I can’t thank you enough for this tutorial as a father that is the man of the house I was able to diagnose my fridge problem you helped me save money may god bless you ❤
This video was extremely helpful because it was very logically organized, and concisely and clearly explained. I did have two minor issues. First, you didn't explicitly and clearly identify the location of the wire harness. I believe it is visible in the upper left as viewed at 3:01 in the video. Second, the links to the other videos didn't appear to all show up when mentioned in the videos, nor did I find them in the header text. Hopefully, they are a quick youtube search away. Thanks again, this was great.
Thanks for your comments about our video. The wire harness in the freezer does plug into a connector at the top left corner on the back wall of the freezer compartment. You can see the video links by clicking the "I" in the top right hand corner of the video screen. We hope this information helps. If you need further assistance, let us know.
Thank you so much for the video Sir it’s great but I got mine Daewoo company it’s new but refrigerator doesn’t cold fan not running I put the new fan still doesn’t work but the freezer is working good what’s the problem?
I have a GE Monogram frige almost 20 years old. Refrigerator getting too warm f& bottom freezer too cold. The evaporator coil now ices up and when I defrost with a hair dryer everything's good until it ices up again at the end of the day and frige starts getting warmer. What parts do you suggest I replace?
I have a whirlpool side by side that intermittently stops cooling ice melts. If I unplug or change the cold settings to coldest it starts working again but will still intermittently stop cooling. Is there a way to tell if the thermostat is bad or getting stuck in defrost mode?
My Kitchenaid fridge and freezer compartments are not getting cold. I replaced the power relay switch already. Compressor, fans and capacitor are working. Within 5 mins of the compressor turning on, ice starts building up on the evaporator tube where it connects with the capillary tube. Do I have a blockage or restriction there and if so how do I fix it? If not what else could it be?
Don't blame your kids for random things you don't understand. I grew up always getting blamed for breaking pressure washers but my Dad never knew you had to winterize them, so when I'd pull them out to use them the first time each year they'd fail. Always my fault. Getting blamed for other people's ignorance and/or arrogance is a terrible feeling.
Nice explanation. I have a frigidaire. Top of evap is icing up. Mine is 5 times in 6 sec. To initiate defrost. It will not go into defrost. Bad control board? The switch seems to be OK I put it in my freezer downstairs I got continuity across and 35 across heater.
The control board could be bad. You indicated that you measured continuity and 35 ohms across the heater. If you measured that continuity from the wires that connect to the control board then you know that the defrost bi-metal thermostat is okay. If you checked continuity just through the defrost heater leads, then an open defrost bi-metal thermostat could be preventing the defrost heater from working. Unplug the refrigerator and check continuity through the defrost bi-metal thermostat if necessary. If the defrost bi-metal thermostat is okay, then the control board likely failed. We hope this information helps. If you need further assistance, let us know more details and give us the model number of your Frigidaire refrigerator.
@@searspartsdirect thank you so much for the response. It's a frigidaire ffus2613le6. I noticed my freezer was about 18 deg. And my refrigerator is fine. 36 deg. Freezer is too warm. When I first opened the evap panel I had a big ball of ice where the cap tube meets the evaporator coil. And the first 2 rows were iced up, the rest of the coil is not even frosted. All fans are running. Condenser Coil is clean.. colptessor running all the time at .6 amps. I was first tjinkimg a defrost issue. I was able to get it to go into defrost ONCE by pressing the fresh food light 5 times. So i know the heater is good, and the switch was working. But I tried a good 30 times and could not get it to go again. Does any of this sound like a possible sealed system leak? I didnt want to believe it. But I'm starting to think the ice pattern is odd and maybe the control board is acting up too. I would really appreciate your input! Thank you!
@@searspartsdirect I checked it this morning and now it's 36ﾟ in the refrigerator and 0 in the freezer but if I open the freezer even for like 20 seconds the temperature shoots backup to like 20ﾟ and it will take a full day to recover to get back down to 0
@@F12255 Thanks for providing that model number. The frost pattern and ice around that cap tube that you're describing points to low refrigerant charge or a restriction in the sealed system. A service technician will need to repair that type of failure because the repair will involve recovery and recharge of refrigerant.
I have to same fridge it has the same control board . it's stays on defrost and the freezer gets very hot .I unplugged it and plugged it back in and it goes back into defrost again . can you help thanks 👍
Is the hidden "tech sheet" a Kenmore thing? I'm trying to troubleshoot a Samsung RL34LW-PLUS (RL34LCSW1 / XEG) and there is no "tech sheet" anywhere online. And I doubt I'll be able to find it at the inside some semi-secret compartment.
Some other manufacturers include tech sheets with their refrigerators. Samsung typically doesn't include tech sheets with their models. We didn't find information for the model number you posted. You may try contacting Samsung for the tech information.
Hi Thanks for being here :). I just put in a defrost heater. It read 26 ohms before I put it in. When it came on the the defrost cycle. I could see through the vents it was glowing red. Then a few minutes later it turned off. Should I expect to see a "Glow". Thank you
how long should the coils take to defrost in the manual defrost mode around 30 min? I cant tell if its working as I have my door off and its warm in my kitchen so the coils are dripping now but not sure its from the unit heating up in defrost mode? The door says its in DF mode as I have a newer side by side with freezer on the bottom. Thanks for a great video.......
The evaporator coils should defrost in about 20 to 30 minutes for most refrigerator models. If you need more help, let us know (and give us the model number of your refrigerator so we can provide specific troubleshooting help for your model if necessary).
I'm buying a Thermostat and a Heater as I'm not great with a Multi Meter.... And I believe my timer is just fine ... it did come back on after approximately 30 minutes of forced defrost cycle
I have a Frigidaire Gallery LFHB2741PF4 that keeps freezing up making refrigeratorarea hot. I have already replaced the defrost thermostat switch and just ordered a defrost heater. My existing heater ohms out about 26.5 ohms, so not shorted. Is there even a defrost timer on this unit? I don't see one on the parts diagram. Is 26.5 ohms too low to make it get hot? Any ideas here? I have also looked at replacing the main board if necessary, but that is not cheap.
