Hello, As a retired hvac and small appliance tech I've never seen someone explaining in such a way that it is extremely easy to understand. Andy you're a great tech!! I also enjoy your videos showing the new technology to those who are a bit rusty. Thank you so much for your time!
Hi Andy, Thanks for the detailed, easy to understand videos. I had the defrost issue in my 15 year old side by side ref. After watching all your videos I disassembled the deep freez part and made the main control card checks as you described. Defrost thermostat was the faulty part. Just a couple of dollars for the new part and it works again. I really appreciate your time and efforts to share your knowledge. Thanks and Regards from Istanbul...
Nice job. Just one correction. The resistance reading through the defrost heater and defrost thermostat is around 22 or so ohms not 22k. Loved you video on fan motor diagnosis btw. First time some explained how to check for an RPM signal. Thanks
Great explanation of GE S/S refrigerator method of operation for auto defrost. I will recommend this series to anyone for detailed instruction for diagnosing defrost issues on these models. I have never come across a method to force defrost on GE S/S refr either. I suspect GE techs are using laptop link to control for detail diagnosis. Or perhaps they just do like we do and eliminate parts failure by checking through jumping out or resistance value. Keep up the excellent video's.
You are the MAAAAAAAAN!!!.....Thank you for explaining this complicated machine. I have been stuck on so many service calls on this machine without a clue...... Thanks brother.
That has to be one of the best videos I have had the pleasure of listening to... Thank you so much for explaining it is simplicity. So excellent.! blessings from Costa Rica... Ken
Thanks Andy...Have a KM not defrosting, thinking they're close to being the same, troubleshooting anyway, and using the schematic I now know the defrost can be forced into defrost...If heaters come on. board is bad...So simple were the timers.
First, thanks for the highly informative videos. They've been extremely useful. After my GE # GSH25JSTCSS iced up I followed your diagnostic steps, and found continuity in the defrost circuit and the expected resistance in the thermistors (the defrost sensor, however, gave a very low reading at first with my shoddy Harbor Freight multimeter. Reseating the leads gave the expected result...but I thought I should note this). The condenser coils were very dirty so I cleaned those, and I manually defrosted the fridge. We recently bought our house, which came with the fridge, so we're not familiar with it's work history. I did notice, however, that the pink and blue wires going to the heating element look like they've been serviced before, as I saw shrink-tubing around the wires. I also manually checked the element for continuity, and tested the thermostat by placing it in a cup of ice water in the deep freezer. They both pased. The element did look a little beat, though, with some dark bands at either end. The fridge temps returned to normal, and have maintained such for a couple of days now, and I caught one of the defrost cycle as it happened and verified that the heating element was in fact working and glowing orange. However, I also noted that even though the defrost cycle seemed to have the fridge shut down for quite a while, the element wasn't active the entire cycle. When I casually caught the fridge in a couple of other defrost cycles, the element wasn't active then either. Is this normal behavior or should the element be active the entire cycle? Thank you for your time, I'm just trying to best determine what's wrong with my fridge before dropping $200+ on a new mainboard, or avoiding the scenario where the real problem is something else entirely, like a coolant leak or bad door gasket. Is it possible that the misread I got from the defrost thermistor was actually a sign that it's bad? Does a bad control board sometimes let the defrost cycle work and other times not?
Hi Hank, Thanks for the kind words and for watching. I'm glad to hear they've been helpful. The intermittent ones are just the worst. :-/ Now, from the way you describe it - It really sounds like a poor connection issue. If the refrigerator is in a defrost cycle, the heater should not come on and off. It's ON until the defrost sensor reaches a given temperature (110' lets say) and then it would go back to it's cooling cycle. So, what you've got is not normal operation. The fact that the heater comes on at all tells us that the control board is sending appropriate voltage (at least intermittently, but I wouldn't rule out a failed control board) I haven't seen where a failed defrost sensor would cause this kind of symptom and the issue to me seems to lie with either a bad connection or failed control board. A failed board would and can certainly cause this symptom. A weak relay that sends the voltage to the heater could be trying to make connection, but not have the umph any longer or has too much carbon build up on the contact points and doesn't make a good connection there any longer. The spots where you see the repair has been made in the past is where i'd start with my inspection. I never trust anyone else's repair if i'm there as the 2nd technician. Basically, you'll just want to verify that this repair is still up to snuff. They way i'd approach it is to do the jumper wire to have the heater turn on as shown in this video. At the same time (using caution of course, live voltage, more disclaimer, etc etc) while the heater is glowing orange, I would wiggle the wires around where the previous repair had been made to see if you can get the heater to turn on and off by doing this. If so, you've found the failed connection. If I couldn't get the heater to do fail by doing that, It would leave the control board. I'd remake these connections myself with solder and replace the control board. Or, if you wanted to try the soldering the connections first....wait to see if it works.....and then replace the board - you could do that. But, that's more hassle in my book. I hope this helps and let me know if you have any questions, Andy
The best video for troubleshooting this issue. I looked for and came back to this specific video as I had to re-diagnose after two years. Broken heater, again.
Great video. He is incorrect about one thing: There is a FORCE DEFROST mode. It is performed by entering the self diagnostic mode of the unit. If the freezer is cold, this will activate the heater element and hold it ON until the defrost cycle completes, which is upon the evaporator thermistor reaching the shut off feedback level. To enter Self Diagnostic mode, both temperature control panel displays must be illuminated. A display can be illuminated by pressing an adjacent temperature adjustment button. When both displays are illuminated, set the freezer and refrigerator temperature settings to 5. Simultaneously press and hold all 4 temperature adjustment buttons for approximately 3 seconds. A flashing 0 in the refrigerator and freezer displays will indicate that the refrigerator is in Self Diagnostic mode. Use the freezer temperature adjustment buttons to enter the test code number in the freezer display. Use the refrigerator temperature adjustment buttons to enter the test code number in the refrigerator display. When a test code has been entered, the displays will flash to confirm the test. Press the HOLD button for 3 seconds to begin the test. Enter defrost: Freezer . . . . . Fridge . . 1. . . . . . . . . . 4 If the cabinet is not cold when executed, this mode may execute extremely fast. The refrigerator will return to normal operation on its own. When testing has been completed, do one of the following things: • Enter code 1 5 to completely reset the system. • Enter code 1 6 to exit diagnostic mode. The temperature control panel is reset automatically. • Unplug the refrigerator for at least 10 seconds. Test mode will terminate when the refrigerator is plugged back in. Test mode will terminate automatically after 15 minutes of inactivity.
Lance Pratt excellent point and great info. Thank you. You are correct, certain models do have a temp control board inside the fridge section which does allow this functionality. These could be called encoder models, I believe (?). This is not the case in the fridge shown in the video, but you’re absolutely correct and thanks again for the info.
FYI, If the fridge is warm this test mode will act as if it is running the test but power will not be sent to the heater. I found it needs to be cooled down and the diagnostic defrost will then send power to the heater circuit.
Thank you for this great video (and your other videos), very helpful ! We have a GE PSR26UHRBSS with a compressor that won't start. Using a multi-meter I've verified that the compressor itself, and the relay, overload, and capacitor are fine. With your videos I was able to determine that the defrost heater and high limit thermostat are fine (22 ohms). For the defrost sensors I get 10, 10, and 10 which seems to correspond with the estimated 13 degrees celsius of the current fridge temperature. So i think they're ok. Based on what I've seen you mention, I assume the only suspect remaining is the control board itself? I've inspected the board visually, front and back. Nothing bulging or burned. I kind of wish there were a visible defect with the board so I would know it's that for sure!
UPDATE - Replaced the control board and all is working perfectly with my fridge again. Thanks for the great flow chart and videos. I also learned that even if the control board shows no signs of... - burn spots - swollen capacitors - affecting the digital display (common symptoms) ... it can still be the control board.
Also remember whether jumper testing or triggering via diagnostic mode you can put a clamp on ammeter on the blue wire of the heater circuit plug. Mine showed approx. 5 amps when operating correct. Also, always remember when testing the freezer must be frozen or the thermostat will be open and the defrost heater circuit will not be complete and open.
Awesome! You're most welcome. You're entering a field that is in dire need of qualified techs that can quickly and correctly diagnose the true issues vs just taking guesses and swapping parts hoping it works. You will definitely make mistakes along the way, but as you gain experience you'll find this is the case less and less. I still get bit sometimes, but they are getting further and further apart when it happens. What state are you in if you don't mind sharing? Andy
@@budgetcoolingandheating4059 I'm in East Texas. I moved recently from busy DFW to a much slower pace. It's taken some adjusting to get used to it, but I'm getting there. I'm an appliance repairman / hobby farmer. I will tell you though, the skills I've gained from appliance repair have helped me tremendously almost daily with my various farm repairs. Phoenix should be a super market to be in though! If you don't have a bluebook yet, I'd consider getting one. You may not always charge that exact rate, but it gets you in the ballpark of what you should be charging for each job. It has simplified things for me on what to charge for certain jobs.
@@GraceAppliance Thank you very much for the advise, I really appreciate it. I've been working for year as a Repairman for AC and Heating equipment (central units) and I've done well. But I am very interested in learning the appliances field as well, a little different with all the electronics involved, but I am taking one day at the time. Very interested in refrigerators repair as the prices on them has skyrocket in the last few years. Thank you again and good night.
Hi Andy, great videos! I have a 2005 GE side by side (GSS23SGSBSS) that is almost working normally -- freezer runs about 0 degrees and fresh side runs about 40. The problem I'm having is that the freezer is sometimes getting so warm that the ice cubes are partially melting and there's a lot of frozen condensate starting to form icicles in the freezer. The condensate fan keeps getting ice on it which makes it noisy and I have had to replace the fan motor twice. I've checked the defrost system and all appears correct by your troubleshooting instructions and the condenser coils are nice and clear, so now I am thinking that the control board is leaving the defrost cycle on too long or it's defrosting too frequently, causing the ice cubes to melt and condensate to form. Two questions for you: I ballparked the ohm readings on the thermistors because I was not sure exactly what the internal temps of the fridge were (I had just cleaned it out, so it was warmer than normal), but they seemed to be roughly in the right range. Should I repeat the resistance checks to ensure they are close to the readings you provided in your video, or is it enough that they are in the ballpark? Second, I know you said we can assume the control board is bad if the other components check good, but what do you think about my specific problem, where it appear the freezer is just getting too warm once in a while? Am I correct to think the defrost might be staying on too long or coming on too frequently? Thanks for any help!
Andy, last question... 120vac to compressor. 120vac to board. All fans are on and working. Defrost heater no continuity. Front control board works great. My thought is the compressor because there's 120vac at the compressor and I've installed a new relay and capacitor. But the compressor isn't kicking on even when I jumped it from the board.
Hey, I agree. It does sound like it's a bad compressor. With new relays it should certainly fire up once jumped at the control board. If you wanted to confirm even further, you could uninstall the relay with the power off. Then perform an Ohm test between the compressors 3 pins measuring every possible combination between the 3 different pins. Should get around 10k ohm on one and the other 2 combos should add up to that number. One should be around 7k and then 3k for example. Lastly, if those checked out you'd perform an Ohm test between each pin and the copper tubing on the compressor. You're wanting to know if any of these pins have continuity to the copper portion (I. E. The case of the compressor) if so, the compressor is shorted to ground. I hope that makes sense. I beleive I may have a video showing this now that I've typed it all out. LoL
That was actually one of the first things I did was check to make sure the pins had continuity and that the compressor wasn't shorted out. All of that appeared okay. I didn't check the ohms which I should have. Thanks Andy... with everything else working and checking out I can't see how it couldn't be the compressor. Thanks for all of your help and your quick responses.
Hey, you're welcome. Yes, you approached it correctly. I'd verify that I was getting 120v to the compressor wiring at the relays when you jump the board. This will rule out bad wiring from the board to the compressor. I've seen where a mouse can chew through the compressor wiring, etc etc. If you've verified that you've got 120v to the relays, sometomes older compressors will only work with a bit of a kick start. This is when hard start relays come in to play. Supco makes 2 basic versions of these a 410 and an 810 which is for smaller compressors. I've always used the 810 for fridges because on an older fridge the 410s I've heard will fry an aging compressor. This version allows you to hook up your run capacitor though you'll have to crinmp down the terminals a bit with pliers which is fine: Amazon Affiliate Link: amzn.to/2G268Vd If the compressor fires up with this, you'll know you're on borrowed time and to start saving for a new fridge. But of course all this is assuming you've got power to the plug at the compressor.
I’m working m a GE bottom freezer with a similar board as yours and am reading 32 between the two wires... when you say I should be getting 22. What would that mean?
Hey Watertown, I wouldn't be concerned with that. Seems like a good part to me. You have a good heater and high limit thermostat. There are 2 different variants of these heaters and yours has higher resistance than mine. No issue. Your fault will be either with a failed defrost sensor or a failed control board. In have a video called testing and replacing a defrost thermostat. Check the defrost sensor. If good, it's a failed main control board. Also on the back side of your control board you may find a burned solder joint. See the video called visual inspection of a bad control board for info on that. Thanks! Let me know if you have any questions. Andy
Hi, thanks for all your excellent and informative vids. I have qestion about my GE side by side defrost system. The defrost is not workin properly - (freezing up) I ran the tests that you showed and the only way that I can get continuity from testing the blue and orange wires is to remove the thermostat and tie the wires - ( remove it from the loop ) , this is also the only way that will make the heater go on when jumping the wires on the board as shown in the vid. So is the thermostat bad or is it just at the wrong temp to be working ? What temp does it need to be at to show continuity and / or make the heater work?
Hi William, Yes, it sounds like you've correctly diagnosed the issue. This is your high limit thermostat. So, it should let power pass through it so long as it's at room temperature. It's designed so that if it gets too hot (130F+?? Not sure) it opens the circuit as your circuit is now. I've seen where techs or home owners will mistakenly swap this high limit with a regular defrost thermostat which has a totally different purpose and it will measure open at room temp. Maybe it was worked on in the past and replaced with an incorrect part? Who knows. In any case... So, replace that part and you should be in good shape. I think they've got an orange and brown wire leading to it.
Andy have you work on a samsung fridge, I have a RF26HFENDSR/AA. Unit is not cooling freezer is ok. It's building ice. How can I tell was wrong with it. Thanks for your advice
Rodrigo Luna hi Rodrigo, Yes I have worked in many Samsung refrigerators. If you see ice build up in the freezer, it will likely be a defrost issue. This is going to be one of 4 possible issues. The heater, which should have about 20-40 ohms of resistance when you test across the terminals. A bad thermal fuse, which should have about .08 ohms when measure at the terminals. A bad control board, which sends 120vac to the heater when called for Or most commonly, a failed defrost sensor (yellow wires at the top of the evaporator) When testing the sensor you should see about 16,000 ohms when in ice water. If you replace this, relocate the sensor to the top and center of the evaporator and secure it with a zip tie. The downside with Samsung refrigerators is to access the evaporator, you’ll need to let the fridge thaw for 24 hours with the doors open in order to be able to remove the back panels inside the freezer. There is a lot of styrofoam panels that will be destroyed otherwise. I hope this helps with some things you can check for now. Andy
I have three of these types of GE Frigs. Where do I get a schematic like yours (1:52)? (All three purchased new and none of them had a Thermistor Look Up table and for sure no schematic anywhere on the Frig.) With the frig unplugged, would the Over Temperature Thermostat be "Open" as the frig would be around room temperature? I really appreciate the Technician/Engineer approach you take to diagnosis.
My primary issue is that only the bottom 2 'rungs' on the coil are frozen, but not the rest of the coil. Andy, I believe you indicated that this could be a sealed system issue. Is that correct?
Hi Kyle, You're most welcome and Thanks for the kind words. You are correct, that's a sealed system issue. It has the possibility of being 'low' on refrigerant, but being a sealed system, that would also mean it has a leak somewhere. Some folks will roll the dice and have a leakstop and more refrigerant added, but I've seen more heartache than success with this. I just recommend putting that money towards a different refrigerator. I'm sorry for the bad news, but hope the information is helpful. Let me know if you have any questions. Thanks, Andy
Andy and others, I have a GE Side by Side DSS25KSRDSS with an unresolved Defrost issue. I watched all your excellent videos and my Refer passed all the tests. All components work and are within specs. The control board looks to be in as new condition, the seals look OK and the condenser is relatively clean. I even plugged up the ice dispenser hole to keep moisture from the air getting in, however, after a few days to a week it ices up, then everything melts for a few days. It doesn't turn back on and start cooling by itself after a reasonable time period. If I unplug it and then plug it in after a few days when everything is room temp the coils get cold very quickly and the evaporator fan and the condenser fan work. Can the board pass all your tests, look good and still be bad? If so, where is a good place to get mine checked or fixed or where is the best place to get a new one? Thanks for a reply.
