 👍
Hi Mike, can I private message you with the photo that I took for the ice build around the evaporator? Unfortunately there's no attachment option in comment.
The video is pretty self explanatory, if you are an appliance tech, diagnose it as you normally would, then if you need the heater add it on.
Very frustrated dealing with this issue. I am not a tech. Can you recommend anyone in the Northern Virginia area who could apply this fix? Appreciate your innovative solution. Thank you.
what's the city/zip?
I need to replace the entire assembly and I'm having issues getting the soldered water lines off, any help?
Hire a professional
Where do you put the thermistor? It was down at the start and end of the video. I'm looking for where to put it relative to the new heater.
You can put it in the same location as it was before, as long as it's not near the new heater. Samsung had a service bulletin that said to move it, then another that said to not move it. I think they were just fishing for solutions. The only issue I have with thermistors is if they go defective on these French Door units, never put one in a different location that solved the problem.
@@electronicsprojects4708
"""The only issue I have with thermistors is if they go defective on these French Door units, never put one in a different location that solved the problem.
"""
So I had moved mine from that far right copper line where the black goop is, and moved it to the far left copper line where you attached the SH502. Should I move it back to the bottom of the far right copper line just below the goop?
PS: I ordered all the new parts already and they'll be here Wednesday. I was seconds away from pulling the trigger on a $2,200 new fridge, and decided I'm going all out on this fridge before I trash it. I've been pulling off the back panel every 6-8 weeks to defrost it. It's been getting worse and worse as each time the styrofoam gets more and more damaged, letting moisture in. I ordered a new evap cover, moisture kit, drain heat probe, SH502, zip ties, Mylar foiled pipe wrap for the 3 left copper tubes, and a replacement thermistor.
PSS: Thanks for answering. You're a real one.
@@bobguy6542 yea, put it in the same place it was before. Good luck.
@@bobguy6542 how did it go? Which copper pipes did you wrap?
Hi, I purchased the wire and followed your steps for installation, but the wire did not heat up. Any idea as to why the wire is not heating up? Samsung - RF261BEAESR. Thanks!
I would recommend calling a professional technician to assist you in this repair.
Great fix! I have a french door model #RF323tedbsr/aa that had the ice issue. I just finished getting rid of the ice and reassembling everything. Does everything you have listed good for the model as well? We purchased the fridge new and it is the first time this happened. I suspect there has been either ice build up or condensation in-between the rear metal backing and the inside plastic panel as there is a large (wet) rust spot and water drip marks under it. The fridge is 7 years old. Thanks for the instruction!
if the upper portion looks like the one in the video it will work. There is a drain mod from Samsung to prevent it from leaking under the deli tray. In general, I recommend qualified techs fix these as there are so many fails on these models.
Do you have to strip the other wire (original from the fridge) or does the displacement connector cut into the shiething?
the wire insulation of the heater is too thick, so you have to strip the wires.
@@electronicsprojects4708 Sorry, so the NEW heater wire, you have to strip like you did in the video, but the original wire, you don't have to, correct?
@@larryroyovitz7829 correct
@@electronicsprojects4708 Thank you, I just ordered that heater! Fingers crossed. Thanks again.
Well, I've added the heater, so we'll see. I have the RF197, which is "supposed" to be fixed with the drain kit. We upgraded the drain kit last year, but still had to unplug the fridge for days to defrost. This is the last ditch effort...if this doesn't work, I guess it's landfill time. What a waste. We'll see.
Awesome awesome
Are you relocating the thermistor ?
no, I have found that if it's defective, I replace it, other than that, placement has no bearing on the problem of frost build up.
Would this work on the RF197ACRS? The insides look different here than in my Samsung refrigerator where the freezing over keeps happening.
It's usually the drain that is stopped up on these, that's the real problem, or slow drain. If there is ice in the drain pan, the heater would only be a stop gap. Follow instructions on the bulletin for Samsung drain mod. p/n DA82-01415A, probably other videos on TH-cam on how to instal this kit.