Ok done all this and even used the extra adapter into drain line and it still freezes over . So is their a hole in drain line allowing hot air to mix with cold causing it to freeze up ?
In some refrigerator models, a hole in the drain line could cause frost buildup to plug the drain hole. Let us know the model number of your refrigerator and we'll try to provide you with some additional troubleshooting tips specific to your refrigerator.
I have a Maytag MFI2569VEB2 ....replaced control board in Jan. and noticed at the end of April that coil vents were frozen...removed cover and the entire coils and left and right sides were frozen. Manually thawed, don't know whether it's defrost,heater, bimetal thermometer, defrost sensor (in round white housing ) or please no the just replaced ECB. Please help. Thanks.
Can someone please help. I replaced the thermostat, heater, timer twice, wiring harness, fan motor unit. So it seems to work after I see a spark while connecting the heater wires temporarily (yeah I know it should be unplugged). It defrosts for a while then I can't get it to work? Why would it work for a while after sparking? Thanks for any help I've been messing with this thing for a while now, years. Its a whirpool with the freezer on the top from 2004.
Nice video. I have been researching my problem for awhile now. At first water was in fridge and it was not cooling. This caused us to replace the defrost timer and the thermastat. The thing is, frost continually builds up. Turning the, uh, technical word here, the thingy till it clicks will send it into defrost. ONE TIME. Also he thinks he can hear a clicking from that area. Once it has been completely defrosted it runs just dandy. Nice and frozen up in the freezer and nice and chilled in the fresh food part. It will not defrost on its own. I keep it going by scraping the ice off the back freezer wall. After a few weeks the ice builds up in the air passageways and the fridge warms up and the freezer gets testy about freezing stuff. The freezer fan was replaced also. The freezer seems to run CONSTANTLY. The fan is always on. Where should we be looking? It is a Kenmore Coldspot 106. Bought it mid 80's. Thank you. Aslo the defrost timer had a jumper that wasn't on the original part.
Because the defrost system works when you manually advance the defrost timer to initiate the defrost and the defrost cycle ends properly (according to your details), a wiring failure is likely preventing the defrost timer to advance after the defrost cycle ends. Unplug the refrigerator and check the wiring connections on the defrost timer. The timer terminals should be marked with numbers 1-4. According to the wiring diagram for a typical 106 series Kenmore Coldspot refrigerator, the black wires should connect to terminal 1, the pink wires to 2, the red wires to 3 and the orange wire to terminal 4. Reconnect any loose wires and make sure the wires are connected to the timer properly. If wires are connected to the timer properly, check the red wire connected between the thermostat and the defrost timer. Make sure that red wire is properly connected to the thermostat. Reconnect the wire if it was loose. If that red wire is properly connected, use a multimeter to check continuity through that red wire. Here’s a video that shows how to check continuity through a wire using a multimeter: www.searspartsdirect.com/article/how-to-test-continuity-on-wire-and-electrical-parts-video.html Replace the red wire if you don’t measure continuity. If the colors of the wires connected to your timer don’t match the troubleshooting tips, let us know the full model number of your refrigerator. If the wire colors match but you need more help, let us know (and let us know the model number of your refrigerator).
@@searspartsdirectI have a fridiare brand refrigerator that is building lot of frost in the freezer.i move the defrost timer with a school driver to defrost mode.the heater seem to work I use a hair dryer to melt all that frost on the condenser then I turn again the defrost timer to the cool position and the freezer fan came on.but later the fan stop and it began to buildup frost once again I thought maybe the defrost timer was bad when out and purchase one and took off the top panel of the freezer to melt all that ice buildup put the new timer but the fan is not spinning and as I would touch the heater it would not get hot like before and it was shooting sparks.i don’t know what is wrong now.i think I might have to purchase a new fridge instead.any ideas?
The refrigerator compartment thermistor includes the light wire harness. Here's a link for that part (242298701):www.searspartsdirect.com/product/670uhzttd0-0046-253/id-242298701 Unplug the refrigerator before replacing that part.
I had Ice that was all around that bronze pipe or whatever that is that’s behind the defrost sensor. And when i was trying to remove all the ice , i started hearing a hissing noise that sounded like an air compressor and it won’t stop making that noise. Please help! Is this noise bad??
what is the difference in purpose between the thermistor and the defrost bimetal? they both are looking for temperature changes right? why does the control board care to read the value of the thermistor if the defrost bimetal is mechanically opening and closing on its own based on temperature?
The defrost bi-metal is a simple thermal switch that protects the evaporator from overheating and getting damaged. The defrost thermistor feeds the electronic control board temperature data to help the control board accurately time the automatic defrost session intervals. If the defrost bi-metal fails and doesn't shut off the defrost heater, the defrost thermistor will detect the failure and shut off the heater as a back-up.
I have a few questions can you please answer them for me? Thanks 1. When the freezer gets very cool does the bimetal circuit breaks or connects? 2. Can a bimetal used in a 220v fridge be used in a 110 v fridge ??? 3. What happens if we use a wire and connect just like in the bimetal, but this time without the bimetal, will the thermostat get hot?
1. When the freezer gets cold (at its normal operating temperature), the bi-metal thermostat should reset so that power can reach the defrost heater to melt frost of the evaporator during the automatic defrost cycle. 2. Only the parts designed by the manufacturer should be used in a refrigerator. Parts typically aren't interchangeable. If the bi-metal from the 220v fridge is exactly the same and has the same part number, then you can use it in the 110v fridge. Otherwise, you'll need to replace the bi-metal with the right part in the 110v fridge. 3. If you unplug the fridge and use a wire to bypass the bi-metal so the defrost heater gets power, it should heat. If you try that, be sure that you tape the ends of the wire connections with electrical tape to prevent electrical shorts before powering up the fridge. Don't leave the bi-metal bypassed after checking to see if the defrost heater works with the bi-metal bypassed. Unplug the fridge and restore wiring to its original condition. If you aren't confident that you can safely perform that test, have a service technician diagnose and repair the fridge.