Hi Richard, Thanks for the kind words. It sounds like you've got a failed control board. If the heater passes, the high limit passes and the defrost sensor passes (keep in mind the value changes based on temperature so just because you have continuity doesn't mean it's good) it should be around 14.xxOhms when submerged in ice water and about 5ohms at room temp. but if you've tested all of these and still have defrost issues, it's definately a failed control board. You'd need a wr55x10942 for your replacement. Here is an Amazon affiliate link for your board amzn.to/2TL2fZ0 Even if they look OK visually, it certainly cna be a bad defrost relay on the board itself that is failing. For this issue you're having, a GE, you must deduct that it's the board by elimination. The only other 3 components that have to do with the defrost are the sensor, hi limit thermostat, and heater which you've tested as good. So, that leaves the bad board. :) I hope this helps and let me know if you have any questions. Thanks, Andy
Testing my GE Defrost Sensor (White Cylinder) - WR55x10025 , it measured 14.16 kOhms at 32 Degrees F and 3.66 kOhms at around 85 degrees F which was close to a chart I found at From
Richard Laney yes, I agree - sounds like the sensor is fine. Good work. Replace your control board and you’re in good shape. Let me know if you run in to any snags along the way. Thanks!
Hey Eric, The only one I've got currently is how to test the compressor with a meter. It will tell you if your compressor motor is shot or shorted out. th-cam.com/video/XtntMGfU2Vc/w-d-xo.html If it passes that test, you can test voltage coming in to the relays which will be 2 wires. If your condenser fan is turning your compressor should also be running at the same time. So, you should have 120vac to those two wires leading to the compressor relays. If you do have voltage there, your control board is doing its job. If your compressor checks out, you've got voltage to those wires, it's the relays that plug on to the compressor that have failed. I hope that helps. Let me know if you have any questions.
I'm only getting 3 ohms on the heater/thermostat test so I assume one of the two parts is bad. Is there a way to test the thermostat only? Both parts are very inexpensive, so I guess I'm just curious at this point. Thanks for the great video!
Hey, yes 3ohms sounds low to me as well. Like you mention I'd replace both either way. They are both in series with themselves, so without taking the heater out of the circuit first, you aren't able to test independently from the board. Hope that helps! Andy
When checking resistance, the yellow wire (fresh food) sensor read 7.4 but the white wire (freezer temp sensor) and the brown wire (defrost sensor) both read Ol. Does this mean the sensor is bad or is it the control board that’s bad?
No, it's is fine to do it when iced up. You can use this method to thaw the ice off. Obviously do not leave the jumper wire on except for test purposes. Thanks
Thanks for this video. I am trying to diagnose my side by side not defrosting. My fridge has a a defrost test mode and it did make the coil glow when I entered test mode. Does this suggest that the board is fine but the thermostat on the coil is bad? I cut the coil off to test it in ice water. I can not get it to show Resistance or continuity. Also, The wiring harness and connector on the control board have burn marks on the defrost wire. I plugged it in and tested the wire for continuity and it works. Would these burn marks indicate the board is bad? It is just some discoloration inside of the translucent wiring harness.
Brad Strawn hey Brad, Please send the model number for your fridge. If you have it in defrost test mode, that tells the control board to send 120vac to the defrost heater. You can test for this voltage from the control board to verify the control board is doing its job. If yes, you’d move to the connections at the defrost heater, if you have voltage there, the board is good, the defrost thermostat is good, but either the wiring or heater has failed. As for the defrost thermostat not having continuity, there are some that must get very cold before closing and often ice water is not cold enough. Inspect the thermostat to see if the case had swelled up and the plastic base on the metal thermostat has bulged out. There also cheap enough that I would recommend replacing it while you have it out. The heater itself often will look burned inside the glass tube (if that’s your design) and does not mean it’s bad necessarily. You should read resistance across the two heater terminals. The burned terminal does sound suspect and may be related to a failed thermostat by causing it to stay in for too long. Just speculation. Let me know what you find with the voltage tests. Thanks!
It is a Frigidaire FRS26LF7DSB. Looking at the thermostat carefully, the rear looks rather melty with texture variations. Definitely signs of getting hot. Everything else looks good.
Brad Strawn I’d definitely start there and replace the defrost thermostat. I’ve seen many many failed thermostats on Frigidaire specifically. Often once they fail, the heater stays on too long and I’ve seen where the lining of the inside of the freezer near the heater actually turns yellow, melts and deforms that area! Scary! If that doesn’t work, I can walk you through how to test the voltage at the control board, but sounds like you’ve nailed it just using your eyeballs. Good job! Andy
So I had a repairman come out to fix my defrost problem. He installed a new heater and evap fan. The coils still ice up. I went ahead and replaced the thermostat myself, and it still seems like the heater won't come on. I don't get continuity in the heater circuit. Even went so far as to take the thermostat out of the loop and jumped the two wires that lead to it with a wire nut. When I tried jumping the power wires on the control board, the heater would not turn on. What could I be missing? There's one strange thing - the orange wire that leads to the thermostat seems to be "burnt" inside - not shiny copper like the other pink wire. Could that be causing the open reading during the continuity test? Thanks!
Hey Derek, Sorry to hear about the troubles with the defrost issues. First, take an OHM reading across the heater terminals to just make sure the heater is in fact good. But, you've done the right steps it sounds like. Taking the thermostat out of the circuit was smart (obviously not something to leave that way) but it rules it out as the culprit. It sounds like a bad connection issue to me. Or, a broken wire in the circuit. You could confirm that the wires are good this way, with the fridge unplugged, disconnect the wires from the heater and connect them via another piece of wire. Then, try the continuity test from the board again. If you then have continuity - the wiring to the heater is good. Also, check this - even I have had this happen to me before... When you plug the wires back in to the heater terminals - they can infact insert without having seated on the terminals. They slide in right next to the terminal, but feel like they slid home with no problem. Just my initial thoughts. Let me know what you find and I am happy to dig in to it further if you can't get it sorted. Thanks! Andy
Thanks for the response Andy! I ended up tracing the wires. When I put a new light bulb in and it didn't light up, I new something was up. After removing the ice maker assembly and the upper rear cover, I discovered that the wiring harness wasn't plugged in! So much for the quality repair job that I paid for. Anyway, after that, continuity was great. Jumped the power terminal and the heater fired right up. Everything is back to normal now. Always suspect the human element first!
Hi and thanks for your previous response, your videos are great and very helpful. I have run into a snag here and could really use your advice . I have replaced the high limit defrost thermostat and the defrost heating element, also replaced all the sensors in the fridge and freezer . The freezer coil is still freezing up and it seems like the defrost heater is not coming on. I tested the circuits as you showed and have continuity when the defrost thermostat is taken out of the loop and wires tied - as described in previous comment. Do you think I could have gotten a bad thermostat, or should I maybe look into replacing the motherboard ?
Hey, just to confirm that we're talking about the same part, you replaced the defrost sensor (small white cylender with 2 wires on the top of the evaporator) is that right? I agree, it does sound like you need a new control board. www.graceappliancediy.com/collections/frontpage/products/ge-wr55x10942-refrigerator-main-control-board Thanks and let me know if you have any questions! Andy
@@GraceAppliance Yes, replaced the sensors, thermostat and defrost heater. It was working normal for about 2 weeks and now it seems to be running longer, not cycling and the back is freezing up again so I'm guessing thats how long it takes for the coils to freeze over if the heater isn't coming on. I'm not sure but the motherboard is the last thing and also the most epensive. I did a visual inspection of it and all looks ok - no burns or blown up capacitors. Any easy way to test it ? Seems strange because everything else on the fridge is working fine,- is this a common problem ?
hey William, Yes it’s common unfortunately. Even with no visible signs of failure, the relays can fail internally and may work intermittently or simply not keep the freezer in defrost for a long enough period of time. This causes the coils to not fully defrost, then the frost builds up gradually over a period of days usually but perhaps weeks too. There’s only 4 defrost components that can possibly fail, and In your case you’ve replaced the other 3 already. So, (making the assumption all connections are ok) the last remaining suspect is the control board. There isn’t any further test you can do as GE does not have a force defrost option for this board. We know it is the board however from process of elimination. Let me know if you have any questions! Andy
Generally, How long can I use a jumper wire to force a defrost of my fridge? I read that using the numerical code (00 04) on the front LEDs forces a defrost. Mine gets a 'P' for pass I presume.
Hey Mr. Tinieblas, I have not yet. I started my channel as 100% dedicated to GE side by side refrigerators, but have recently started branching out to other types of appliances to make it a more general appliance repair channel. Samsung refrigerators are near the top of my list for upcoming appliances, but don't own one currently which is why they haven't been done yet. So, be sure to subscribe and stay tuned. Thanks for watching! Andy
My bottom freezer refrigerator is made by Kenmore .Both the freezer and fridge are getting warm, frozen food were melting. tried to locate the defrost timer, but couldn't. I would wonder if the electronic control board already has the defrost timer by itself on the board.
Hi V, Typically if you have a control board, this would act as your defrost timer. If you'd like to send your model number I could confirm this. Are you seeing excessive frost build up inside the freezer? Thanks! Andy
Greetings. If I repair the power supply to the card and feed it with the 120 volts from the network on the work table, the relays should sound, correct? I already have the twelve and the five volts. check and there is no short or low consumption in any other component. Because the fridge is in another city and I want to go safely. Unless you need the sensors, but I still think that the relay should sound. Thanks.
Hello, I have an 18-year old whirlpool refrigerator model GS6NBEXRS00. It is not defrosting. I replaced the defrost thermostat but the old one actually tested ok. I have a 25 Ohms resistance on the heating element, so I believe it is good. What do you think is the problem? 1) Freezer sensor/thermistor (where is this on my ref?) 2) Adaptive defrost control board (where is this on my ref?) 3) Or the main control board (where is this on my ref?). It looks this the control boards for my ref are no longer available, so maybe just replace the whole ref with a new one. Kindly advise. Thanks
Hey, loved the vid. I'm an commercial electrician n started my own company n I get calls to fix appliances n some I can just use basic principles to fix. I'm on a ge side by side refrigerator that continues to go to 27 degrees n freezing everything in the fridge side. Checked everything but this heater u are talking about. Could this b my issue? Again thanks for any help
Hey Michael, you're most welcome. No, a defrost issue will cause warm temps on both sides. So, you're good there. If the freezer is around 0F and keeping things rock solid frozen the freezer is OK. Compressor, refrigerant and fans are likely good too. The most suspect issues would be a failed damper door (which can break or freeze open) or a faulty fridge temp sensor. Some models utilize a temp sensor as part of the damper motor as well so just be aware. I have a video called testing and replacing a defrost sensor which also includes the temp sensors which should help. If you leave a door open for 3 minutes this will activate the damper door closed. This will help you rule out a stuck damper door. Let me know if you have any questions. Thanks! Andy
Andy, I have a blown fuse on my GE circuit board which keeps my fridge from defrosting, what size is the fuse? Circuit board is a 200D4850G013. I changed the heating element and thermostat, glass fuse is definitely blown.
Jar Head hi, I am sorry to say I am not sure of the size. I can say that a fridge should not pull more than 15A during normal operation. But, this may not equate to a safe fuse to use on your board. Sorry I couldn’t be more help.
I did as you said trying to jump out the defrost heater. When I did so,I did also a direct test for AC voltage at the defrost heater wiring connects, at the tube connectors. Tube unplugged. I only got 93 vac shouldn't It read 117 vac as what my input volts are, when I measured the voltage at the (Blue) plug. J8 & J11 If my thinking is correct, it seems it should be. If not, please explain. Humm ? Also I noticed that my defrost thermostat button relay was popped out. Is this possible without some damage to it. The black insulated part of it was protrude. So I pushed it back in. Is it shot ? Is my control board history?I'm just perplexed as to mostly the voltage drop.Thank You !!
Charles Malinoski hi Charles, I’m sorry, I am not following the part you are talking about when you say button relay. Is it on the control board itself? You’re right, it should read close to 110vac-115vac. 93vac does seem low with this particular test. With the fridge unplugged, You can remove the two terminals at the defrost heater and perform and Ohm / resistance test and you should get about 20-40ohms of resistance there. If so, the heater is good.
GE Side-by-Side ONLY - Refrigerator Repair Videos Thanks I did do a continuity test thru the glass element. What I meant by the button relay. Is the bi/metal switch that is attached to what I believe is part of the suction line. On the very top of the evaporator. You may call it a defrost limit or thermostat. It is on the right side top,tucked towards the back of evaporator. It's clipped on. Ha !! I said button because it resembles a shiny silver button,with a clip to attach it. To the piping. Defrost (High Limit) thermostat. Think it may be done for. What do you feel? That low voltage issue tho🤷♂️ We do have what I've always felt was a rather low supply voltage from our electric company. 117-121 max thru out our home. But everything until now has always worked. Thank you again.
Charles Malinoski thanks, that makes sense now. Thanks. So, yes if yours is a GE side by side fridge this part is in fact a high limit thermostat. Designed as a safety device to prevent the heater from overheating. It is wired in line to the heater. So, if this part fails your heater will not come on. The plastic portion of the thermostat shouldn’t protrude from the silver portion. I’d definatly replace this part and this should solve your problem. I don’t often see these fail unless there is another underlying issue that may be keeping the heater on for too long. You will also need to check the defrost sensor (a small white pill looking part attached to the top of the evaporator) this part dictates how long the freezer stays in defrost. The resistance changes based on temperature, but at room temp should be about 5ohm and at 36F should be around 14.xxohm. I have a video on what pins to check at the control board so you don’t have to cut it out of the harness. It’s called ‘testing and replacing a defrost sensor’. Let me know if you have any questions! Andy
GE Side-by-Side ONLY - Refrigerator Repair Videos Yes indeed. I'm going to order the limit tonight. I did do an Ohms reading this morning on all sensors throughout my unit. They were all within spec. I figured the limit would need to be replaced. And yes its inline with the heater. Hey I want to thank you for your patience and help. You have an awesome site going on here. Oh and guess what.I 'm a tech too. But I don't do small appliance work. Mostly industrial and commercial Hvac / Certified. So from me, your that guy. Much appreciated/ Peace !!!
I'm sorry I don't have a link to this. If you'd like to email me your model number to Graceappliance@gmail.com I am happy to take a look to see if I can find your tech sheet which will have this. What issue are you having with your fridge?
Hi. GE Eterna S/S ESS22XGMD WW model here. I have a defrost issue where the coils freeze and then the fridge side stops cooling. I replaced the defrost heater and high limit therm. Still have the same issue. When I test the blue and orange wires for resistance when the coils are defrosted, it shows about 22 ohms, which should indicate those 2 components are working correctly; however the coils still freeze up. When I test the blue and orange connections when the coils are frozen, it does not test correctly (OL)- indicating an issue with the heater or thermo. Why would it test good at room temp, but not when its frozen up? I've jumped the heater and it will turn on. I've also tested the thermistors and they all test normal. I'm thinking the new high limit thermostat I installed is bad? Other thoughts?
I replaced the heater, the sensor, and the thermostat but the heater still won't turn on when it's frosting up the coils. I jumped the 120v relay and the heater turned on. Does it mean the Control board is bad? Can I leave the jumper on forever?
My fan is sputtering. I replaced my old fan because it was no longer running. The new fan would not run but only 1/10 of a turn every 2 seconds. I returned it and got a new one with the same issue. Could this be because of the board, wiring, or something else?
I jumped to force defrost on my GE fridge, element heats fine, but the compressor and fans also ran during this forced mode... Normal? Replaced the board, so I was just running tests on components, therefore freezer interior was at room temp for forced jump test, not sure if that played a role.
Andy, got a GE Side by Side GSH25JFXNBB not cooling either compartment. Replaced relay on compressor. All fans are running. Do you think it's the board?
Hi, sorry to hear about that! It does sounds like a control board failure, but couldn't rule out a failed compressor with out a few tests. The easiest will be to check for voltage at the two incoming wires to the relay. You should be getting 120v there. If not, it's a failed control board. A quick test you could do to verify the compressor is good is to temporarily install a jumper wire from the incoming board power straight to the compressor circuit. It's done in the same fashion as I show in this video except you'd attach the jumper to the far left terminal vs the middle terminal as shown in this video. You'd be working with the light blue plug at the bottom left of the control board. You'd unplug the fridge, install the jumper between the far right terminal and the far left terminal on the light blue plug (this would leave a single terminal in the middle which is untouched) then restore power to the fridge and you should hear your compressor run and can rule out the compressor and relays as the issue. Of course, uninstall the jumper once verified. Then, you could order the board and know that you're good to go. If you order your part through Amazon please click on the link in the description, which doesn't cost you any additional but helps the channel a lot. Thanks and let me know if you have any questions. Andy
Commander the jumper is sending 120vac to the defrost circuit. The board is actually split, the lower half being 120vAC voltage and upper half using 13vdc. Things like the fan motors, touch panels, etc are going to be DC. Things like the compressor, lights, auger motors, icemaker, etc will be 120vac. I hope that helps.