I have this same fridge and we installed the drain kit, and it didn't help. We had to keep defrosting every 3 months (I mean turning off the power). Then about a month ago, we started having to defrost every 6 weeks. Then after only one week it was frozen again. It's getting worse, so I'm trying this fix. Just put it in today.
@@larryroyovitz7829 as long as the evaporator coil is clear, this fix should work if you instal the heater correctly.
@@electronicsprojects4708 When we turned the fridge back on it took a really long time to get back down to fridge temps. Not sure what that's about. We haven't put food back in, as we're still not sure it's working.
@@larryroyovitz7829 in my experience, it takes longer if you watch it, lol. Usually overnight into the morning, it will get to correct temp cause no one is opening it, letting warm air in.
Hi I have a Samsung fridge and it's not cooling on top but freezer works what do u think is works it's been like this for two weeks please help
Where is the correct placement for the thermistor now that a heater was added?
Just make sure it's to the right, not next to the heater and you will be ok. I find that the placement is makes no difference. Samsung has changed it, then changed it back. If you get it above the uppermost fins, you will be good.
10-4 thanks Mike!
does the heater fit my Samsung RF261BEAEBC ? thank you
yes
Installed this several weeks ago and the ice build up returned. I forced the defrost mode and it doesn't warm up at all. Any ideas on what's causing that?
If the defrost heater is working, but the new add on heater is not working, most likely the connectors are not tight.
I missed what should be connect to where? is it an electrical connection?
connect the Supco heater in parallel to the defrost heater. if you are not sure, and you are not a tech, I would call a qualified technician to fix your fridge.
Does anyone know any technician in Miami, FL that can perform this fix?
Do you know anyone who will do this repair in the NYC area?
I would call your local appliance repair facilities, ask them and see.
I am not clear regarding wiring connections, understand parallel , but in video I do not see location of thermostat sensor that turn s coils on/off, in relation to added heater.
wiring will differ depending on model you are working on. add it in parallel to the defrost heater wires on each side as in video. as long as you don't put the heater next to the sensor, you are ok.
I did this, and mine froze up still. I think the main problem is it thawing out and then quickly refreezing or building up from the part to the right that doesn't have the heater defrost line on it. I think maybe some pipe insulation on there would help.
what temperature is the heater getting to when you test it in diagnostics mode? Make sure you put in the new revised drain kit or the drain will clog, causing it to frost up. This video was meant for technicians, so it assumes you know certain chronic problems for these models.
@@electronicsprojects4708 I ended up opening everything back up drying it out completely and that seemed to have resolved my issue. I think when I put it back together the first time it still had enough moisture in there to build up ice faster then that could melt it.
Should I do this to the freezer as well
not needed for freezer
My freezer does the same thing
But it does the defrost automatic right? You don’t have to do it every other day!
when you put the heater in, it automatically defrosts it every 8 hours or so.
@@electronicsprojects4708 thanks for the reply, also it was necessary to put the heat shrink? Mine does not have one, is just a Baer cable, I don’t think it make any difference
@@zdenanrehhelber I prefer without it, as you don't have to route the wire across the evaporator, you just have a wire at each end to splice in.
What is the length of heater wire actually used Can any any body help
Only use the Supco ones listed bellow part numbers SH201 or SH502. They are 15 watts. The length spans the top suction line of the evaporator in both cases.
Great and intelligent way of tackling the issue. I have same system installed on my refrigerator but I see 2E error code flashing anytime I turn on my refrigerator. I looked the error code up and it says it is temperature sensor error, so I changed the temperature sensor in both the fridge and freezer sections. Unfortunately, this did not solve the 2E error. To make matters worse, the fridge side temperature keeps flashing and freezes my milk and water, meanwhile there is no leak around the door. I need your advice. What could be the problem. Thanks in advance.
model?
Did you do a reset? ..which the fridge will do automatically if you unplug it for five minutes then plug back in. Or turn off the breaker.