Thanks for the help. I have replaced my bi-metal thermostat and my control board. I have continuity through my heater. I am unable to put it into manual defrost mode according to the procedures on my tech sheet. What do I need to do now?
Watch the video section beginning at 2:05 that shows you what to do if the heater doesn’t turn on in the forced defrost mode. If the tips in that video section don’t help, reply with the model number of your refrigerator and additional details for more help.
Hello,can you help me ?I bought used viking VCFF036SS fridge for repair. I opened the back panel and I saw the smoke pipe left side of compressor have small hole and the right side of the compressor the tiny pipe it's broken, when I contacted the fridge the fan turn on ,the light turn on and that it. I think the fridge have another problem... What I have to do? Or it's better to sale for parts etc.. What I have to do? Thank you!
What a wonderful video! My Liebherr CBes4056 refrigerator compressor and fan is running (can hear the sound) but the thermostat even though it's set to 39F, it goes up to 53F for hours which spoils the food. Again, if you open the door the fan stops and if you close the door the fan starts running but the temperature doesn't drop. The 'SuperCool' forcefully brings the temp down to 39F but it turns off automatically after some time. Then it again starts going up. There's snow-like buildup behind a drawer where the temp sensor sits. I manually defrosted it then plugged it back, it worked for a week well then it started again to raise the temp and to buildup ice. What could be the problem, possibly defrost heater?
A bad defrost heater, failed defrost termination thermostat--also called a defrost bi-metal thermostat (if your model has one) or a defrost timer failure could prevent the refrigerator from defrosting.
I'm planning to check continuity (simultaneously) for my defrost heater and the bi-metal thermostat of my Kenmore model# 106.64952400, and from looking at the Service & Wiring Sheet No. 2225762 A that I have, it looks like I might want to check across the Pink and Brown wires. Can you confirm if this is correct? I also see in the diagram a small box labeled "TEST TERM" with both PK and BR going to it. Is that a second way to skin this cat?
To check the continuity through the defrost bi-metal and defrost heater at the same time, you would need to unplug the refrigerator and disconnect the white and pink wires from the control board and check continuity through those wires. Keep in mind that the defrost bi-metal thermostat will only be "closed" and measuring continuity when its temperature is below 15 degrees. If the bi-metal is too warm, it will open and your meter won't measure continuity. You can measure continuity of the defrost bi-metal thermostat through the pink and brown wires (either from the board or through the test terminals) as long as the bi-metal is cold enough not to be tripped. Measuring continuity through the brown and pink wires won't tell you whether the defrost heater is okay because that component isn't in the circuit connected through the brown and pink wires.
@@searspartsdirect Thank you for your response and the correct wire colors! Unfortunately, since my freezer is not cold enough now to test the bi-metal (it's in low 20's F), I gather there's no way to test it without somehow getting it to below 15 F. So, before even bothering with the control panel in the ceiling of the lower refrigerator compartment, I first need to take down the freezer back panel and directly check for continuity on the heater alone. Would you agree? And can you say why the Evaporator Fan is not discussed in this video? Shouldn't it be included in the list of potential problem causes? One more thing! IF I eventually got to the point where I needed to check the thermistor continuity, can you tell me how I can get the appropriate Temp/Ohms chart to work off of? The "Service & Wiring Sheet" I have which I mentioned in my original post does not include the chart. The one we see in the video isn't universal, is it?
An Update: I defrosted today and opened up/removed the freezer back panel and got these readings: Heater alone: 25 Ohms (is this an issue? too low?) Evaporator Fan: 70 Ohms (is this alright?) Tomorrow, once the refrigerator is running again and at approx 0 degrees F, I'll check the Bi-metal/Heater in series from the control panel. Assuming the Heater and Evaporator results above are not issues, I'm guessing this next step should decide whether I replace the Bi-metal or the control board. Does this sound right?
Ok... with the freezer back down to 0 degrees F, having unplugged the big control board plug from the ceiling of the lower compartment, checking continuity across the Pink and White contacts in the jack in the ceiling of the refrigerator I get 25 Ohms, which is the same I got earlier for the heater by itself. Is 25 Ohms enough? Should I replace the control board?
I have a fridgedaire side by side refrigerator freezer Model number FRS26R2AW8. The refrigerator side only gets to 45° . The freezer works normal but the evaporator coils are frozen. I have changed the defrost thermostat and that didn't work. The dampers seems to be clear... Could I have the wrong thermostat? If I click the light switch 5 times, it goes into defrost mode and melts the coils.. what do you think else? Bought the thermostat from a parts shop and it doesn't fit well on the tubing and had to use a tie wrap to keep it attached to the coil tubing... Thanks for am answer.!
There is a possibility that the thermostat you used is causing the problems that you're describing if it has different specifications from the original defrost thermostat designed for the refrigerator. The adaptive defrost control board initiates the defrost cycle based on run time and the tripping of the defrost thermostat. If the thermostat you used trips at a different temperature than the original thermostat or the way that you attached it to the evaporator tubing is causing it to trip differently, then the adaptive defrost control board may not be starting the defrost cycle frequently enough which may be causing the excessive frost on the evaporator. The part number for the exact replacement for the defrost thermostat is 5303918214 ( www.searspartsdirect.com/product/5119entt70-0046-253/id-5303918214 ). We recommend that you use that thermostat and attach it in the same place and manner as the original thermostat. That may fix the cooling problem. If not, then the adaptive defrost control board may be defective.
@@keithrodriguez1397 The original defrost control board was part 241508001. That original part is no longer manufactured by Frigidaire and I didn't find any available. That original part subs to replacement kit 5303918476. Sears PartsDirect no longer has either of those parts available but you can likely find a valid replacement part through a web search. Be sure to unplug the refrigerator before replacing parts.