@@GraceAppliance if I test a DC component with a multimeter set on AC will it hurt the multimeter since they are mixed together on the motherboard? do you have any videos on how to test and replace touch panels?? that would really help me out!
Commander more than likely it wouldn’t do any damage, but it’s good practice to use caution in that respect. More advanced meter have auto sensing ac/dc which is super nice. The only video I have for touch panels would be this one. I hope it helps. th-cam.com/video/ViFpwH6_WrM/w-d-xo.html
Hi There: After replace deforst heater, freezer temp is only approach 32 F, i did power unplug, and wait 5 min, plug back, nothing improve. following your instruction test main board, that was 20.5 Ω, not 21, or 22. is it too low ? is this root cause freezer couldn't make under 32F ? should i change main control baord ? please advice. GE Refrigerator GSH25JSXNSS , Defrost Heater part #: WR51X10055. Thanks
Question... I thought my control board was bad so I replaced it. 8 days later the freezer coils froze over. Last night I pulled everything apart and cut the Temperature sensor out (i thought this had already been replaced so I didn't think about it) and tested it in cold water with ice and I got 8 ohms of resistance. I bought a new Temp Sensor this morning and tested it and got 14 ohms of resistance. Is it safe to say that my Temp Sensor was bad? Also, my coils that heat up when I jump the hot to the coils with a jumper wire don't turn red and glow but they do get really hot and when the ice melts and drips on the coils, you hear the water sizzle. Is it safe to say these work correctly?
Hey, I agree that the temp sensor was bad. Should be 14k ohms as you mention. The heater if you have a GE side by side has a glass tube style heater. This should in fact glow orange when power is applied to it. You should be getting 120v ac to the 2 plugs when energized. If not, I’d suspect a failed high limit thermostat (orange and brown wire) which is run in line with the heater. If you are getting 120vac to the heater, but still not glowing orange then I’d replace the heater.
hi , thanks for this great explanations , im portuguese and would like to ask you something if you ofcorse can opinion me ....i have a great friedge since about 4 years but now he start to shutt off by himself , so i turn him on again and after about 1 hour he works but then shutt off , the friedge work fine for 1 hour and then shutt off !! migth be a bad board ? thanks again
There's no set answer as it's what's called adaptive defrost and only defrosts when it's needed. It bases it an temperatures, compressor run time, how many times the door has been opened, etc etc. But one or twice a day is not out of the ordinary with normal use I'd think.
Great video's !!! I still have an additional unanswered Question??? regarding a evaporator fan that is intermittent and once off can only be restarted manually. Is this problem attributed to a bad fan motor or a tachometer signal issue rooted within lP.C. control board? I'm still looking for an answer before replacing evaporator fan or control board. DOES SOMEONE HAVE AN ANSWER.
Hi, I've jumped the board but the resistence did'nt go red. I tested the continuity of the resistence, and it's ok. When de fridge was cold, I've tested the continuity at the control board, and the result was 46. I don't know what is going on on my fridge.
Olá sou do Brasil você sabe me dizer qual a placa de controle correta da side by side GE PSZ26SHSA? Eu não tenho a placa e estou precisando do código dela.
Hi DootDoot, Sorry for the slow reply. I didn't get a notification for some reason. It sounds like you have continuity so long as it changes from OL to 0, but that the settings may be set too high on your meter. For instance if you have it set to 2000 OHMs and we're looking for 22OHMs it doesn't register. If you have 3 recepticle plugs you can plug your leads in to (I hope that makes sense - 3 different holes on the meter) make sure that the black lead is in the hole labeled COM and the red lead should be in the hole which has the OHM symbol. Set the OHM level (i.e. 200, 2000, etc.) to the 200 setting if you have this. Let me know what you're seeing on your side. Also, what is the brand and model of the meter you have which will help me in giving my response. Thanks! Andy
I have a 27 year old GE with new defrost heaters & wireing, new tstat clamped onto the evap. new timer and I know it's defrosting because I heard it crackling like they do, but the bottom of the evaporator still manages to ice up over a couple of weeks. What do I do next?
Wayne Harropson hey, if it’s the style where you have 2 defrost heaters (one at the bottom and one about midway up the evaporator) it might be that the bottom heater isn’t coming on. I’d disassemble to get eyeballs on the heater, you’ll have a notch in the defrost timer that you can manually advance with a flat blade screw driver, turn it slowly until you hear an audibly louder click and this will send voltage to your heaters. Verify that they’re both glowing orange. Did you use GE OEM parts for the defrost timer and the thermostat? Only other thought I have is that if aftermarket parts were used, perhaps the thermostat cycling temperature is incorrect or the defrost timer is not the appropriate length of time. Let me know what you find. Thanks! Andy
Do you have some videos on Samsung French door models? I have no 120vac going to the fridge htr while on force defrost, I do have voltage going to the freezer htr. New sensor, htr, and control board. Same thing. I’m wondering if the Inv. Board has something to do with those individual circuits?
Hey, you also have a high limit thermal fuse that could be failed. These are sometimes integrated as part of the heater, but other times a separate part. You can ohm test these fuses and should have roughly 0.03-0.08 if it's good. But I don't have any videos on this in sorry. Hope it's helpful for you.
Hi, I'm new. So if I measure for continuity between the blue and orange wires and read OL does that mean my defrost heater is bad? Strange because I replaced it new the other day.
Hi Anthony, it could be the heater or the high limit thermostat. They are both on the same circuit so it's not possible to tell which from the board. You'd need to get access to the heater inside the freezer. If you have continuity with the heater (and the connections are OK) you would then replace the high limit thermostat. www.graceappliancediy.com/products/general-electric-wr50x10068-refrigerator-defrost-thermostat?_pos=2&_sid=2edb8f38a&_ss=r Let me me know if you have any questions. Thanks!
@@GraceAppliance update. Foundout there is continuity among both the hi limit sensor and the heater. Plugged everything in and still gets frosted from the inside. Been a few days, so I am guessing the control board isn't telling the heater to heat up am I right? At which poing needs ti be replaced.
ANTHONY NGUYEN the only two remaining parts if you’re having defrost issues are the control board and the defrost sensor on top of your evaporator coil. This is the part that tells the board when to go in to defrost. I have a video called testing and replacing a defrost sensor which should help determine which it is. Also, you can look for a burned solder joint on the back side of your control board which is sometimes the issue based on your symptoms. Let me know if you have any questions. Thanks! Andy
@@GraceAppliance thanks for the reply. I believe my model is a GE PSS26SGRCSS. All I have is the defrost sensor and defrost heater. I believe the connections coming from the control board goes to the defrose sensor then to the heater and returns back to the board making a closed circuit system. I will replace the defrost sensor which sits ontop of my evap coil. I strongly lean towards the control board being the likely culprit, but what are your thoughts?
ANTHONY NGUYEN hey Anthony, No, the defrost sensor (wr55x10025) should have continuity from the board, but changes the Ohm reading (I.e. resistance) based on temperature. There isn’t a way to say if the board is good or bad without measuring the sensor with a meter and knowing the current temperature of the sensor. If you wanted to switch this part without testing, which is fairly inexpensive and still are having issues you will know for sure it’s your board that’s giving you issues. www.graceappliancediy.com/products/general-electric-wr55x10025-refrigerator-temperature-sensor-1?_pos=1&_sid=9ed8d531d&_ss=r
Hi Andy, can you tell me what controls the start of the defrost heat cycle, I know the high limit thermo turns it off but mine is not coming on - and this is after replacing the control board, thermostat, and all of the sensors. I mentioned in a previous post that the heater will come on when jumping the wires on the control board but only when the thermostat is removed from the loop, so I know the heater itself works, - is there some other turn-on sensor I'm missing ? I'm ready to roll it outside and use it for target practice. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
Hey William, At room temperature (or colder) jumping the heater circuit as I've shown should cause the heater to turn on. If it does not, but only with the high limit thermostat removed, it would indicate a failed high limit thermostat or poor connection at that thermostat. Make sure that the appropriate part has been installed. This is not a defrost thermostat, but rather a safety cutoff in case the heater were to stick on. So, anything under say 130F, should have continuity with a meter. This is what should be installed: www.graceappliancediy.com/products/ge-wr50x10068-defrost-thermal-limiter-for-ge-refrigerators-not-a-defrost-thermostat
@@GraceAppliance Thanks - I used the online manual to order by part number and location but I will double check to make sure its the one you are showing,- maybe they sent the wrong one or its defective. Thanks again
Actually the HSMGFT25asa can be forced into defrost mode via the front panel buttons: set the 4 temp buttons 5 5 and push all 4 buttons at once for 3 sec, they will blink, now type in 1 4 and hit cubed ice button (or any other button they say), it will fire up the defrost heater, its glowing orange now finally; so that confirms that the heater and def therm is ok, must be some other problem (maybe temp sensor thermistors or main board? it will deactivate after 15 min or perhaps unplug replug or code 1 5 or 1 6, then cubed ice button.. Thanks for reply:: makes me miss the venerable DF timer which could be turned to on with screwdriver. I ordered a low cost board and will just swap them to be sure whats really going on. I noticed there is a fuse on the board just to the left of where you jumped the DF , is it possible that is the problem with the DF circuit part of the board. FYI: I called GE answer center, and they said that all they can recommend is unplug wait a minute, replug in. I asked her if she knew where the diagnostic codes for use with the 4 front temp buttons were (table2), she didn't know. I know where it is but can't find the manual that avail to public its: 31-9072 GE Profile Side-by-Side Refrigerator Service Manual * 31-9072 Arctica Profile GE Side-by-Side Refrigerator Service Manual (pages 35- ).pdf (66.66 kB - downloaded 2241 times.), maybe you can get it down and at least post the code for the DF part of the circuit.
Hey, the fuse you mention do cause problems sometimes, but if that fuse blows, the entire board doesn't get power, not just the defrost function. Best of luck and let me know if you have any questions. Thanks!
John Doe 6 hours ago (edited) Actually the HSMGFT25asa can be forced into defrost mode via the front panel buttons: set the 4 temp buttons 5 5 and push all 4 buttons at once for 3 sec, they will blink, now type in 1 4 and hit cubed ice button (or any other button they say), it will fire up the defrost heater, its glowing orange now finally; so that confirms that the heater and def therm is ok, must be some other problem (maybe temp sensor thermistors or main board? it will deactivate after 15 min or perhaps unplug replug or code 1 5 or 1 6, then cubed ice button.. Thanks for reply:: makes me miss the venerable DF timer which could be turned to on with screwdriver. I ordered a low cost board and will just swap them to be sure whats really going on. I noticed there is a fuse on the board just to the left of where you jumped the DF , is it possible that is the problem with the DF circuit part of the board. FYI: I called GE answer center, and they said that all they can recommend is unplug wait a minute, replug in. I asked her if she knew where the diagnostic codes for use with the 4 front temp buttons were (table2), she didn't know. I know where it is but can't find the manual that avail to public its: 31-9072 GE Profile Side-by-Side Refrigerator Service Manual * 31-9072 Arctica Profile GE Side-by-Side Refrigerator Service Manual (pages 35- ).pdf (66.66 kB - downloaded 2241 times.), maybe you can get it down and at least post the code for the DF part of the circuit. This manual is very very close but instead of F for fail, it gives code of 0, & they are not in the order dictated by the manual. @@GraceAppliance
@@InventPeace1 yes, it confirms the heater, high limit thermostat are both good. It also likely means the board is good as your relay works fine. I'd swap the defrost sensor on top of the evaporator and you should be good to go. Nice work!
yes I did take the one good sensor on the freezer bottom and put it on the top (evap), that allowed it to turn off yesterday, today I got a new temp sensor in and put in the bottom, now the 0 7 diagnosis test from table2 gives something like 0-1,P-2, P-3,P-4, & 2-5. I think the 0 means Fail or not there, the 3 P's go to the 3 temp sensors (p-3 is the bottom freezer, changed from 0-3 to P-3), and the 2-5 I have no idea except some models have 4 temp sensors so maybe it means not there. This HSm model is very similar to this manual for the Pss and Gss models but the codes come out a bit different, I got no F ever so I think the 0 means fail? Anyway its making ice and acting more or less normal but fingers still crossed on whether the Def Htr comes on or not. Will let you know, thanks for your help immensely ! And Cheers to UncleHarrys website where I found the manual with the fabled "Table2" . @@GraceAppliance
@@GraceAppliance The fridge gets cold as usual, the fridge runs seemingly all the time? Wondering if one of the temp sensors that "passed with a P" is bad? The fan inside the freezer seems to lope? what do you think? thanks.
Hi Andy. Thank you very much for your videos. i have conducted most of the test you recommend because I'm having the classic defrost issues of freezer and frig not cooling to proper levels, no ice being made and frost build up on back freezer wall. I get no continuity on the defrost heater/high limit thermostat (in your #3 video, the orange & blue wire test) however I do get continuity on the defrost sensor test. A reading of 4 on frig, 6 on the freezer and another 4 on the defrost sensor. My questions are: 1.should I replace both the defrost heater and the high limit thermostat? 2. Are both easy to replace and 3. how do I determine which part numbers to purchase since you links seem to show different parts? I have model #GSH25JSRFSS Thanks a million!!!!!!
Gary Reaves hey Gary, So, doing the heater / high limit test from the board will not tell you which part is bad, but for sure you’ve got a failed heater or a failed high limit thermostat (less common to fail) In order to tell which has failed, You’d need to disassemble the freezer and test the heater directly at the terminals where the wires plug in. If you do need a heater, your fridge needs this one: www.graceappliancediy.com/products/new-upgraded-wr51x10055-defrost-heater-enhanced-durability-with-metal-shield-replacement-part-by-blue-stars-exact-fit-for-ge-kenmore-refrigerators-replaces-ap3183311-914088-ah303781-ea303781 If the heater tested good, you would need to replace the high limit: www.graceappliancediy.com/products/general-electric-wr50x10068-refrigerator-defrost-thermostat But, since you’re in there and the parts are cheap enough, you may consider replacing the defrost sensor as well. I usually do all 3 if I do a heater because the parts cost is not that much extra for my customer and they’re better off in the long run. Yours sounds fine, but at $9, I’d recommend it. Defrost sensor: www.graceappliancediy.com/products/general-electric-wr55x10025-refrigerator-temperature-sensor-1 I hope this helps and let me know if you have any questions.
Hello Andy. Thanks for the quick response. I'll take your advise and do all 3 since they are inexpensive. I see your video on replacing the sensor. Do you have any on the heater and/or thermostat or are they fairly simple enough to do without help? I appreciate your help!!
@@garyreaves5012 hey, I don't do a lot on install/disassembly but focus more on the diagnosis aspect of all of it. But, it is straight forward. The heater has 2 wires that unplug, 2 Philips head screws, it lifts up slightly and it's out. The high limit is 2 wires which you will cut out, strip the wires and attach the new high limit in the same location. Now, you technically can use wore ties, but it's recommended to put silicone inside the wire tires after assembly or my preference is to solder them in place and use that shrink tubing that you shrink up with a lighter. That's all there is to it though. Not hard though.
@@garyreaves5012 hey, only the 1 high limit thermostat. The sensors you have are one freezer temp sensor, the fridge temp sensor (sometimes 2) and one defrost sensor. I'd recommend only the defrost sensor which is located on top of the evaporator.
Hey, it sounds like the heater is staying on too long. It could be a stuck relay on the control board, a stuck high limit thermostat or a failed defrost sensor. I’d put them in that order for likely failure. The defrost sensor and thermal fuse are both cheap and easy enough to get to while changing out the heater. I’d replace both while replacing the
While replacing the heater. I’d then closely examine the heater while the compressor is running and make sure that the heater is in fact turning off when the compressor runs. It should never be glowing when the compressor runs. If it does cut off, you can rule out the stuck relay on the board.
ok , will do , im ordering a new defrost heater from your link . i took the control board appart , i carefully examined all the signs of being a bad board and there are no visible signs of being bad. despite all of this can the board still be bad? would a stuck on the board mean that i need a new board. thanks for responding , didnt think you would 👍 🙏👍
@@andresmoreyra1050 hey, you're most welcome and appreciate you ordering through the link. Thats super helpful. So, stuck relays are quite difficult to diagnose as there is no viable signs and the only symptom is that you'd be getting voltage to the defrost circuit when it should be off. It would mean a new board is in order. This is why to me it makes the most sense to start with the cheapest things first and then fingers crossed won't need a board. Keep me posted if you have any questions or troubles! Andy
One trick to diagnose a stuck relay is, if you catch it while it's acting up, you can gently tap on the relay on the board with a screw driver handle. Many times this will break it free and the voltage then cuts off as it should. It will sometimes work and other times not, but if it does cut off at that point, it's verified your diagnosis and you can sleep better at night knowing you nailed it. A stuck relay, if you were able to break it free is on its way out and the board would need replacement either way, but often may run for many weeks, months or years after, but can't be trusted anymore. I hope that makes sense.
Hey, the high limit thermostat opens at like 110+F (am not sure of the exact temp off hand) so we'll above room temp. If it's below that temp, the heater should turn on with this test.
We're talking about different parts. They look the same in appearance, but have different functions. A defrost thermostat will cycle around 45-55F. A high limit thermostat is a safety part designed to cut power to the heater if something is wrong, stuck relay for example. But it has nothing to do with when the defrost comes on or off.
@@GraceAppliance I'm talking about the part that is in line with the heater that is mounted on the top of the evaporator that cuts power to the heater when it reaches around 47 degrees or so. Some people call them defrost thermostat or some people call them a high limit.
@@brianseeney1364 those are 2 different parts. They're both in line with the heater, but serve different functions. A side by side GE refrigerator with a control board has a defrost sensor and an adaptive defrost (control board) which turns on and off the heater based on the sensor feedback. This is what dictates when the defrost turns off and power is cut from the control board relay. The high limit thermostat (not a defrost cycling thermostat) is there in line with the defrost heater should the board have a stuck relay and thus continually send voltage to the heater. This is when the defrost high limit would cut power to the heater, in the event they there is run away temperature at the heater. This happens at much higher than 45-55F (usually around 130F). A defrost thermostat, usually 45-55F is the mechanical on off switch for older defrost systems, non control board models usually. Older fridges would use a mechanical defrost timer vs a control board on newer styles. The visual appearance of both parts are the same, but do not serve the same purpose. Thanks!
My refrigerator was having defrost issues and I found out it was the defrost heater that was open. I replaced it and it's turning on now if I force it, but how can I be sure the thermostat is operating properly in order to turn the defroster on when it needs to?
Edit: So I just replaced both the defrost heater and the thermostat. Now the freezer is working properly but the refrigerator is only getting to about 45° in the bottom and 36° in the top. I emptied out the freezer again and it doesn't seem like there is too much frost buildup. The evaporator fan is working. I removed the little evaporator door/light thing in the fridge portion to see if that was obstructing flow, but that didn't seem to make a difference. Before I replaced the heater and thermostat the refrigerator seemed to be getting cold enough until too much frost built up on the coils. Although I didn't replace them, I tested the freezer thermistor to see if it was reading properly at different temperatures. I'm at a loss of what to do.
Thank you for your video, I have a hotpoint HSM25GFTCSA side by side fridge will a WR50X10068 REPLACED wr50X10065 because I installed the 10068 and the freezer and fridge are not cooling enough and I feel there are to much heat coming out the evaporator vents when the heater defrost is on plus is melting the ice on the ice bin every day ,I will appreciated it you could give me an answer thank you again and be safe julian
Hi Julian, The part you replaced does not dictate when the defrost comes on or for how long. It is a safety thermostat designed to only cut power to the heater if it’s gotten too hot. This is a very rare part to fail and is not your issue more than likely. The other 3 remaining parts are, your defrost heater, the defrost sensor on top of the evaporator and the control board. Please watch my video called how to test and replace a defrost sensor. You can do an ohm test on the 2 leads going to the heater and should get around 20 ohms of resistance. If both of these parts test good, it would be a bad control board. I hope this helps, Andy
Mr Andy first I want to thank you for your prompt and accurate response,that shows how serious and good you are as person and technician ,I forgot to tell you that when I change the defrost thermostat I also did the same with the sensor and heater,watching your video of how to check sensors,follow your clear explanation and after some troubleshooting change the freezer sensor again I think the fridge is getting the temperature that should be, once again thank you Mr Andy and have safe and too day
Julian Trujillo you’re most welcome. Please keep me posted should you have any further issues. Also id recommend using a legitimate GE sensor vs an aftermarket sensor as I’ve heard other having issues with aftermarket. There is not much of a savings in using an aftermarket sensor either so it’s worth the extra money. Thanks!
Mr Andy ,I still have issues with the evaporator fan running non stop and is freezing the auger motor,the temperature are 14F and 36F ,any suggestion I would appreciate it, thank you again and have a safe and a good day
Hi Andy, My son has a ge side by side. All frosted up in the freezer. Doing the test in the defrost circuit. Getting 26 ohms. Is that acceptable? Seems quite a bit higher than the 22 ohms you mention
Hey, yes that sounds good. That's a good heater and high limit thermostat. This leaves the defrost sensor (see my video, how to test and replace a defrost sensor) or a failed control board. You may start with visually examining the back side of the control board (with the fridge unplugged) for a burned solder joint which is a very common failure for these boards.
GE Side-by-Side ONLY - Refrigerator Repair Videos Andy, I changed both sensors in the freezer section, top one on the evaporator much easier than the one down in the left hand corner. The defrost sensor was incapsulated in ice and I was getting only 6 ohms on the sensor. I didn’t look at the back of the board to see if any soldering joints were burned. Defrosted then whole thing as well and it back to running. The defrost element got nice and red when I jumped it. We’ll see what happens.
Joseph Folsom hey, good work. It does sound like a failed sensor. You should be closer to 14k ohms if covered in ice. You should be good to go having changed that. Keep me posted on how it works for you. Andy
The defrost sensor is the part that actually sends the signal to the board with the current evaporator temp. So, the board uses this feedback from the sensor to determine when and for how long to defrost. However, the high limit thermostat is not a defrost thermostat. It’s a safety thermostat, designed to cut power to the heater should something go wrong and it overheats. (I.e. due to a failed defrost sensor or stuck relay on the board for instance) It cuts power at 130F and won’t restore power until it drops below 110F. I hope that helps.
Andy Hi ! My GE refrigerator 2 doors model PS123SCPABS S/N LF425289 wasn't running. I changed the main control board Now the Refrigerator and Freezer are working , but the main panel inside is not lite As results of this I can't make any adjustment for temperature settings. THE UNIT IS RUNNING MORE 24 HOURS on and off automatically I ALSO SHUT THE MAIN BRAKER but no luck .Please help All your videos are excellent very educational God bless for good explanations,
Michael Babu hi, thanks! So, your original part number was WR55X10314. The substitute part number that’s give for me is: wr55x10942P. Now, I’m not sure if the updated part number ending in P would make a difference in your case, but just wanted to get you that info. I don’t believe it should make any difference. Also, I checked your serial number for the wiring modification I mentioned previously and yourself does not show it needs any modification. I’d double check the board connections to make sure that each plug has been properly seated. I’ve seen where people will install the plug, but mistakenly got it plugged in 1 pin over to the right or left and have similar issues. I’d start there. Let me know what you find. Thanks!
Hi Everybody, Welcome! If you have technical questions please check out www.Patreon.com/GraceAppliance By becoming a channel supporter, you'll get priority response to technical questions, technical data sheet requests, and help support the channel so I can produce more repair videos. Thanks so much! Andy
Great job Andy......I asked some questions yesterday regarding French door bottom freezer GE pfs22mbwabb....can you send me a response at sailncountry at yahoo, please. Thank you Doug
My GE side by side will achieve the ideal temp for freezer and refrig after about 7 days both sides stop cooling. I unplugged for several days and the plugged in the same thing happens again. In both attempts never frosts up. what do you suggest how to diagnose this?
Hey Patrick, it sounds from the symptoms to be a defrost issue. However, if you're not seeing excessive frost build up on the coils during the loss of cooling you can rule this out. Does the compressor continue to run during the no cool period? Also, what does the frost on the evaporator look like while its not cooling?
@@GraceAppliance Thanks for getting back so quickly. I do not see any frost buildup whatsoever. Not sure if the compressor running all the time. About to plug in and check again. I will observe the compressor and frost and let you know.
@@proza1957 The evaporator coil is hidden from sight. The frost would be building up on this coil which is located behind a white panel at the back of the freezer, just below the light bulb. Remove the shelves and two 1/4" screws holding the panel in place. The panel will slide up and out. Hope that helps.
@@GraceAppliance I don't think it the compressor I can take the back panel off throw water on it run a fan inside to melt ice and it would start to cool again for like four days than freeze back up
@@GraceAppliance yes..I looked at one of your video so unplugged it to check those things I plugged back in the interior light the only thing that came on..I left unplugged for two day then it started back to work
@@alanbaker8259 Leaving it unplugged let's the ice build up melt away naturally and ot will work as normal for a few days and then once the ice builds up again because of the defrost issue it will not get cold enough. The issue will be either a failed control board, a defrost heater, defrost sensor, or high limit thermostat. If you have multi meter, this video will walk you through how to test each part one by one. Let me know if you have any questions.
hello, we have a problem with defrost heaters burning out as soon as they are replaced and kick in for the first time.. they start and then simply burn out. The defrost thermostat tests good L1140-30F, the temperature sensor tests good as well with appropriate ohms at certain temperatures. But the defrost heaters we get from internet burn out right away.. would this be main board issue or wiring issue, or using cheap parts from amazon instead of buying OEM defrost heater? WR51X10055 Thank you for help in advance.
Adam, very interesting! I would suspect that this is due to parts vs an issue with the board or wiring. However, I would want to confirm 110-120v to the heater, but have not seen an issue where a board would send more than this - assuming voltage at the wall is appropriate (120v). That's where I'd start to rule out a short. However, if you had a short to ground (or Neutral) I would imagine it would trip the breaker long before this. If you're getting 120v at the wires to the heater, I'd replace the heater with an OEM.
@@GraceAppliance I look at the main board. This fridge is old. The board is white but has same plugs as yours. Sadly my multimeter probes are not as tiny as yours. I decided to test the temperature sensors as you showed in your video. J1 plug. Since I’m unable to showed the probes in the plug, I touched the top of the plug where to connector is. To my surprise the Ohms were not matching the chart - on all 3 of the sensors. They were way off. Which is strange because I took two of them - cut them out from freezer - and tested them with glass of ice water and the ohms were matching just fine. What could cause the ohms not matching the chart by testing them from the board?
@@no-ONES-business hey, testing the thermistors while still installed on the fridge is always a bit difficult because the Ohm resistance is going to change based on temperature, obviously. The difficulty comes in because it's sometimes tough to know the exact temperature at the evaporator - and often I simply use the ohm feedback as a rough guide. If the chart says it should be 80F, but I can clearly see it's covered in a solid block of ice - I know that's incorrect and a failed part obviously. That is why it's recommended to stick the sensor in a glass of ice water because the ice water removes that variable for you. You know that it's between 34-36F. Where "room temperature" is more of a relative term. However, if it's drastically off at room temperature, I would replace the sensor especially given how inexpensive they are.
@@andyf80 Hey Andy. Thank you for your replies. So I followed your instructions.. I took glass of cold water with ice. Then I unclipped the sensor from coils and submerged it in that icy water, and left it there for few minutes. Water temperature was 34-36F. I then moved to the board and followed with two tests... first one I unplugged the J1 plug and used the instruction as in your video with the J1 plug disconnected from bard - Black probe in 5th hole, and Red probe in 4th hole - I got almost perfect Ohms numbers (34-36F and around 13.60 kOhms which is close enough on the chart). I then plugged the J1 plug back into the board, and followed once again the same instructions where the Black probe went into 5th hole and Red probe into the 4th hole AND here is the confusion... the temperature of water was still 34-36F, BUT the kOhms were totally off.. during that test I got around 7.49 kOhms from that coil sensor. By the chart that is equivalent to around 60 to 64F temperature (and yet the water temp was only 34-36F). I then followed with the other two sensors remaining.. the bottom one in freezer and the last one in refrigerator. Same results discrepancies happened between when the J1 plug was disconnected from main board and kOhms and temps were perfect by the chart, and then totally off when I plugged the J1 back into board and tested temps sensors again. Is this an indicator of bad main board? Sensors are good and testing correctly when J1 is unplugged from board. Btw. the voltage on the board was 122V when tested, so the power is ok.
@@andyf80 one more thing… why did I test the sensors with J1 plug disconnected? I found this video and this guy disconnected it from the board: th-cam.com/video/7lxOqMjFtr4/w-d-xo.html So truthfully I’m not sure which way is the correct way. One thing that is confirmed was that the sensors are testing correctly in kOhms with J1 plug disconnected.
Hi Michael, What is your model number? There are 2 varieties of defrost heaters a 9" long heater as shown in this video, but also a shorter 6" heater (which is actually 2 separate heaters) that may have greater resistance. I'm not certain if the resistance of those heaters, but 80ish doesn't sound out of the ordinary either. I suspect it's a good heater. I can look to see if I can look this up based on your model number if you can send that. Thanks!
Cool, nice work. You've ruled out your heater and high limit thermostat. Be sure to watch the video on testing the defrost sensor and also visual control board inspection. It's going to be either the board or defrost sensor that's your issue. Let me know if you run in to any questions or issues. Thanks!
Hello,
As a retired hvac and small appliance tech I've never seen someone explaining in such a way that it is extremely easy to understand. Andy you're a great tech!! I also enjoy your videos showing the new technology to those who are a bit rusty. Thank you so much for your time!
Thanks so much for the wonderful compliment. I really appreciate that. I used to be a teacher... Maybe something stuck. 😂
Stay in touch. Andy
Just wanted to thank you for this video. I jumped the board as you said in the video and my element was bad. I replaced it and now it’s working. 👍🏼
i can not believe there are no comments here. best explanation on youtube.........great job sir
Thanks Tim! I’m glad it helped.
Hi Andy,
Thanks for the detailed, easy to understand videos.
I had the defrost issue in my 15 year old side by side ref.
After watching all your videos I disassembled the deep freez part and made the main control card checks as you described.
Defrost thermostat was the faulty part. Just a couple of dollars for the new part and it works again.
I really appreciate your time and efforts to share your knowledge.
Thanks and Regards from Istanbul...
Awesome work Halil!
You're most welcome. Thanks for the kind words. Stay in touch.
Great demo and instruction. Finally someone explains the real stuff. Good instructor
Nice job. Just one correction. The resistance reading through the defrost heater and defrost thermostat is around 22 or so ohms not 22k.
Loved you video on fan motor diagnosis btw. First time some explained how to check for an RPM signal. Thanks
Lol! I know... Uggg! Haha
Uploading a video to TH-cam is like a bell once rung can't be unrung.
Thank you for the information either way. I'll see if I can call it out in the video somehow just in case someone needs to know it. Andy
Great explanation of GE S/S refrigerator method of operation for auto defrost. I will recommend this series to anyone for detailed instruction for diagnosing defrost issues on these models. I have never come across a method to force defrost on GE S/S refr either. I suspect GE techs are using laptop link to control for detail diagnosis. Or perhaps they just do like we do and eliminate parts failure by checking through jumping out or resistance value. Keep up the excellent video's.
Lewis Riesbeck thanks for the kind words Lewis!
You are the MAAAAAAAAN!!!.....Thank you for explaining this complicated machine. I have been stuck on so many service calls on this machine without a clue...... Thanks brother.
You’re most welcome! Glad to hear you enjoyed it and got something out of it. Thanks for the kind words and for watching.
That has to be one of the best videos I have had the pleasure of listening to... Thank you so much for explaining it is simplicity. So excellent.! blessings from Costa Rica... Ken
You know more of the cooler itself? Remarkable presentation. Not only you explained how to. You also help defined other’s problems. Thank you
Bertrand Oriot thanks very much Bertrand for the kind words!
hi, so i installed the new defrost from GE , and its coming on and off as it should , thanks for your support !
Andres Moreyra awesome news! Great to hear. You’re welcome.
Thanks Andy...Have a KM not defrosting, thinking they're close to being the same, troubleshooting anyway, and using the schematic I now know the defrost can be forced into defrost...If heaters come on. board is bad...So simple were the timers.
First, thanks for the highly informative videos. They've been extremely useful. After my GE # GSH25JSTCSS iced up I followed your diagnostic steps, and found continuity in the defrost circuit and the expected resistance in the thermistors (the defrost sensor, however, gave a very low reading at first with my shoddy Harbor Freight multimeter. Reseating the leads gave the expected result...but I thought I should note this). The condenser coils were very dirty so I cleaned those, and I manually defrosted the fridge.
We recently bought our house, which came with the fridge, so we're not familiar with it's work history. I did notice, however, that the pink and blue wires going to the heating element look like they've been serviced before, as I saw shrink-tubing around the wires. I also manually checked the element for continuity, and tested the thermostat by placing it in a cup of ice water in the deep freezer. They both pased. The element did look a little beat, though, with some dark bands at either end.