Do all refrigerators conform to a universal standard for color coding wires (for checking continuity) or is this video relevant for a specific refrigerator model?
This video is relevant for most Frigidaire top-freezer refrigerators and Kenmore 253 series top-freezer refrigerators. Wire colors on other models can vary.
I have a samsung side by side refridgerator model #RS2556SH. The freezer side works fine and fridge side not cool enough. I took off inside rear panel to freezer and thawed it out for 24 hours. I also cleaned all dust on back of unit on bottom....coils. Then the noise stopped. The freezer works fine and maintains -10. The fridge shows 34 on digital read on freezer door. It is actually 60 degree on fridge side based on portable temp gauge placed in fridge. The fridge side is not cooling..???
That model of Samsung refrigerator has a refrigerator evaporator in addition to the freezer evaporator. There's a chance that a clog in the refrigerant tubing is preventing the refrigerator evaporator from getting refrigerant. Check the refrigerator evaporator for a frost pattern. If the refrigerator evaporator doesn't have any frost, then you'll likely need to have a service technician repair the refrigerator because the repair will involve recovery and recharging of the refrigerant. If the refrigerator evaporator has excessive frost, then a failed refrigerator evaporator heater, blown thermal fuse, wiring failure or bad electronic control board could be preventing the refrigerator evaporator from defrosting (which would cause refrigerator compartment cooling problems). Unplug the refrigerator and check the wiring connections on the refrigerator evaporator's defrost heater. Reconnect any loose wires. Check for continuity through the thermal fuse and replace the thermal fuse if it's blown. If you replace the thermal fuse and it blows again shortly after replacing it, then a bad defrost heater, short in the defrost heater circuit or a stuck heater relay on the electronic control board could be causing the thermal fuse to blow. We hope these troubleshooting tips help. If you need further assistance, let us know.
The defrost bi-metal thermostat will show either 0 resistance (less than 46-degrees F) or infinite resistance (indicating it tripped). The defrost bi-metal thermostat does trip (or open) when its temperature reaches 46-degrees F so you'll need to check the defrost bi-metal thermostat when it's less than that temperature. Our video indicates that temperature needs to be below 46-degrees F to check the defrost circuit that includes the bi-metal thermostat at 2:13 in the video. We hope this information helps. If you need further assistance, let us know.
The defrost timer or electronic control board is often the component that causes intermittent defrost problems. All other components are likely working if the defrost system works intermittently. Although it's possible for another component to cause intermittent defrost problems, it's very rare for a component such as defrost bi-metal thermostat or a defrost heater to intermittently fail. Non-control components typically fail completely.
Great basic guidelines. Do all Kenmore freezers and refrigerators use the same wire color codes? I'm really surprised that Sears is offing this advice. This in the right hands can hurt Sears Service , but on the flip side I can only image how many people watching this are totally lost within the first 30 seconds, making this video a good tool to steer those to Sears for a service call.
No. Not all Kenmore refrigerators and freezers use the same wire color codes. Use the tech sheet for your model to identify wire colors for the defrost system if the wires don’t match the colors shown in this video.
Nice video. Have a question. It's possible to disconnect the resistance that run through the fridge door? I would like to do that in order to drain less my solar battery bank. Thanks for your response.
We don’t see wires running through the refrigerator door on that model. All others wires in that refrigerator connect to essential components and shouldn’t be disconnected.
On my Frigidaire the right aluminum strap holding up the heater element up broke or melted and caused the right side of the element to fall down, melt through a plastic support and then fall onto the drain tray an melt that up. I think I'll put a few extra aluminum straps this time.
We have a Kenmore Refrigerator 253.7419240B that won't defrost. We replaced defrost timer, defrost thermostat & heater measures 35ohms. Everything has continuity but the heater still wont come on even in manual defrost. This model doesn't have a control board. Any ideas?
A wiring break in the defrost heater circuit could prevent the defrost heater from working. Check for a wiring break by unplugging the refrigerator and disconnecting the wires from the defrost timer then measuring resistance through the brown and light blue wires. If the meter measures infinite resistance, find and repair the wiring break in the defrost heater circuit (keep in mind that the defrost bi-metal thermostat will open if evaporator temperature is above 50 degrees when measuring resistance through the defrost heater circuit). Use the wiring diagram for your refrigerator to check the wiring in the defrost heater circuit. The wiring diagram is often attached to the back panel of the refrigerator or it may be inside the machine compartment. If you can’t find the wiring diagram, you can find an online version of the wiring diagram on this page: www.frigidaire.com/Owner-Center/Product-Support--Manuals/?ProductCode=CRT21HSBMW0. The refrigerator model shown on that page uses the same wiring as your Kenmore model. Here’s a brief video that shows how to trace a circuit on a wiring diagram in case you need it: www.searspartsdirect.com/article/using-a-wiring-schematic-to-trace-a-current-video.html. If the meter measures 35 ohms through the brown and light blue wires, then the circuit through the defrost heater is okay. You indicated that the heater won’t come on in the manual defrost mode. To enter the manual defrost mode, you should have advanced the defrost timer manually with the compressor running until the compressor shut off (indicating the timer entered the defrost mode). If the defrost heater doesn’t come on when the compressor stops, then the defrost timer is likely bad. We hope this information helps. If you need further assistance, let us know.