The fridge temps returned to normal, and have maintained such for a couple of days now, and I caught one of the defrost cycle as it happened and verified that the heating element was in fact working and glowing orange. However, I also noted that even though the defrost cycle seemed to have the fridge shut down for quite a while, the element wasn't active the entire cycle. When I casually caught the fridge in a couple of other defrost cycles, the element wasn't active then either. Is this normal behavior or should the element be active the entire cycle?
Thank you for your time, I'm just trying to best determine what's wrong with my fridge before dropping $200+ on a new mainboard, or avoiding the scenario where the real problem is something else entirely, like a coolant leak or bad door gasket. Is it possible that the misread I got from the defrost thermistor was actually a sign that it's bad? Does a bad control board sometimes let the defrost cycle work and other times not?
Hi Hank,
Thanks for the kind words and for watching. I'm glad to hear they've been helpful.
The intermittent ones are just the worst. :-/
Now, from the way you describe it - It really sounds like a poor connection issue. If the refrigerator is in a defrost cycle, the heater should not come on and off. It's ON until the defrost sensor reaches a given temperature (110' lets say) and then it would go back to it's cooling cycle. So, what you've got is not normal operation.
The fact that the heater comes on at all tells us that the control board is sending appropriate voltage (at least intermittently, but I wouldn't rule out a failed control board)
I haven't seen where a failed defrost sensor would cause this kind of symptom and the issue to me seems to lie with either a bad connection or failed control board.
A failed board would and can certainly cause this symptom. A weak relay that sends the voltage to the heater could be trying to make connection, but not have the umph any longer or has too much carbon build up on the contact points and doesn't make a good connection there any longer.
The spots where you see the repair has been made in the past is where i'd start with my inspection. I never trust anyone else's repair if i'm there as the 2nd technician. Basically, you'll just want to verify that this repair is still up to snuff.
They way i'd approach it is to do the jumper wire to have the heater turn on as shown in this video. At the same time (using caution of course, live voltage, more disclaimer, etc etc) while the heater is glowing orange, I would wiggle the wires around where the previous repair had been made to see if you can get the heater to turn on and off by doing this.
If so, you've found the failed connection.
If I couldn't get the heater to do fail by doing that, It would leave the control board.
I'd remake these connections myself with solder and replace the control board. Or, if you wanted to try the soldering the connections first....wait to see if it works.....and then replace the board - you could do that. But, that's more hassle in my book.
I hope this helps and let me know if you have any questions,
Andy
Also, the dark bands you mentioned around the ends of the glass tube on the heater is no problem. If it glows orange, it's good.
The best video for troubleshooting this issue. I looked for and came back to this specific video as I had to re-diagnose after two years. Broken heater, again.
Andy you do an outstanding job. Great audio description. Great video. I'll be back! Thank you.
Awesome Robert! Thanks for the kind words. Stay in touch.
Great video. He is incorrect about one thing: There is a FORCE DEFROST mode.
It is performed by entering the self diagnostic mode of the unit.
If the freezer is cold, this will activate the heater element and hold it ON until the defrost cycle completes, which is upon the evaporator thermistor reaching the shut off feedback level.
To enter Self Diagnostic mode, both temperature control panel displays must be illuminated.
A display can be illuminated by pressing an adjacent temperature adjustment button.
When both displays are illuminated, set the freezer and refrigerator temperature settings to 5.
Simultaneously press and hold all 4 temperature adjustment buttons for approximately 3 seconds.
A flashing 0 in the refrigerator and freezer displays will indicate that the refrigerator is in Self Diagnostic mode.
Use the freezer temperature adjustment buttons to enter the test code number in the freezer display.
Use the refrigerator temperature adjustment buttons to enter the test code number in the refrigerator display.
When a test code has been entered, the displays will flash to confirm the test.
Press the HOLD button for 3 seconds to begin the test.
Enter defrost:
Freezer . . . . . Fridge
. . 1. . . . . . . . . . 4
If the cabinet is not cold when executed, this mode may execute extremely fast.
The refrigerator will return to normal operation on its own.
When testing has been completed, do one of the following things:
• Enter code 1 5 to completely reset the system.
• Enter code 1 6 to exit diagnostic mode. The temperature control panel is reset automatically.
• Unplug the refrigerator for at least 10 seconds. Test mode will terminate when the refrigerator is plugged back in.
Test mode will terminate automatically after 15 minutes of inactivity.
Lance Pratt excellent point and great info. Thank you.
You are correct, certain models do have a temp control board inside the fridge section which does allow this functionality. These could be called encoder models, I believe (?).
This is not the case in the fridge shown in the video, but you’re absolutely correct and thanks again for the info.
FYI, If the fridge is warm this test mode will act as if it is running the test but power will not be sent to the heater. I found it needs to be cooled down and the diagnostic defrost will then send power to the heater circuit.
Man you are well spoken and to the point. Great video.
Thank you for this great video (and your other videos), very helpful ! We have a GE PSR26UHRBSS with a compressor that won't start. Using a multi-meter I've verified that the compressor itself, and the relay, overload, and capacitor are fine. With your videos I was able to determine that the defrost heater and high limit thermostat are fine (22 ohms). For the defrost sensors I get 10, 10, and 10 which seems to correspond with the estimated 13 degrees celsius of the current fridge temperature. So i think they're ok. Based on what I've seen you mention, I assume the only suspect remaining is the control board itself? I've inspected the board visually, front and back. Nothing bulging or burned. I kind of wish there were a visible defect with the board so I would know it's that for sure!
UPDATE - Replaced the control board and all is working perfectly with my fridge again. Thanks for the great flow chart and videos. I also learned that even if the control board shows no signs of...
- burn spots
- swollen capacitors
- affecting the digital display
(common symptoms)
... it can still be the control board.
Also remember whether jumper testing or triggering via diagnostic mode you can put a clamp on ammeter on the blue wire of the heater circuit plug. Mine showed approx. 5 amps when operating correct. Also, always remember when testing the freezer must be frozen or the thermostat will be open and the defrost heater circuit will not be complete and open.
Great Video, I am entering into home appliance field and this video is of great help. Thank you Sr
Awesome! You're most welcome.
You're entering a field that is in dire need of qualified techs that can quickly and correctly diagnose the true issues vs just taking guesses and swapping parts hoping it works.
You will definitely make mistakes along the way, but as you gain experience you'll find this is the case less and less. I still get bit sometimes, but they are getting further and further apart when it happens.
What state are you in if you don't mind sharing?
Andy
@@GraceAppliance Arizona, Phoenix. I guess I will be bothering you quite often. Where are you located ?
@@budgetcoolingandheating4059 I'm in East Texas. I moved recently from busy DFW to a much slower pace.
It's taken some adjusting to get used to it, but I'm getting there.
I'm an appliance repairman / hobby farmer. I will tell you though, the skills I've gained from appliance repair have helped me tremendously almost daily with my various farm repairs.
Phoenix should be a super market to be in though! If you don't have a bluebook yet, I'd consider getting one. You may not always charge that exact rate, but it gets you in the ballpark of what you should be charging for each job. It has simplified things for me on what to charge for certain jobs.
@@GraceAppliance Thank you very much for the advise, I really appreciate it. I've been working for year as a Repairman for AC and Heating equipment (central units) and I've done well. But I am very interested in learning the appliances field as well, a little different with all the electronics involved, but I am taking one day at the time. Very interested in refrigerators repair as the prices on them has skyrocket in the last few years. Thank you again and good night.
Can find the high limit thermostat on my GE side by side
Rest of videos ate great!
Hi Andy, great videos!
I have a 2005 GE side by side (GSS23SGSBSS) that is almost working normally -- freezer runs about 0 degrees and fresh side runs about 40. The problem I'm having is that the freezer is sometimes getting so warm that the ice cubes are partially melting and there's a lot of frozen condensate starting to form icicles in the freezer. The condensate fan keeps getting ice on it which makes it noisy and I have had to replace the fan motor twice.
I've checked the defrost system and all appears correct by your troubleshooting instructions and the condenser coils are nice and clear, so now I am thinking that the control board is leaving the defrost cycle on too long or it's defrosting too frequently, causing the ice cubes to melt and condensate to form.
Two questions for you:
I ballparked the ohm readings on the thermistors because I was not sure exactly what the internal temps of the fridge were (I had just cleaned it out, so it was warmer than normal), but they seemed to be roughly in the right range. Should I repeat the resistance checks to ensure they are close to the readings you provided in your video, or is it enough that they are in the ballpark?
Second, I know you said we can assume the control board is bad if the other components check good, but what do you think about my specific problem, where it appear the freezer is just getting too warm once in a while? Am I correct to think the defrost might be staying on too long or coming on too frequently?
Thanks for any help!
where did you get those test leads for your multimeter?
SO SO HELPFUL! Thanks for this video.
Andy, last question... 120vac to compressor. 120vac to board. All fans are on and working. Defrost heater no continuity. Front control board works great. My thought is the compressor because there's 120vac at the compressor and I've installed a new relay and capacitor. But the compressor isn't kicking on even when I jumped it from the board.
Hey, I agree. It does sound like it's a bad compressor. With new relays it should certainly fire up once jumped at the control board.
If you wanted to confirm even further, you could uninstall the relay with the power off. Then perform an Ohm test between the compressors 3 pins measuring every possible combination between the 3 different pins. Should get around 10k ohm on one and the other 2 combos should add up to that number. One should be around 7k and then 3k for example.
Lastly, if those checked out you'd perform an Ohm test between each pin and the copper tubing on the compressor. You're wanting to know if any of these pins have continuity to the copper portion (I. E. The case of the compressor) if so, the compressor is shorted to ground.
I hope that makes sense.
I beleive I may have a video showing this now that I've typed it all out. LoL
th-cam.com/video/XtntMGfU2Vc/w-d-xo.html
That was actually one of the first things I did was check to make sure the pins had continuity and that the compressor wasn't shorted out. All of that appeared okay. I didn't check the ohms which I should have. Thanks Andy... with everything else working and checking out I can't see how it couldn't be the compressor. Thanks for all of your help and your quick responses.
Hey, you're welcome. Yes, you approached it correctly.
I'd verify that I was getting 120v to the compressor wiring at the relays when you jump the board. This will rule out bad wiring from the board to the compressor. I've seen where a mouse can chew through the compressor wiring, etc etc.
If you've verified that you've got 120v to the relays, sometomes older compressors will only work with a bit of a kick start. This is when hard start relays come in to play. Supco makes 2 basic versions of these a 410 and an 810 which is for smaller compressors. I've always used the 810 for fridges because on an older fridge the 410s I've heard will fry an aging compressor.
This version allows you to hook up your run capacitor though you'll have to crinmp down the terminals a bit with pliers which is fine:
Amazon Affiliate Link: amzn.to/2G268Vd
If the compressor fires up with this, you'll know you're on borrowed time and to start saving for a new fridge.
But of course all this is assuming you've got power to the plug at the compressor.
I’m working m a GE bottom freezer with a similar board as yours and am reading 32 between the two wires... when you say I should be getting 22.
What would that mean?
Hey Watertown,
I wouldn't be concerned with that. Seems like a good part to me. You have a good heater and high limit thermostat. There are 2 different variants of these heaters and yours has higher resistance than mine. No issue.
Your fault will be either with a failed defrost sensor or a failed control board. In have a video called testing and replacing a defrost thermostat. Check the defrost sensor. If good, it's a failed main control board.
Also on the back side of your control board you may find a burned solder joint. See the video called visual inspection of a bad control board for info on that.
Thanks! Let me know if you have any questions.
Andy
Great and very thorough video!
Awesome! I'm glad it helped. Thank you for watching.
Very clear and easy instructions, you sir deserve my sub 👍
Thanks to you my fridge is working again 👍
Hi, thanks for all your excellent and informative vids. I have qestion about my GE side by side defrost system. The defrost is not workin properly - (freezing up) I ran the tests that you showed and the only way that I can get continuity from testing the blue and orange wires is to remove the thermostat and tie the wires - ( remove it from the loop ) , this is also the only way that will make the heater go on when jumping the wires on the board as shown in the vid. So is the thermostat bad or is it just at the wrong temp to be working ? What temp does it need to be at to show continuity and / or make the heater work?
Hi William,
Yes, it sounds like you've correctly diagnosed the issue.
This is your high limit thermostat. So, it should let power pass through it so long as it's at room temperature. It's designed so that if it gets too hot (130F+?? Not sure) it opens the circuit as your circuit is now.
I've seen where techs or home owners will mistakenly swap this high limit with a regular defrost thermostat which has a totally different purpose and it will measure open at room temp. Maybe it was worked on in the past and replaced with an incorrect part? Who knows. In any case...
So, replace that part and you should be in good shape. I think they've got an orange and brown wire leading to it.
Andy have you work on a samsung fridge, I have a RF26HFENDSR/AA. Unit is not cooling freezer is ok. It's building ice. How can I tell was wrong with it. Thanks for your advice
Rodrigo Luna hi Rodrigo,
Yes I have worked in many Samsung refrigerators.
If you see ice build up in the freezer, it will likely be a defrost issue.
This is going to be one of 4 possible issues.
The heater, which should have about 20-40 ohms of resistance when you test across the terminals.
A bad thermal fuse, which should have about .08 ohms when measure at the terminals.
A bad control board, which sends 120vac to the heater when called for
Or most commonly, a failed defrost sensor (yellow wires at the top of the evaporator)
When testing the sensor you should see about 16,000 ohms when in ice water. If you replace this, relocate the sensor to the top and center of the evaporator and secure it with a zip tie.
The downside with Samsung refrigerators is to access the evaporator, you’ll need to let the fridge thaw for 24 hours with the doors open in order to be able to remove the back panels inside the freezer. There is a lot of styrofoam panels that will be destroyed otherwise.
I hope this helps with some things you can check for now.
Andy
I have three of these types of GE Frigs. Where do I get a schematic like yours (1:52)? (All three purchased new and none of them had a Thermistor Look Up table and for sure no schematic anywhere on the Frig.) With the frig unplugged, would the Over Temperature Thermostat be "Open" as the frig would be around room temperature?
I really appreciate the Technician/Engineer approach you take to diagnosis.
Why is the resistance of the circuit only ~22 Ω if you’re going over the heater? What am I missing?
great video! can you point or share the schematic diagram you showed in your video? Thanks!
This is extremely helpful. Thanks for creating this.
My primary issue is that only the bottom 2 'rungs' on the coil are frozen, but not the rest of the coil. Andy, I believe you indicated that this could be a sealed system issue. Is that correct?
Hi Kyle,
You're most welcome and Thanks for the kind words.
You are correct, that's a sealed system issue. It has the possibility of being 'low' on refrigerant, but being a sealed system, that would also mean it has a leak somewhere. Some folks will roll the dice and have a leakstop and more refrigerant added, but I've seen more heartache than success with this. I just recommend putting that money towards a different refrigerator.
I'm sorry for the bad news, but hope the information is helpful.
Let me know if you have any questions. Thanks, Andy
Andy and others, I have a GE Side by Side DSS25KSRDSS with an unresolved Defrost issue. I watched all your excellent videos and my Refer passed all the tests. All components work and are within specs. The control board looks to be in as new condition, the seals look OK and the condenser is relatively clean. I even plugged up the ice dispenser hole to keep moisture from the air getting in, however, after a few days to a week it ices up, then everything melts for a few days. It doesn't turn back on and start cooling by itself after a reasonable time period. If I unplug it and then plug it in after a few days when everything is room temp the coils get cold very quickly and the evaporator fan and the condenser fan work. Can the board pass all your tests, look good and still be bad? If so, where is a good place to get mine checked or fixed or where is the best place to get a new one? Thanks for a reply.
Hi Richard,
Thanks for the kind words.
It sounds like you've got a failed control board. If the heater passes, the high limit passes and the defrost sensor passes (keep in mind the value changes based on temperature so just because you have continuity doesn't mean it's good) it should be around 14.xxOhms when submerged in ice water and about 5ohms at room temp.
but if you've tested all of these and still have defrost issues, it's definately a failed control board.
You'd need a wr55x10942 for your replacement. Here is an Amazon affiliate link for your board amzn.to/2TL2fZ0
Even if they look OK visually, it certainly cna be a bad defrost relay on the board itself that is failing.
For this issue you're having, a GE, you must deduct that it's the board by elimination. The only other 3 components that have to do with the defrost are the sensor, hi limit thermostat, and heater which you've tested as good. So, that leaves the bad board. :)
I hope this helps and let me know if you have any questions. Thanks, Andy
Testing my GE Defrost Sensor (White Cylinder) - WR55x10025
,
it measured 14.16 kOhms at 32 Degrees F and 3.66 kOhms at around 85 degrees F which was close to a chart I found at From
Richard Laney yes, I agree - sounds like the sensor is fine. Good work.
Replace your control board and you’re in good shape. Let me know if you run in to any snags along the way. Thanks!
Fantastic video. Do you have a video or information about the control circuit for the compressor?
Hey Eric,
The only one I've got currently is how to test the compressor with a meter. It will tell you if your compressor motor is shot or shorted out.
th-cam.com/video/XtntMGfU2Vc/w-d-xo.html
If it passes that test, you can test voltage coming in to the relays which will be 2 wires. If your condenser fan is turning your compressor should also be running at the same time. So, you should have 120vac to those two wires leading to the compressor relays.
If you do have voltage there, your control board is doing its job. If your compressor checks out, you've got voltage to those wires, it's the relays that plug on to the compressor that have failed.
I hope that helps. Let me know if you have any questions.
I'm only getting 3 ohms on the heater/thermostat test so I assume one of the two parts is bad. Is there a way to test the thermostat only? Both parts are very inexpensive, so I guess I'm just curious at this point. Thanks for the great video!
Hey, yes 3ohms sounds low to me as well.
Like you mention I'd replace both either way.
They are both in series with themselves, so without taking the heater out of the circuit first, you aren't able to test independently from the board.
Hope that helps! Andy
When checking resistance, the yellow wire (fresh food) sensor read 7.4 but the white wire (freezer temp sensor) and the brown wire (defrost sensor) both read Ol. Does this mean the sensor is bad or is it the control board that’s bad?
Do you have to let the fridge defrost all the back up ice before do that bypass to heat the defrost heater?
No, it's is fine to do it when iced up. You can use this method to thaw the ice off. Obviously do not leave the jumper wire on except for test purposes. Thanks
Excellent explanation!
Thanks for this video. I am trying to diagnose my side by side not defrosting. My fridge has a a defrost test mode and it did make the coil glow when I entered test mode. Does this suggest that the board is fine but the thermostat on the coil is bad? I cut the coil off to test it in ice water. I can not get it to show Resistance or continuity. Also, The wiring harness and connector on the control board have burn marks on the defrost wire. I plugged it in and tested the wire for continuity and it works. Would these burn marks indicate the board is bad? It is just some discoloration inside of the translucent wiring harness.
Brad Strawn hey Brad,
Please send the model number for your fridge.
If you have it in defrost test mode, that tells the control board to send 120vac to the defrost heater. You can test for this voltage from the control board to verify the control board is doing its job.
If yes, you’d move to the connections at the defrost heater, if you have voltage there, the board is good, the defrost thermostat is good, but either the wiring or heater has failed.
As for the defrost thermostat not having continuity, there are some that must get very cold before closing and often ice water is not cold enough. Inspect the thermostat to see if the case had swelled up and the plastic base on the metal thermostat has bulged out.
There also cheap enough that I would recommend replacing it while you have it out.
The heater itself often will look burned inside the glass tube (if that’s your design) and does not mean it’s bad necessarily. You should read resistance across the two heater terminals. The burned terminal does sound suspect and may be related to a failed thermostat by causing it to stay in for too long. Just speculation.
Let me know what you find with the voltage tests. Thanks!
It is a Frigidaire FRS26LF7DSB. Looking at the thermostat carefully, the rear looks rather melty with texture variations. Definitely signs of getting hot. Everything else looks good.
Brad Strawn I’d definitely start there and replace the defrost thermostat.
I’ve seen many many failed thermostats on Frigidaire specifically. Often once they fail, the heater stays on too long and I’ve seen where the lining of the inside of the freezer near the heater actually turns yellow, melts and deforms that area! Scary!
If that doesn’t work, I can walk you through how to test the voltage at the control board, but sounds like you’ve nailed it just using your eyeballs. Good job!
Andy
Thank you, great video.. Now I know what to check for power.. my display is out completely.. I have a fridgeadare, but it looks basically the same..
So I had a repairman come out to fix my defrost problem. He installed a new heater and evap fan. The coils still ice up. I went ahead and replaced the thermostat myself, and it still seems like the heater won't come on. I don't get continuity in the heater circuit. Even went so far as to take the thermostat out of the loop and jumped the two wires that lead to it with a wire nut.
When I tried jumping the power wires on the control board, the heater would not turn on. What could I be missing? There's one strange thing - the orange wire that leads to the thermostat seems to be "burnt" inside - not shiny copper like the other pink wire. Could that be causing the open reading during the continuity test?
Thanks!
Hey Derek,
Sorry to hear about the troubles with the defrost issues.
First, take an OHM reading across the heater terminals to just make sure the heater is in fact good.
But, you've done the right steps it sounds like. Taking the thermostat out of the circuit was smart (obviously not something to leave that way) but it rules it out as the culprit.
It sounds like a bad connection issue to me. Or, a broken wire in the circuit.
You could confirm that the wires are good this way, with the fridge unplugged, disconnect the wires from the heater and connect them via another piece of wire. Then, try the continuity test from the board again. If you then have continuity - the wiring to the heater is good.
Also, check this - even I have had this happen to me before...
When you plug the wires back in to the heater terminals - they can infact insert without having seated on the terminals. They slide in right next to the terminal, but feel like they slid home with no problem.
Just my initial thoughts.
Let me know what you find and I am happy to dig in to it further if you can't get it sorted.
Thanks!
Andy
Thanks for the response Andy!
I ended up tracing the wires. When I put a new light bulb in and it didn't light up, I new something was up. After removing the ice maker assembly and the upper rear cover, I discovered that the wiring harness wasn't plugged in! So much for the quality repair job that I paid for.
Anyway, after that, continuity was great. Jumped the power terminal and the heater fired right up. Everything is back to normal now.
Always suspect the human element first!
Hi and thanks for your previous response, your videos are great and very helpful. I have run into a snag here and could really use your advice . I have replaced the high limit defrost thermostat and the defrost heating element, also replaced all the sensors in the fridge and freezer . The freezer coil is still freezing up and it seems like the defrost heater is not coming on. I tested the circuits as you showed and have continuity when the defrost thermostat is taken out of the loop and wires tied - as described in previous comment. Do you think I could have gotten a bad thermostat, or should I maybe look into replacing the motherboard ?
Hey, just to confirm that we're talking about the same part, you replaced the defrost sensor (small white cylender with 2 wires on the top of the evaporator) is that right?
I agree, it does sound like you need a new control board.
www.graceappliancediy.com/collections/frontpage/products/ge-wr55x10942-refrigerator-main-control-board
Thanks and let me know if you have any questions!
Andy
@@GraceAppliance Yes, replaced the sensors, thermostat and defrost heater. It was working normal for about 2 weeks and now it seems to be running longer, not cycling and the back is freezing up again so I'm guessing thats how long it takes for the coils to freeze over if the heater isn't coming on. I'm not sure but the motherboard is the last thing and also the most epensive. I did a visual inspection of it and all looks ok - no burns or blown up capacitors. Any easy way to test it ? Seems strange because everything else on the fridge is working fine,- is this a common problem ?
hey William,
Yes it’s common unfortunately. Even with no visible signs of failure, the relays can fail internally and may work intermittently or simply not keep the freezer in defrost for a long enough period of time. This causes the coils to not fully defrost, then the frost builds up gradually over a period of days usually but perhaps weeks too.
There’s only 4 defrost components that can possibly fail, and In your case you’ve replaced the other 3 already. So, (making the assumption all connections are ok) the last remaining suspect is the control board. There isn’t any further test you can do as GE does not have a force defrost option for this board. We know it is the board however from process of elimination.
Let me know if you have any questions!
Andy
@@GraceAppliance Ok - Thanks for all your help, keep up the good work !
Generally, How long can I use a jumper wire to force a defrost of my fridge? I read that using the numerical code (00 04) on the front LEDs forces a defrost. Mine gets a 'P' for pass I presume.
Awesome video! Would you consider making videos like this on troubleshooting Samsung refrigerators? Or do you already have one. Thanks
Hey Mr. Tinieblas, I have not yet. I started my channel as 100% dedicated to GE side by side refrigerators, but have recently started branching out to other types of appliances to make it a more general appliance repair channel.
Samsung refrigerators are near the top of my list for upcoming appliances, but don't own one currently which is why they haven't been done yet.
So, be sure to subscribe and stay tuned.
Thanks for watching! Andy
My bottom freezer refrigerator is made by Kenmore .Both the freezer and fridge are getting warm, frozen food were melting. tried to locate the defrost timer, but couldn't. I would wonder if the electronic control board already has the defrost timer by itself on the board.
Hi V,
Typically if you have a control board, this would act as your defrost timer.
If you'd like to send your model number I could confirm this.
Are you seeing excessive frost build up inside the freezer?
Thanks! Andy
Greetings. If I repair the power supply to the card and feed it with the 120 volts from the network on the work table, the relays should sound, correct? I already have the twelve and the five volts. check and there is no short or low consumption in any other component. Because the fridge is in another city and I want to go safely. Unless you need the sensors, but I still think that the relay should sound. Thanks.
Hello, I have an 18-year old whirlpool refrigerator model GS6NBEXRS00. It is not defrosting. I replaced the defrost thermostat but the old one actually tested ok. I have a 25 Ohms resistance on the heating element, so I believe it is good. What do you think is the problem? 1) Freezer sensor/thermistor (where is this on my ref?) 2) Adaptive defrost control board (where is this on my ref?) 3) Or the main control board (where is this on my ref?). It looks this the control boards for my ref are no longer available, so maybe just replace the whole ref with a new one. Kindly advise. Thanks
Hey, loved the vid. I'm an commercial electrician n started my own company n I get calls to fix appliances n some I can just use basic principles to fix. I'm on a ge side by side refrigerator that continues to go to 27 degrees n freezing everything in the fridge side. Checked everything but this heater u are talking about. Could this b my issue? Again thanks for any help
Hey Michael, you're most welcome.
No, a defrost issue will cause warm temps on both sides. So, you're good there.
If the freezer is around 0F and keeping things rock solid frozen the freezer is OK. Compressor, refrigerant and fans are likely good too.
The most suspect issues would be a failed damper door (which can break or freeze open) or a faulty fridge temp sensor. Some models utilize a temp sensor as part of the damper motor as well so just be aware.
I have a video called testing and replacing a defrost sensor which also includes the temp sensors which should help.
If you leave a door open for 3 minutes this will activate the damper door closed. This will help you rule out a stuck damper door.
Let me know if you have any questions.
Thanks!
Andy
Andy, I have a blown fuse on my GE circuit board which keeps my fridge from defrosting, what size is the fuse? Circuit board is a 200D4850G013. I changed the heating element and thermostat, glass fuse is definitely blown.
Jar Head hi, I am sorry to say I am not sure of the size. I can say that a fridge should not pull more than 15A during normal operation. But, this may not equate to a safe fuse to use on your board. Sorry I couldn’t be more help.
@@GraceAppliance that's ok, I I appreciate your help, and your videos they're very helpful. Keep up the good work
I did as you said trying to jump out the defrost heater. When I did so,I did also a direct test for AC voltage at the defrost heater wiring connects, at the tube connectors. Tube unplugged. I only got 93 vac shouldn't It read 117 vac as what my input volts are, when I measured the voltage at the (Blue) plug. J8 & J11 If my thinking is correct, it seems it should be. If not, please explain. Humm ? Also I noticed that my defrost thermostat button relay was popped out. Is this possible without some damage to it. The black insulated part of it was protrude. So I pushed it back in. Is it shot ? Is my control board history?I'm just perplexed as to mostly the voltage drop.Thank You !!
Charles Malinoski hi Charles,
I’m sorry, I am not following the part you are talking about when you say button relay. Is it on the control board itself?
You’re right, it should read close to 110vac-115vac. 93vac does seem low with this particular test.
With the fridge unplugged, You can remove the two terminals at the defrost heater and perform and Ohm / resistance test and you should get about 20-40ohms of resistance there. If so, the heater is good.
GE Side-by-Side ONLY - Refrigerator Repair Videos Thanks I did do a continuity test thru the glass element. What I meant by the button relay. Is the bi/metal switch that is attached to what I believe is part of the suction line. On the very top of the evaporator. You may call it a defrost limit or thermostat. It is on the right side top,tucked towards the back of evaporator. It's clipped on. Ha !! I said button because it resembles a shiny silver button,with a clip to attach it. To the piping. Defrost (High Limit) thermostat. Think it may be done for. What do you feel? That low voltage issue tho🤷♂️ We do have what I've always felt was a rather low supply voltage from our electric company. 117-121 max thru out our home. But everything until now has always worked. Thank you again.
Charles Malinoski thanks, that makes sense now. Thanks.
So, yes if yours is a GE side by side fridge this part is in fact a high limit thermostat. Designed as a safety device to prevent the heater from overheating.
It is wired in line to the heater. So, if this part fails your heater will not come on.
The plastic portion of the thermostat shouldn’t protrude from the silver portion. I’d definatly replace this part and this should solve your problem.
I don’t often see these fail unless there is another underlying issue that may be keeping the heater on for too long. You will also need to check the defrost sensor (a small white pill looking part attached to the top of the evaporator) this part dictates how long the freezer stays in defrost. The resistance changes based on temperature, but at room temp should be about 5ohm and at 36F should be around 14.xxohm.
I have a video on what pins to check at the control board so you don’t have to cut it out of the harness. It’s called ‘testing and replacing a defrost sensor’.
Let me know if you have any questions!
Andy
GE Side-by-Side ONLY - Refrigerator Repair Videos Yes indeed. I'm going to order the limit tonight. I did do an Ohms reading this morning on all sensors throughout my unit. They were all within spec. I figured the limit would need to be replaced. And yes its inline with the heater. Hey I want to thank you for your patience and help. You have an awesome site going on here. Oh and guess what.I 'm a tech too. But I don't do small appliance work. Mostly industrial and commercial Hvac / Certified. So from me, your that guy. Much appreciated/ Peace !!!
Charles Malinoski you’re most welcome! Stay in touch!
Great set of videos! Really well done. You show a circuit schematic in the video, can you post a link so we can download the schematic?
I'm sorry I don't have a link to this. If you'd like to email me your model number to Graceappliance@gmail.com I am happy to take a look to see if I can find your tech sheet which will have this.
What issue are you having with your fridge?
Such easy to follow instructions.. Thank you once again Andy. Where are you located?
Hi. GE Eterna S/S ESS22XGMD WW model here. I have a defrost issue where the coils freeze and then the fridge side stops cooling. I replaced the defrost heater and high limit therm. Still have the same issue. When I test the blue and orange wires for resistance when the coils are defrosted, it shows about 22 ohms, which should indicate those 2 components are working correctly; however the coils still freeze up. When I test the blue and orange connections when the coils are frozen, it does not test correctly (OL)- indicating an issue with the heater or thermo. Why would it test good at room temp, but not when its frozen up? I've jumped the heater and it will turn on. I've also tested the thermistors and they all test normal. I'm thinking the new high limit thermostat I installed is bad? Other thoughts?
I replaced the heater, the sensor, and the thermostat but the heater still won't turn on when it's frosting up the coils. I jumped the 120v relay and the heater turned on. Does it mean the Control board is bad? Can I leave the jumper on forever?
My fan is sputtering. I replaced my old fan because it was no longer running. The new fan would not run but only 1/10 of a turn every 2 seconds. I returned it and got a new one with the same issue. Could this be because of the board, wiring, or something else?
I jumped to force defrost on my GE fridge, element heats fine, but the compressor and fans also ran during this forced mode... Normal?
Replaced the board, so I was just running tests on components, therefore freezer interior was at room temp for forced jump test, not sure if that played a role.
yes, if the fridge is running and you jumper it the compressor and fans have no idea it has been manually jumpered
Andy, got a GE Side by Side GSH25JFXNBB not cooling either compartment. Replaced relay on compressor. All fans are running. Do you think it's the board?
Hi, sorry to hear about that!
It does sounds like a control board failure, but couldn't rule out a failed compressor with out a few tests.
The easiest will be to check for voltage at the two incoming wires to the relay. You should be getting 120v there. If not, it's a failed control board.
A quick test you could do to verify the compressor is good is to temporarily install a jumper wire from the incoming board power straight to the compressor circuit.
It's done in the same fashion as I show in this video except you'd attach the jumper to the far left terminal vs the middle terminal as shown in this video.
You'd be working with the light blue plug at the bottom left of the control board. You'd unplug the fridge, install the jumper between the far right terminal and the far left terminal on the light blue plug (this would leave a single terminal in the middle which is untouched) then restore power to the fridge and you should hear your compressor run and can rule out the compressor and relays as the issue. Of course, uninstall the jumper once verified.
Then, you could order the board and know that you're good to go.