Great video. I need help with a LG Refrigerator LSC27931ST. It trips GFI. Tried another circuit still trips. I unplugged a plug on main circuit board with 4 wires (Black, Blue, Brown and Purple) . It stopped tripping. The plug is marked "DISP HEATER" on Bl(N) wire. DEF HEATER and FUSE on BN wire on one side and PR wire coming out fuse side. When I unpluigged this fridge stayed on. I believe the PR wire feeds water solenoids because water stopped working. I dis connected the water solenoids but it still trips. What could it be? What is a DISP Heater? where do I find it? Is it heatyer that is sghorted or thermostat
The circuits that connect to the main circuit board through the 4 wires that you unplugged likely have a short in the wiring or a component. The dispenser heater is a small device attached to the ice chute cover that drives out moisture in the dispenser housing near the ice chute. The heater helps prevent frost build-up in the freezer and the dispenser chute area. Because that small heater is no longer part of the replacement part for the ice chute cover, you can unplug the heater and tape the end of the harness that goes to the control board with electrical tape to keep the harness plug from shorting out. If you plug the refrigerator back in and it doesn’t trip the GFI breaker then you’ve likely fixed the problem. If the breaker still trips, then you’ll need to find the short circuit that’s causing the GFI breaker to trip. To find which circuit is tripping the GFI breaker, unplug the refrigerator and measure the resistance through the circuits using a multimeter. To do that, unplug the connector with the 4 wires that you described above from the control board. If you unplugged the dispenser heater and taped the end of the harness that goes to the control board, then check for resistance between the black wire and bare metal on the refrigerator cabinet. Here’s a video that shows how to check resistance through components and how to check for a short to the metal cabinet: th-cam.com/video/R6DgIA_ikQQ/w-d-xo.html. You should measure infinite resistance between the black wire and the metal cabinet. If you do measure resistance between the black wire and the metal cabinet, then the black wire is damaged and is shorting to the metal cabinet. To eliminate the short, cut the black wire near the plug that connects to the control board and tape the end of the cut wire with electrical tape to keep the end from shorting to metal. Because the dispenser heater isn’t needed, eliminating that back wire won’t affect refrigerator performance. Repeat the test on the blue wire. If you measure resistance between the blue wire and the metal cabinet, have a service technician examine and repair the refrigerator because that blue wire is a common neutral connection for many components inside the refrigerator. The service technician will find the damage in the blue wire and fix it to prevent the short circuit. You can schedule service here: www.searshomeservices.com/repair/refrigerator-repair-service. To check the defrost heater circuit, measure the resistance between the brown and purple wires. You should measure about 15 ohms of resistance through that circuit. If you measure near 0 ohms of resistance, the defrost heater or the wiring in that circuit shorted. Check the resistance directly at the heater and replace the heater if it doesn’t measure around 15 ohms of resistance. If the heater is okay, find the damage to the heater wiring that’s causing the short and repair the damaged wire. If you measured about 15 ohms through the brown and purple wires of the defrost heater circuit at the control board, then check the brown wire for resistance to the metal cabinet. If you measure resistance between the brown wire and the metal cabinet then the brown wire shorted to the cabinet. Find and repair the short in the brown wire. Repeat the process to check for a short in the purple wire. Find a repair the short in the purple wire if you measure resistance between the purple wire and the metal cabinet. These tips should help you resolve the problem that you’re having with your refrigerator. Let us know if you need more help.
Sir very nice video Hi how are you..sir my refrigerator not automatic off I did change timer and biometal..but not automatic off..what problem sir guide me I'm very upset about refrigerator
A loose defrost timer wiring connection or broken wire could be preventing the defrost timer from advancing. Unplug the refrigerator and check the wires that are connected the defrost timer. Reconnect any loose wires and repair any broken wires. If that doesn’t help, let us know the model number of your refrigerator. Using the model number, we’ll look up technical information for your model and try to give you more troubleshooting tips to fix the problem that you’re describing.
I have a Kenmore model 111.73025711 with a bottom freezer. I tried the procedure in this video to force defrost, but it didn't work. Do you know the procedure to force defrost for this model? Thanks!
To enter forced defrost mode on that model, press and hold the Refrigerator Temp button and press the Door Alarm button 5 times. The defrost heater will turn on. The defrost cycle will end when the defrost sensor terminates the process. If you need more help, let us know.
@@searspartsdirect Wow!!! You're awesome! I searched everywhere and couldn't find the answer. The freezer evaporator is fine, but the refrigerator (fresh foods) evaporator is frozen solid. I'll try to force defrost to narrow down the problem. Thanks so much!
Yes. High humidity typically causes more frost to form on the evaporator fins between defrost cycles. Sometimes the excessive frost can affect cooling performance in the refrigerator.
@@searspartsdirect Thanks for replying. Another thing I have a 2017 model LG refrigerator double door with Smart inverter compressor technology. Does my refrigerator have a ADAPTIVE DEFROST SYSTEM? Plus reply
@@samratchakraborty1325 Yes. That type of refrigerator has an electronic control board that initiates the defrost cycle based on compressor run time and other factors. A thermistor (temperature sensor) on the evaporator helps the electronic control board know when to end the defrost cycle and when to initiate the next cycle. If components such as the defrost thermistor or the defrost heater have completely failed, the electronic control board typically detects the failure and displays an error code. If you're seeing an error code, noticing defrost problems or the refrigerator has cooling problems and you need help, let us know (and provide the model number of your LG refrigerator so we can give you help that's specifically for your model).
@@searspartsdirect Thanks for your kind reply. By God grace my refrigerator is working absolutely fine. Observed one thing before humidity in our city, the defrost system in my refrigerator used to defrost 4times a day 9AM, 12 PM, 6 PM & 11 PM. From few days the humidity is extreme in our city & now my refrigerator is defrosting 1 time only in one day. Is just because of humidity or due to the ADAPTIVE DEFROST SYSTEM?
@@samratchakraborty1325 The high humidity is likely affecting the sensors and duration of the defrost cycle so the electronic control board is only initiating the defrost cycle once per day instead of 4 times a day.
So if the force defrost mode works and melts the frost, does that mean the problem is either the defrost thermostat or circuit board?. What about the heater itself?.