If you order your part through Amazon please click on the link in the description, which doesn't cost you any additional but helps the channel a lot. Thanks and let me know if you have any questions. Andy
You just helped me out tremendously. Thanks so much!
@@burrowsandco You're most welcome! Glad to help in a small way. Don't hesitate if you hit any snags.
@1:50 we see a chart with readings like 21 ohms. Where can I get this sheet ?
Do all the components for this motherboard use AC or DC power? When you jumpered out the defrost heater where you using 120v AC power or 12v DC power?
Commander the jumper is sending 120vac to the defrost circuit. The board is actually split, the lower half being 120vAC voltage and upper half using 13vdc.
Things like the fan motors, touch panels, etc are going to be DC. Things like the compressor, lights, auger motors, icemaker, etc will be 120vac.
I hope that helps.
@@GraceAppliance if I test a DC component with a multimeter set on AC will it hurt the multimeter since they are mixed together on the motherboard? do you have any videos on how to test and replace touch panels?? that would really help me out!
Commander more than likely it wouldn’t do any damage, but it’s good practice to use caution in that respect. More advanced meter have auto sensing ac/dc which is super nice.
The only video I have for touch panels would be this one. I hope it helps.
th-cam.com/video/ViFpwH6_WrM/w-d-xo.html
Very detailed appreciate the share
Hi There: After replace deforst heater, freezer temp is only approach 32 F, i did power unplug, and wait 5 min, plug back, nothing improve. following your instruction test main board, that was 20.5 Ω, not 21, or 22. is it too low ? is this root cause freezer couldn't make under 32F ? should i change main control baord ? please advice. GE Refrigerator GSH25JSXNSS , Defrost Heater part #: WR51X10055. Thanks
Question... I thought my control board was bad so I replaced it. 8 days later the freezer coils froze over. Last night I pulled everything apart and cut the Temperature sensor out (i thought this had already been replaced so I didn't think about it) and tested it in cold water with ice and I got 8 ohms of resistance. I bought a new Temp Sensor this morning and tested it and got 14 ohms of resistance. Is it safe to say that my Temp Sensor was bad?
Also, my coils that heat up when I jump the hot to the coils with a jumper wire don't turn red and glow but they do get really hot and when the ice melts and drips on the coils, you hear the water sizzle. Is it safe to say these work correctly?
Hey, I agree that the temp sensor was bad. Should be 14k ohms as you mention.
The heater if you have a GE side by side has a glass tube style heater. This should in fact glow orange when power is applied to it.
You should be getting 120v ac to the 2 plugs when energized. If not, I’d suspect a failed high limit thermostat (orange and brown wire) which is run in line with the heater. If you are getting 120vac to the heater, but still not glowing orange then I’d replace the heater.
I should have mentioned I have a GE bottom freezer - not side by side. GE Refrigerator PDS20SCRALSS
Should that glow orange?
No, these will not glow orange, but will certainly get hot enough to burn you. Sounds like yours is working appropriately though.
Standing ovation. Excellent video.
Thanks very much! Glad it helped.
I totally agree. Fantastic explanation. Keep up the good work Andy
hi , thanks for this great explanations , im portuguese and would like to ask you something if you ofcorse can opinion me ....i have a great friedge since about 4 years but now he start to shutt off by himself , so i turn him on again and after about 1 hour he works but then shutt off , the friedge work fine for 1 hour and then shutt off !! migth be a bad board ? thanks again
Quick question - about how often should the defrost heater come on, with temp controls set at 5 - 5 ? Daily, weekly, longer ?
There's no set answer as it's what's called adaptive defrost and only defrosts when it's needed. It bases it an temperatures, compressor run time, how many times the door has been opened, etc etc.
But one or twice a day is not out of the ordinary with normal use I'd think.
Great video's !!! I still have an additional unanswered Question??? regarding a evaporator fan that is intermittent and once off can only be restarted manually. Is this problem attributed to a bad fan motor or a tachometer signal issue rooted within lP.C. control board?
I'm still looking for an answer before replacing evaporator fan or control board.
DOES SOMEONE HAVE AN ANSWER.
Bad motor
Hi, I've jumped the board but the resistence did'nt go red. I tested the continuity of the resistence, and it's ok. When de fridge was cold, I've tested the continuity at the control board, and the result was 46. I don't know what is going on on my fridge.
Olá sou do Brasil você sabe me dizer qual a placa de controle correta da side by side GE PSZ26SHSA? Eu não tenho a placa e estou precisando do código dela.
What type of multi meter should I use?
Hi Andy, my ohms resistance is 27.5. Is this too high? I have already changed thermostat and thermistor and tested heater
I tested it again and it was 29 ohms. I tempporarily jumped the pins and the heater did come on
Hi there thank you so much. I read 39.6 ohms between Def and Neutral. Is it too high?
Sounds normal to me. Thanks!
What would be the symptoms? I dont know how to do all those.
Hello
When I did the test, testing the heating, it showed 0. Does this mean that the heater core is broken?
Hi DootDoot, Sorry for the slow reply. I didn't get a notification for some reason.
It sounds like you have continuity so long as it changes from OL to 0, but that the settings may be set too high on your meter. For instance if you have it set to 2000 OHMs and we're looking for 22OHMs it doesn't register.
If you have 3 recepticle plugs you can plug your leads in to (I hope that makes sense - 3 different holes on the meter) make sure that the black lead is in the hole labeled COM and the red lead should be in the hole which has the OHM symbol.
Set the OHM level (i.e. 200, 2000, etc.) to the 200 setting if you have this.
Let me know what you're seeing on your side. Also, what is the brand and model of the meter you have which will help me in giving my response.
Thanks!
Andy
I have a 27 year old GE with new defrost heaters & wireing, new tstat clamped onto the evap. new timer and I know it's defrosting because I heard it crackling like they do, but the bottom of the evaporator still manages to ice up over a couple of weeks. What do I do next?
Wayne Harropson hey, if it’s the style where you have 2 defrost heaters (one at the bottom and one about midway up the evaporator) it might be that the bottom heater isn’t coming on. I’d disassemble to get eyeballs on the heater, you’ll have a notch in the defrost timer that you can manually advance with a flat blade screw driver, turn it slowly until you hear an audibly louder click and this will send voltage to your heaters. Verify that they’re both glowing orange.
Did you use GE OEM parts for the defrost timer and the thermostat?
Only other thought I have is that if aftermarket parts were used, perhaps the thermostat cycling temperature is incorrect or the defrost timer is not the appropriate length of time.
Let me know what you find. Thanks! Andy
How would you change your high limit therm? Seems like My heater is on too long or too hot
Please provide your model number.
Do you have some videos on Samsung French door models? I have no 120vac going to the fridge htr while on force defrost, I do have voltage going to the freezer htr. New sensor, htr, and control board. Same thing. I’m wondering if the Inv. Board has something to do with those individual circuits?
Hey, you also have a high limit thermal fuse that could be failed.
These are sometimes integrated as part of the heater, but other times a separate part. You can ohm test these fuses and should have roughly 0.03-0.08 if it's good.
But I don't have any videos on this in sorry. Hope it's helpful for you.
There is a thermal fuse harness in the Evap area.
Thank you VERY MUCH for your fast reply.
The one integrated with the htr is in series with the new htr
Hi, I'm new. So if I measure for continuity between the blue and orange wires and read OL does that mean my defrost heater is bad? Strange because I replaced it new the other day.
Hi Anthony, it could be the heater or the high limit thermostat. They are both on the same circuit so it's not possible to tell which from the board.
You'd need to get access to the heater inside the freezer. If you have continuity with the heater (and the connections are OK) you would then replace the high limit thermostat.
www.graceappliancediy.com/products/general-electric-wr50x10068-refrigerator-defrost-thermostat?_pos=2&_sid=2edb8f38a&_ss=r
Let me me know if you have any questions. Thanks!
@@GraceAppliance update. Foundout there is continuity among both the hi limit sensor and the heater. Plugged everything in and still gets frosted from the inside. Been a few days, so I am guessing the control board isn't telling the heater to heat up am I right? At which poing needs ti be replaced.
ANTHONY NGUYEN the only two remaining parts if you’re having defrost issues are the control board and the defrost sensor on top of your evaporator coil. This is the part that tells the board when to go in to defrost.
I have a video called testing and replacing a defrost sensor which should help determine which it is. Also, you can look for a burned solder joint on the back side of your control board which is sometimes the issue based on your symptoms. Let me know if you have any questions.
Thanks!
Andy
@@GraceAppliance thanks for the reply. I believe my model is a GE PSS26SGRCSS. All I have is the defrost sensor and defrost heater. I believe the connections coming from the control board goes to the defrose sensor then to the heater and returns back to the board making a closed circuit system. I will replace the defrost sensor which sits ontop of my evap coil. I strongly lean towards the control board being the likely culprit, but what are your thoughts?
ANTHONY NGUYEN hey Anthony,
No, the defrost sensor (wr55x10025) should have continuity from the board, but changes the Ohm reading (I.e. resistance) based on temperature. There isn’t a way to say if the board is good or bad without measuring the sensor with a meter and knowing the current temperature of the sensor.
If you wanted to switch this part without testing, which is fairly inexpensive and still are having issues you will know for sure it’s your board that’s giving you issues.
www.graceappliancediy.com/products/general-electric-wr55x10025-refrigerator-temperature-sensor-1?_pos=1&_sid=9ed8d531d&_ss=r
Hi Andy, can you tell me what controls the start of the defrost heat cycle, I know the high limit thermo turns it off but mine is not coming on - and this is after replacing the control board, thermostat, and all of the sensors. I mentioned in a previous post that the heater will come on when jumping the wires on the control board but only when the thermostat is removed from the loop, so I know the heater itself works, - is there some other turn-on sensor I'm missing ? I'm ready to roll it outside and use it for target practice. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
Hey William,
At room temperature (or colder) jumping the heater circuit as I've shown should cause the heater to turn on.
If it does not, but only with the high limit thermostat removed, it would indicate a failed high limit thermostat or poor connection at that thermostat.
Make sure that the appropriate part has been installed. This is not a defrost thermostat, but rather a safety cutoff in case the heater were to stick on. So, anything under say 130F, should have continuity with a meter.
This is what should be installed:
www.graceappliancediy.com/products/ge-wr50x10068-defrost-thermal-limiter-for-ge-refrigerators-not-a-defrost-thermostat
@@GraceAppliance Thanks - I used the online manual to order by part number and location but I will double check to make sure its the one you are showing,- maybe they sent the wrong one or its defective. Thanks again
@@williamnuzzo5071 good deal. Let know if you have any questions. It should have a brown and orange wire.
Actually the HSMGFT25asa can be forced into defrost mode via the front panel buttons: set the 4 temp buttons 5 5 and push all 4 buttons at once for 3 sec, they will blink, now type in 1 4 and hit cubed ice button (or any other button they say), it will fire up the defrost heater, its glowing orange now finally; so that confirms that the heater and def therm is ok, must be some other problem (maybe temp sensor thermistors or main board? it will deactivate after 15 min or perhaps unplug replug or code 1 5 or 1 6, then cubed ice button.. Thanks for reply:: makes me miss the venerable DF timer which could be turned to on with screwdriver. I ordered a low cost board and will just swap them to be sure whats really going on. I noticed there is a fuse on the board just to the left of where you jumped the DF , is it possible that is the problem with the DF circuit part of the board. FYI: I called GE answer center, and they said that all they can recommend is unplug wait a minute, replug in. I asked her if she knew where the diagnostic codes for use with the 4 front temp buttons were (table2), she didn't know. I know where it is but can't find the manual that avail to public its: 31-9072 GE Profile Side-by-Side Refrigerator Service Manual
* 31-9072 Arctica Profile GE Side-by-Side Refrigerator Service Manual (pages 35- ).pdf (66.66 kB - downloaded 2241 times.), maybe you can get it down and at least post the code for the DF part of the circuit.
Hey, the fuse you mention do cause problems sometimes, but if that fuse blows, the entire board doesn't get power, not just the defrost function.
Best of luck and let me know if you have any questions.
Thanks!
John Doe
6 hours ago (edited)
Actually the HSMGFT25asa can be forced into defrost mode via the front panel buttons: set the 4 temp buttons 5 5 and push all 4 buttons at once for 3 sec, they will blink, now type in 1 4 and hit cubed ice button (or any other button they say), it will fire up the defrost heater, its glowing orange now finally; so that confirms that the heater and def therm is ok, must be some other problem (maybe temp sensor thermistors or main board? it will deactivate after 15 min or perhaps unplug replug or code 1 5 or 1 6, then cubed ice button.. Thanks for reply:: makes me miss the venerable DF timer which could be turned to on with screwdriver. I ordered a low cost board and will just swap them to be sure whats really going on. I noticed there is a fuse on the board just to the left of where you jumped the DF , is it possible that is the problem with the DF circuit part of the board. FYI: I called GE answer center, and they said that all they can recommend is unplug wait a minute, replug in. I asked her if she knew where the diagnostic codes for use with the 4 front temp buttons were (table2), she didn't know. I know where it is but can't find the manual that avail to public its: 31-9072 GE Profile Side-by-Side Refrigerator Service Manual
* 31-9072 Arctica Profile GE Side-by-Side Refrigerator Service Manual (pages 35- ).pdf (66.66 kB - downloaded 2241 times.), maybe you can get it down and at least post the code for the DF part of the circuit. This manual is very very close but instead of F for fail, it gives code of 0, & they are not in the order dictated by the manual. @@GraceAppliance
@@InventPeace1 yes, it confirms the heater, high limit thermostat are both good. It also likely means the board is good as your relay works fine. I'd swap the defrost sensor on top of the evaporator and you should be good to go.
Nice work!
yes I did take the one good sensor on the freezer bottom and put it on the top (evap), that allowed it to turn off yesterday, today I got a new temp sensor in and put in the bottom, now the 0 7 diagnosis test from table2 gives something like 0-1,P-2, P-3,P-4, & 2-5. I think the 0 means Fail or not there, the 3 P's go to the 3 temp sensors (p-3 is the bottom freezer, changed from 0-3 to P-3), and the 2-5 I have no idea except some models have 4 temp sensors so maybe it means not there. This HSm model is very similar to this manual for the Pss and Gss models but the codes come out a bit different, I got no F ever so I think the 0 means fail? Anyway its making ice and acting more or less normal but fingers still crossed on whether the Def Htr comes on or not. Will let you know, thanks for your help immensely ! And Cheers to UncleHarrys website where I found the manual with the fabled "Table2" . @@GraceAppliance
@@GraceAppliance The fridge gets cold as usual, the fridge runs seemingly all the time? Wondering if one of the temp sensors that "passed with a P" is bad? The fan inside the freezer seems to lope? what do you think? thanks.
Hi Andy. Thank you very much for your videos. i have conducted most of the test you recommend because I'm having the classic defrost issues of freezer and frig not cooling to proper levels, no ice being made and frost build up on back freezer wall. I get no continuity on the defrost heater/high limit thermostat (in your #3 video, the orange & blue wire test) however I do get continuity on the defrost sensor test. A reading of 4 on frig, 6 on the freezer and another 4 on the defrost sensor. My questions are: 1.should I replace both the defrost heater and the high limit thermostat? 2. Are both easy to replace and 3. how do I determine which part numbers to purchase since you links seem to show different parts? I have model #GSH25JSRFSS Thanks a million!!!!!!
Gary Reaves hey Gary,
So, doing the heater / high limit test from the board will not tell you which part is bad, but for sure you’ve got a failed heater or a failed high limit thermostat (less common to fail)
In order to tell which has failed, You’d need to disassemble the freezer and test the heater directly at the terminals where the wires plug in. If you do need a heater, your fridge needs this one:
www.graceappliancediy.com/products/new-upgraded-wr51x10055-defrost-heater-enhanced-durability-with-metal-shield-replacement-part-by-blue-stars-exact-fit-for-ge-kenmore-refrigerators-replaces-ap3183311-914088-ah303781-ea303781
If the heater tested good, you would need to replace the high limit:
www.graceappliancediy.com/products/general-electric-wr50x10068-refrigerator-defrost-thermostat
But, since you’re in there and the parts are cheap enough, you may consider replacing the defrost sensor as well. I usually do all 3 if I do a heater because the parts cost is not that much extra for my customer and they’re better off in the long run. Yours sounds fine, but at $9, I’d recommend it.
Defrost sensor:
www.graceappliancediy.com/products/general-electric-wr55x10025-refrigerator-temperature-sensor-1
I hope this helps and let me know if you have any questions.
Hello Andy. Thanks for the quick response. I'll take your advise and do all 3 since they are inexpensive. I see your video on replacing the sensor. Do you have any on the heater and/or thermostat or are they fairly simple enough to do without help? I appreciate your help!!
@@garyreaves5012 hey, I don't do a lot on install/disassembly but focus more on the diagnosis aspect of all of it. But, it is straight forward. The heater has 2 wires that unplug, 2 Philips head screws, it lifts up slightly and it's out.
The high limit is 2 wires which you will cut out, strip the wires and attach the new high limit in the same location.
Now, you technically can use wore ties, but it's recommended to put silicone inside the wire tires after assembly or my preference is to solder them in place and use that shrink tubing that you shrink up with a lighter.
That's all there is to it though. Not hard though.
And, should I replace both freezer sensor and frig sensor or just freezer sensor? I assume there is only 1 high limit thermostat also??
@@garyreaves5012 hey, only the 1 high limit thermostat.
The sensors you have are one freezer temp sensor, the fridge temp sensor (sometimes 2) and one defrost sensor.
I'd recommend only the defrost sensor which is located on top of the evaporator.
My ge side by side refrigerator gsl25jfxblb Evaporator fan is running the wrong way if the fan motor is bad would this cause the problem
i bought a new dual defrost from amazon and it burned up again , do you think this is a defective part or should i look at something else?
thanks
Hey, it sounds like the heater is staying on too long.
It could be a stuck relay on the control board, a stuck high limit thermostat or a failed defrost sensor.
I’d put them in that order for likely failure.
The defrost sensor and thermal fuse are both cheap and easy enough to get to while changing out the heater. I’d replace both while replacing the
While replacing the heater. I’d then closely examine the heater while the compressor is running and make sure that the heater is in fact turning off when the compressor runs. It should never be glowing when the compressor runs. If it does cut off, you can rule out the stuck relay on the board.
ok , will do , im ordering a new defrost heater from your link .
i took the control board appart , i carefully examined all the signs of being a bad board and there are no visible signs of being bad.
despite all of this can the board still be bad? would a stuck on the board mean that i need a new board.
thanks for responding , didnt think you would 👍 🙏👍
@@andresmoreyra1050 hey, you're most welcome and appreciate you ordering through the link. Thats super helpful.
So, stuck relays are quite difficult to diagnose as there is no viable signs and the only symptom is that you'd be getting voltage to the defrost circuit when it should be off. It would mean a new board is in order. This is why to me it makes the most sense to start with the cheapest things first and then fingers crossed won't need a board.
Keep me posted if you have any questions or troubles!
Andy
One trick to diagnose a stuck relay is, if you catch it while it's acting up, you can gently tap on the relay on the board with a screw driver handle. Many times this will break it free and the voltage then cuts off as it should. It will sometimes work and other times not, but if it does cut off at that point, it's verified your diagnosis and you can sleep better at night knowing you nailed it.
A stuck relay, if you were able to break it free is on its way out and the board would need replacement either way, but often may run for many weeks, months or years after, but can't be trusted anymore.
I hope that makes sense.
Can't this test only be done if the refrigerator has been running and is cold so that the high limit thermostat is closed?
Hey, the high limit thermostat opens at like 110+F (am not sure of the exact temp off hand) so we'll above room temp. If it's below that temp, the heater should turn on with this test.
@@GraceAppliance from my experience, I thought most defrost thermostats open around 47 degrees or so.
We're talking about different parts. They look the same in appearance, but have different functions.
A defrost thermostat will cycle around 45-55F. A high limit thermostat is a safety part designed to cut power to the heater if something is wrong, stuck relay for example. But it has nothing to do with when the defrost comes on or off.
@@GraceAppliance I'm talking about the part that is in line with the heater that is mounted on the top of the evaporator that cuts power to the heater when it reaches around 47 degrees or so. Some people call them defrost thermostat or some people call them a high limit.
@@brianseeney1364 those are 2 different parts. They're both in line with the heater, but serve different functions.
A side by side GE refrigerator with a control board has a defrost sensor and an adaptive defrost (control board) which turns on and off the heater based on the sensor feedback. This is what dictates when the defrost turns off and power is cut from the control board relay. The high limit thermostat (not a defrost cycling thermostat) is there in line with the defrost heater should the board have a stuck relay and thus continually send voltage to the heater. This is when the defrost high limit would cut power to the heater, in the event they there is run away temperature at the heater. This happens at much higher than 45-55F (usually around 130F).
A defrost thermostat, usually 45-55F is the mechanical on off switch for older defrost systems, non control board models usually. Older fridges would use a mechanical defrost timer vs a control board on newer styles.
The visual appearance of both parts are the same, but do not serve the same purpose.
Thanks!
My refrigerator was having defrost issues and I found out it was the defrost heater that was open. I replaced it and it's turning on now if I force it, but how can I be sure the thermostat is operating properly in order to turn the defroster on when it needs to?
Edit: So I just replaced both the defrost heater and the thermostat. Now the freezer is working properly but the refrigerator is only getting to about 45° in the bottom and 36° in the top. I emptied out the freezer again and it doesn't seem like there is too much frost buildup. The evaporator fan is working. I removed the little evaporator door/light thing in the fridge portion to see if that was obstructing flow, but that didn't seem to make a difference. Before I replaced the heater and thermostat the refrigerator seemed to be getting cold enough until too much frost built up on the coils. Although I didn't replace them, I tested the freezer thermistor to see if it was reading properly at different temperatures.
I'm at a loss of what to do.
Thank you for your video, I have a hotpoint HSM25GFTCSA side by side fridge will a WR50X10068 REPLACED wr50X10065 because I installed the 10068 and the freezer and fridge are not cooling enough and I feel there are to much heat coming out the evaporator vents when the heater defrost is on plus is melting the ice on the ice bin every day ,I will appreciated it you could give me an answer thank you again and be safe julian
Hi Julian,
The part you replaced does not dictate when the defrost comes on or for how long. It is a safety thermostat designed to only cut power to the heater if it’s gotten too hot. This is a very rare part to fail and is not your issue more than likely.
The other 3 remaining parts are, your defrost heater, the defrost sensor on top of the evaporator and the control board.
Please watch my video called how to test and replace a defrost sensor. You can do an ohm test on the 2 leads going to the heater and should get around 20 ohms of resistance. If both of these parts test good, it would be a bad control board.
I hope this helps,
Andy
Mr Andy first I want to thank you for your prompt and accurate response,that shows how serious and good you are as person and technician ,I forgot to tell you that when I change the defrost thermostat I also did the same with the sensor and heater,watching your video of how to check sensors,follow your clear explanation and after some troubleshooting change the freezer sensor again I think the fridge is getting the temperature that should be, once again thank you Mr Andy and have safe and too day
GOOD DAY
Julian Trujillo you’re most welcome. Please keep me posted should you have any further issues. Also id recommend using a legitimate GE sensor vs an aftermarket sensor as I’ve heard other having issues with aftermarket. There is not much of a savings in using an aftermarket sensor either so it’s worth the extra money. Thanks!
Mr Andy ,I still have issues with the evaporator fan running non stop and is freezing the auger motor,the temperature are 14F and 36F ,any suggestion I would appreciate it, thank you again and have a safe and a good day
Hi Andy, My son has a ge side by side. All frosted up in the freezer. Doing the test in the defrost circuit. Getting 26 ohms. Is that acceptable? Seems quite a bit higher than the 22 ohms you mention
Hey, yes that sounds good.
That's a good heater and high limit thermostat. This leaves the defrost sensor (see my video, how to test and replace a defrost sensor) or a failed control board.
You may start with visually examining the back side of the control board (with the fridge unplugged) for a burned solder joint which is a very common failure for these boards.
GE Side-by-Side ONLY - Refrigerator Repair Videos Andy, I changed both sensors in the freezer section, top one on the evaporator much easier than the one down in the left hand corner. The defrost sensor was incapsulated in ice and I was getting only 6 ohms on the sensor. I didn’t look at the back of the board to see if any soldering joints were burned. Defrosted then whole thing as well and it back to running. The defrost element got nice and red when I jumped it. We’ll see what happens.
Joseph Folsom hey, good work. It does sound like a failed sensor. You should be closer to 14k ohms if covered in ice. You should be good to go having changed that. Keep me posted on how it works for you. Andy
What does the defrost sensor actually accomplish if you have a terminating defrost thermostat?
The defrost sensor is the part that actually sends the signal to the board with the current evaporator temp. So, the board uses this feedback from the sensor to determine when and for how long to defrost.
However, the high limit thermostat is not a defrost thermostat. It’s a safety thermostat, designed to cut power to the heater should something go wrong and it overheats. (I.e. due to a failed defrost sensor or stuck relay on the board for instance)
It cuts power at 130F and won’t restore power until it drops below 110F.
I hope that helps.
Andy Hi ! My GE refrigerator 2 doors model PS123SCPABS S/N LF425289 wasn't running. I changed the main control board
Now the Refrigerator and Freezer are working , but the main panel inside is not lite As results of this I can't make any adjustment for temperature settings. THE UNIT IS RUNNING MORE 24 HOURS on and off automatically I ALSO SHUT THE MAIN BRAKER but no luck .Please help All your videos are excellent very educational God bless for good explanations,
Hello,
What is the part number on the box of the control board that you installed?
Thanks!
@@GraceAppliance
My new board GE WR55X10942 ASM-084691240-102 THANK YOU
Michael Babu hi, thanks!
So, your original part number was WR55X10314. The substitute part number that’s give for me is: wr55x10942P.
Now, I’m not sure if the updated part number ending in P would make a difference in your case, but just wanted to get you that info. I don’t believe it should make any difference. Also, I checked your serial number for the wiring modification I mentioned previously and yourself does not show it needs any modification.
I’d double check the board connections to make sure that each plug has been properly seated. I’ve seen where people will install the plug, but mistakenly got it plugged in 1 pin over to the right or left and have similar issues.
I’d start there. Let me know what you find. Thanks!
Hi Everybody, Welcome!
If you have technical questions please check out www.Patreon.com/GraceAppliance
By becoming a channel supporter, you'll get priority response to technical questions, technical data sheet requests, and help support the channel so I can produce more repair videos.
Thanks so much! Andy
Great job Andy......I asked some questions yesterday regarding French door bottom freezer GE pfs22mbwabb....can you
send me a response at sailncountry at yahoo, please.
Thank you
Doug
My GE side by side will achieve the ideal temp for freezer and refrig after about 7 days both sides stop cooling. I unplugged for several days and the plugged in the same thing happens again. In both attempts never frosts up. what do you suggest how to diagnose this?
Hey Patrick, it sounds from the symptoms to be a defrost issue. However, if you're not seeing excessive frost build up on the coils during the loss of cooling you can rule this out.
Does the compressor continue to run during the no cool period?
Also, what does the frost on the evaporator look like while its not cooling?
@@GraceAppliance Thanks for getting back so quickly. I do not see any frost buildup whatsoever. Not sure if the compressor running all the time. About to plug in and check again. I will observe the compressor and frost and let you know.
@@proza1957 The evaporator coil is hidden from sight. The frost would be building up on this coil which is located behind a white panel at the back of the freezer, just below the light bulb. Remove the shelves and two 1/4" screws holding the panel in place. The panel will slide up and out. Hope that helps.
Mine is freezing up to but I can't unplug to check the last time I unplugged it took two days to come back on
That sounds like a control board symptom to me. The defrost issue you're having may or may not be related to the board as well though.
@@GraceAppliance I don't think it the compressor I can take the back panel off throw water on it run a fan inside to melt ice and it would start to cool again for like four days than freeze back up
@@alanbaker8259 yes, that's a defrost issue.
Did you also say that of you unplug it, it wouldn't turn back on for days?
@@GraceAppliance yes..I looked at one of your video so unplugged it to check those things I plugged back in the interior light the only thing that came on..I left unplugged for two day then it started back to work
@@alanbaker8259
Leaving it unplugged let's the ice build up melt away naturally and ot will work as normal for a few days and then once the ice builds up again because of the defrost issue it will not get cold enough.
The issue will be either a failed control board, a defrost heater, defrost sensor, or high limit thermostat.
If you have multi meter, this video will walk you through how to test each part one by one.
Let me know if you have any questions.
hello, we have a problem with defrost heaters burning out as soon as they are replaced and kick in for the first time.. they start and then simply burn out. The defrost thermostat tests good L1140-30F, the temperature sensor tests good as well with appropriate ohms at certain temperatures. But the defrost heaters we get from internet burn out right away.. would this be main board issue or wiring issue, or using cheap parts from amazon instead of buying OEM defrost heater? WR51X10055 Thank you for help in advance.
Adam, very interesting!
I would suspect that this is due to parts vs an issue with the board or wiring.
However, I would want to confirm 110-120v to the heater, but have not seen an issue where a board would send more than this - assuming voltage at the wall is appropriate (120v).
That's where I'd start to rule out a short. However, if you had a short to ground (or Neutral) I would imagine it would trip the breaker long before this.
If you're getting 120v at the wires to the heater, I'd replace the heater with an OEM.
@@GraceAppliance I look at the main board. This fridge is old. The board is white but has same plugs as yours. Sadly my multimeter probes are not as tiny as yours. I decided to test the temperature sensors as you showed in your video. J1 plug. Since I’m unable to showed the probes in the plug, I touched the top of the plug where to connector is. To my surprise the Ohms were not matching the chart - on all 3 of the sensors. They were way off. Which is strange because I took two of them - cut them out from freezer - and tested them with glass of ice water and the ohms were matching just fine. What could cause the ohms not matching the chart by testing them from the board?
@@no-ONES-business hey, testing the thermistors while still installed on the fridge is always a bit difficult because the Ohm resistance is going to change based on temperature, obviously.
The difficulty comes in because it's sometimes tough to know the exact temperature at the evaporator - and often I simply use the ohm feedback as a rough guide. If the chart says it should be 80F, but I can clearly see it's covered in a solid block of ice - I know that's incorrect and a failed part obviously.
That is why it's recommended to stick the sensor in a glass of ice water because the ice water removes that variable for you. You know that it's between 34-36F. Where "room temperature" is more of a relative term.
However, if it's drastically off at room temperature, I would replace the sensor especially given how inexpensive they are.
@@andyf80 Hey Andy. Thank you for your replies. So I followed your instructions.. I took glass of cold water with ice. Then I unclipped the sensor from coils and submerged it in that icy water, and left it there for few minutes. Water temperature was 34-36F. I then moved to the board and followed with two tests... first one I unplugged the J1 plug and used the instruction as in your video with the J1 plug disconnected from bard - Black probe in 5th hole, and Red probe in 4th hole - I got almost perfect Ohms numbers (34-36F and around 13.60 kOhms which is close enough on the chart). I then plugged the J1 plug back into the board, and followed once again the same instructions where the Black probe went into 5th hole and Red probe into the 4th hole AND here is the confusion... the temperature of water was still 34-36F, BUT the kOhms were totally off.. during that test I got around 7.49 kOhms from that coil sensor. By the chart that is equivalent to around 60 to 64F temperature (and yet the water temp was only 34-36F). I then followed with the other two sensors remaining.. the bottom one in freezer and the last one in refrigerator. Same results discrepancies happened between when the J1 plug was disconnected from main board and kOhms and temps were perfect by the chart, and then totally off when I plugged the J1 back into board and tested temps sensors again. Is this an indicator of bad main board? Sensors are good and testing correctly when J1 is unplugged from board. Btw. the voltage on the board was 122V when tested, so the power is ok.
@@andyf80 one more thing… why did I test the sensors with J1 plug disconnected? I found this video and this guy disconnected it from the board: th-cam.com/video/7lxOqMjFtr4/w-d-xo.html
So truthfully I’m not sure which way is the correct way. One thing that is confirmed was that the sensors are testing correctly in kOhms with J1 plug disconnected.
Perfect! Thank you!
excelentes videos ya estoy suscrito 👍
muchas gracias. Estoy tan contento de que hayan ayudado.
What if you dont get a reading?
Thank you so much sir
Hi during the test as shown I am getting a reading of 85.7. Is this ok or is something wrong?
Hi Michael,
What is your model number?
There are 2 varieties of defrost heaters a 9" long heater as shown in this video, but also a shorter 6" heater (which is actually 2 separate heaters) that may have greater resistance. I'm not certain if the resistance of those heaters, but 80ish doesn't sound out of the ordinary either. I suspect it's a good heater.
I can look to see if I can look this up based on your model number if you can send that.
Thanks!
Hi Andy thanks for the quick reply. My model No is GCG23MISBFBB. Used the jumper cable and heater working fine. Mick. Northern Ireland 👍
My heater is also the two element version
Cool, nice work. You've ruled out your heater and high limit thermostat.
Be sure to watch the video on testing the defrost sensor and also visual control board inspection.
It's going to be either the board or defrost sensor that's your issue.
Let me know if you run in to any questions or issues.
Thanks!
Very informative tx
Thank you