We’ll need to know the model number of your refrigerator to provide an accurate answer. Here is some general information about defrost systems that may help you: If your defrost system has a bad defrost bi-metal thermostat, the heater won’t defrost the evaporator fins in the forced defrost mode. Because the defrost system works in the forced defrost mode, the likely failure is in the electronic circuit board. All other components work except the circuit board if the circuit board doesn’t initiate the defrost cycle during normal operation.
Thanks for posting that model number. The circuit board on that refrigerator monitors the defrost bi-metal thermostat and adjusts defrost time based on how long it takes for the defrost bi-metal thermostat to trip after the defrost heater turns on during the defrost cycle. When the control initiates the defrost cycle, the compressor shuts off (or stays off) for a 4 minute waiting period. The defrost heater then turns on for up to 25 minutes. Under normal operating conditions, the control expects to sense that the defrost bi-metal trips open to shut off the defrost heater 15 minutes after the heater turns on. The defrost bi-metal (attached to the evaporator) trips open when evaporator temperature reaches 42-degrees F +/- 5-degrees. If the evaporator reaches 42-degrees and trips the bi-metal thermostat before or after the heater has been on for 15 minutes, the control adjusts the interval until the next defrost by 1 hour for each minute of tripping variance. The control then uses compressor run time in addition to the variance in the timing of the defrost bi-metal trip to determine the interval between defrost cycles. Because the time between defrost cycles varies based on these factors, it’s difficult to tell whether the circuit board processor is timing the defrost cycles properly. In the situation that you’re describing, we suspect that the control should initiate the defrost process at least once a day. If excessive frost builds up on the evaporator fins because the circuit board isn’t initiating defrost cycles in proper time intervals (never or only once every few days), then you’ll likely need to replace the electronic control board ( www.searspartsdirect.com/part-number/WPW10503278/0046/106.html ). If the control initiates the defrost process daily but the defrost heater isn’t heating the evaporator fins enough to raise evaporator temperature to 42-degrees within 25 minutes to trip the defrost bi-metal thermostat, then you’ll need to replace the defrost heater ( www.searspartsdirect.com/part-number/WP12729128/0046/106.html ). We hope that this information will help you determine the cause of the defrost failure in your refrigerator so you can fix the problem. Diagnosing the defrost system failure in your refrigerator is somewhat complicated so you may need to have a service technician examine the refrigerator and fix the problem. You can schedule service here if you need to have a service technician repair the refrigerator: www.searshomeservices.com/
Sears PartsDirect,. Thanks for the detailed explanation. So you don't think it's possible that the defrost thermostat is bad, if the force defrost works?. Should I try replacing the heater and or thermostat first and seeing if that fixes the problem before replacing the circuit board?
The defrost thermostat is just a switch that shuts off power to the defrost heater when evaporator temperature reaches 47 degrees (to end the defrost cycle and keep the evaporator from overheating). Because the defrost heater melted the frost off the evaporator fins during the forced defrost mode, the defrost thermostat appears to be working properly. The forced defrost has long and short duration modes. You should have used the short mode because the long mode is for factory tests and isn’t recommended for use during diagnosis and troubleshooting of the defrost system. If you used the long-duration forced defrost mode, you may need to let the evaporator frost back up and then try using the short mode. If the defrost heater doesn’t melt the frost off the evaporator coils in the short mode then it may not be getting hot enough. If you used the short-duration forced defrost mode then the defrost heater is likely okay because it worked properly according to your details. You’ll likely need to replace the electronic control board if the short-duration forced defrost mode melts frost off the evaporator fins properly. I know that control board is expensive. You can try replacing the defrost heater and the defrost bi-metal thermostat before replacing the control board to see if that fixes the problem. There’s a chance that the defrost heater isn’t heating enough, or it’s heating too much and throwing off the timing of the defrost cycle. The same concept applies to replacing the defrost bi-metal thermostat. If that thermostat is tripping at the wrong temperature, it could be throwing off defrost cycle timing. If you replace the defrost heater and the defrost thermostat and the problem remains, then you’ll likely have to replace the electronic control board. One other cause of this problem could be loose wiring connections between the control board and the components. Unplug the refrigerator and check all wiring connections on the control board, defrost thermostat and defrost heater. A loose connection in the wire that connects between the defrost thermostat and the control board could prevent the control board from properly sensing when the defrost thermostat trips. I hope this additional information helps. Let us know if you need more assistance.
Omg!........ i got lazy halfway through this video n even more discouraged as i kept on watching how complicated it got by the second..... dammit, im gonna have to pay for this one!
I have Kenmore Fridge 253.6888901C frost builds in freezer and cuts off cooling to fridge. tested all components in freezer fine with meter but defrost heater never melts the ice. When I drop down the fridge compartment looks it different than video..only has timer& thermostat . The light bulb no longer works. I notice blue wire goes from to light fixture to the timer then to connects to plug in fridge ceiling. There is where i see in the plug the copper inside is black and looks burned out where the blue wire goes into. Need assist as i think this can be why lite no longer works, but more importantly need help as to why defrost heater not working. Show less REPLY
The light blue wire that connects to the plug in the ceiling sends current to the defrost heater through the bi-metal defrost thermostat. The defrost bi-metal thermostat shuts off current to the defrost heater to prevent the evaporator from overheating during the defrost process. Based on your details, we think that the defrost heater may be shorted and that’s why the light blue wire in the refrigerator ceiling plug is burnt. We recommend that you unplug the refrigerator and check the resistance of the defrost heater using a multimeter. Here’s a video that shows how to access the defrost heater: www.searspartsdirect.com/repair-guide/refrigerator/how-to-replace-the-defrost-heater-in-a-top-freezer-refrigerator.html. You should measure between 32 and 45 ohms of resistance through the defrost heater. Replace the defrost heater (www.searspartsdirect.com/part-number/242044020/0046/253.html) if you measure resistance outside that range. If you measure the proper resistance through the defrost heater, then the defrost bi-metal thermostat could have failed. Check the resistance through the defrost bi-metal thermostat when the thermostat is colder than 47 degrees. You should measure near 0 ohms of resistance through the bi-metal thermostat. If you measure infinite resistance through the bi-metal thermostat, replace it (www.searspartsdirect.com/part-number/5303918634/0046/253.html). Here’s a video that shows how:www.searspartsdirect.com/repair-guide/refrigerator/how-to-replace-the-defrost-bi-metal-thermostat-in-a-top-freezer-refrigerator.html. You’ll also need to repair the light blue wire so current flows to the defrost heater. If you’ve already replaced the light bulb in the refrigerator, then a bad door switch, a failed light socket or a wiring failure in the light circuit could be preventing the light bulb from working. If you get to a point where you need a service technician to diagnose and repair the refrigerator, you can schedule service here: www.searshomeservices.com/.
Greay video but im trying to make sure all refrigerators have a thermistor. I have a may tag M8RXEGMAS02 . The heater heats up when I do defrost mode, and melts the coils. So im guessing it could be my thermostat or electrical board. Dont think its the thermistor, if i even have one. I apologize for sounding like I dont know much.
Not all refrigerators use a defrost thermistor. Your Maytag refrigerator doesn’t have a thermistor. The defrost control board in the control box at the top of the refrigerator compartment controls the timing of the automatic defrost cycle. Here’s a link for that part with a photograph of the board: www.searspartsdirect.com/part-number/4388931/0046/106.html. The defrost bi-metal thermostat (www.searspartsdirect.com/part-number/WPW10225581/0046/106.html) should trip when evaporator temperature reaches about 50 degrees to prevent the evaporator from overheating. If the heater is overheating the evaporator, you’ll likely need to replace the defrost bi-metal thermostat because the thermostat isn’t tripping at 50 degrees to shut off the heater. Unplug the refrigerator before accessing internal components. We hope this information helps. If you need further assistance, let us know.
We have the owner's manual available online on our Sears PartsDirect website. Here's a link for that page that has that owner's manual: www.searspartsdirect.com/manual/15ygx9h77x-000582/kenmore-11160615910-top-mount-refrigerator The owner's manual doesn't describe how to enter the forced defrost mode. To enter forced defrost mode on that model, turn the temperature control dial all the way to the lowest possible setting (1). Hold the refrigerator door switch in while turning the dial to the highest setting (7). The compressor should shut off and the defrost mode should start. If the defrost mode doesn't start, then the control likely detected a component problem. An LED light on the control board at the back of the refrigerator signals error codes to indicate what's wrong with the refrigerator. Follow the steps listed on this error code chart to safely view and decipher error codes for your refrigerator: www.searspartsdirect.com/diy/error-codes/refrigerator-repair/1234589-1235884/kenmore-111-model-top-freezer-refrigerator/0582 . If you see an error code flashing on the control board, follow the troubleshooting steps in the chart to diagnose and repair the problem. If you don't see an error code flashing, then you may need to replace the electronic control board in the refrigerator. Here's a guide that shows how to replace the control board: www.searspartsdirect.com/diy/repair-guide/how-to-replace-a-refrigerator-electronic-control-board We hope this advice helps. If you need further assistance, let us know.
my froas proof samsung fridge T55K breaks it heater and trips electricity every 3 weeks.Pls suggest a reason.Is it defrost the Frig every # three weeks and due to falt in instruction the heater gets overheated?
A short circuit to metal ground or to adjacent wiring in the heater circuit could be causing that failure. A short in the electronic control board could also cause that problem. That type of short circuit may be difficult to find a repair. We recommend that you have a service technician examine and repair the refrigerator. Here's a link to schedule service: www.searshomeservices.com/repair . We hope this information helps. Let us know if you need further assistance. Note: We didn't find technical information for a Samsung refrigerator model T55K. Let us know the full model number of the refrigerator if you need more help.
Odors from food get absorbed by ice cubes and can cause a scorched smell. Empty your ice storage bucket and see if that trick eliminates the odor. If it does, wrap and seal foods airtight when storing them in the refrigerator and freezer to minimize odors. Keep an open box of baking soda in the refrigerator to absorb odors. If the odor smells like burning wire insulation, have a service technician examine the refrigerator for safety because you could have a short circuit that’s burning the insulation. Here’s a link where you can schedule service: www.searshomeservices.com/repair/refrigerator-repair-service.
My defrost timer doesn't restart when it goes off. I have replaced it with a new one but I am experiencing the same problem. Please what could be the problem.
Let us know the model number of your refrigerator so we can look up the wiring schematic for the defrost system. We should be able to provide you with some troubleshooting tips as soon as we receive that model number.
Check to see if the compressor is running. You’ll hear the compressor buzzing if it’s running. If the compressor isn’t running, then look at the condenser fan to see if it’s running. If the condenser fan is running, but the compressor isn’t, then you may need to replace the compressor start relay (www.searspartsdirect.com/part-number/WPW10189190/0046/106.html). If the compressor is running, check to see if the condenser fan is running. If the condenser fan isn’t running, then you’ll likely need to replace the condenser fan motor (www.searspartsdirect.com/part-number/833697/0046/106.html). If the condenser fan and compressor are both running, unplug the refrigerator and remove the evaporator cover in the freezer compartment. Check for frost on the evaporator fins. If you don’t see frost on the evaporator, then you’ll need to have a service technician diagnose and repair the refrigerator because the compressor isn’t working or refrigerant leaked out of the sealed refrigerant system. The compressor or sealed system should only be repaired by a service technician because the repair involves the recovery and recharge of refrigerant. You can schedule service here: www.searshomeservices.com/. If neither the compressor nor condenser fan are running, then pull off the toe grill to access the defrost timer on the bottom, right corner of the refrigerator. Turn the red defrost timer knob clockwise a quarter turn to manually advance the defrost timer. If the compressor starts, then a stuck defrost timer was likely causing the cooling problem, so replace the defrost timer (www.searspartsdirect.com/part-number/R0131577/0046/464.html). Don’t forget to unplug the refrigerator before replacing internal parts. If the compressor doesn’t start after advancing the defrost timer, then you may need to replace the temperature control thermostat (www.searspartsdirect.com/part-number/R0161092/0046/464.html). Again, don’t forget to unplug the refrigerator before replacing internal parts. These tips may help solve the cooling problem in your refrigerator. Let us know if you need more help.
Excellent video. No loud music, no flashing nonsense, just info. My refrig is a Maytag but was able to use this video to debug it.
WAYNE!! You are awesome you just did the one thing I absolutely couldn't find. THE DATA SHEET!! Thank you Wayne you're the best.
This was so helpful in debugging my issue the location of the data sheet was super helpful also.
I can’t thank you enough for this tutorial as a father that is the man of the house I was able to diagnose my fridge problem you helped me save money may god bless you ❤
What an excellent teacher.
This video was extremely helpful because it was very logically organized, and concisely and clearly explained.
I did have two minor issues. First, you didn't explicitly and clearly identify the location of the wire harness. I believe it is visible in the upper left as viewed at 3:01 in the video.
Second, the links to the other videos didn't appear to all show up when mentioned in the videos, nor did I find them in the header text. Hopefully, they are a quick youtube search away.
Thanks again, this was great.
Thanks for your comments about our video. The wire harness in the freezer does plug into a connector at the top left corner on the back wall of the freezer compartment. You can see the video links by clicking the "I" in the top right hand corner of the video screen. We hope this information helps. If you need further assistance, let us know.
Wayne ! You ARE the man !!!
This video is 9 years old and Sears is no longer in business so I think that Wayne can't see you any longer.
Wow! You are awesome at explaining EVERYTHING! Thx
Thank you so much for the video Sir it’s great but I got mine Daewoo company it’s new but refrigerator doesn’t cold fan not running I put the new fan still doesn’t work but the freezer is working good what’s the problem?
I have a GE Monogram frige almost 20 years old. Refrigerator getting too warm f& bottom freezer too cold. The evaporator coil now ices up and when I defrost with a hair dryer everything's good until it ices up again at the end of the day and frige starts getting warmer. What parts do you suggest I replace?
Don't guest check timer or heater or defrost thermostat before
I'm headed out to buy a new Craftsman 82141 multimeter to diagnose my Kenmore. Thanks Sears.
I have a whirlpool side by side that intermittently stops cooling ice melts. If I unplug or change the cold settings to coldest it starts working again but will still intermittently stop cooling. Is there a way to tell if the thermostat is bad or getting stuck in defrost mode?
Very good tech video, thanks for the help
My Kitchenaid fridge and freezer compartments are not getting cold. I replaced the power relay switch already. Compressor, fans and capacitor are working. Within 5 mins of the compressor turning on, ice starts building up on the evaporator tube where it connects with the capillary tube. Do I have a blockage or restriction there and if so how do I fix it? If not what else could it be?
Very good explanation. Greetings from creators from Indonesia. And always success
Great video. Exactly what I needed. Been blaming it on my kids for so long lol
Don't blame your kids for random things you don't understand. I grew up always getting blamed for breaking pressure washers but my Dad never knew you had to winterize them, so when I'd pull them out to use them the first time each year they'd fail. Always my fault. Getting blamed for other people's ignorance and/or arrogance is a terrible feeling.
How to turn on or force defrost on an old GE frig with top freezer?
Fresh food section is not cooling but freezer works.
Nice explanation. I have a frigidaire. Top of evap is icing up. Mine is 5 times in 6 sec. To initiate defrost. It will not go into defrost. Bad control board? The switch seems to be OK I put it in my freezer downstairs I got continuity across and 35 across heater.
The control board could be bad. You indicated that you measured continuity and 35 ohms across the heater. If you measured that continuity from the wires that connect to the control board then you know that the defrost bi-metal thermostat is okay. If you checked continuity just through the defrost heater leads, then an open defrost bi-metal thermostat could be preventing the defrost heater from working. Unplug the refrigerator and check continuity through the defrost bi-metal thermostat if necessary. If the defrost bi-metal thermostat is okay, then the control board likely failed. We hope this information helps. If you need further assistance, let us know more details and give us the model number of your Frigidaire refrigerator.
@@searspartsdirect thank you so much for the response. It's a frigidaire ffus2613le6. I noticed my freezer was about 18 deg. And my refrigerator is fine. 36 deg. Freezer is too warm. When I first opened the evap panel I had a big ball of ice where the cap tube meets the evaporator coil. And the first 2 rows were iced up, the rest of the coil is not even frosted. All fans are running. Condenser Coil is clean.. colptessor running all the time at .6 amps. I was first tjinkimg a defrost issue. I was able to get it to go into defrost ONCE by pressing the fresh food light 5 times. So i know the heater is good, and the switch was working. But I tried a good 30 times and could not get it to go again. Does any of this sound like a possible sealed system leak? I didnt want to believe it. But I'm starting to think the ice pattern is odd and maybe the control board is acting up too. I would really appreciate your input! Thank you!
@@searspartsdirect I checked it this morning and now it's 36ﾟ in the refrigerator and 0 in the freezer but if I open the freezer even for like 20 seconds the temperature shoots backup to like 20ﾟ and it will take a full day to recover to get back down to 0
@@F12255 Thanks for providing that model number. The frost pattern and ice around that cap tube that you're describing points to low refrigerant charge or a restriction in the sealed system. A service technician will need to repair that type of failure because the repair will involve recovery and recharge of refrigerant.
I have to same fridge it has the same control board . it's stays on defrost and the freezer gets very hot .I unplugged it and plugged it back in and it goes back into defrost again . can you help thanks 👍
Is the hidden "tech sheet" a Kenmore thing? I'm trying to troubleshoot a Samsung RL34LW-PLUS (RL34LCSW1 / XEG) and there is no "tech sheet" anywhere online. And I doubt I'll be able to find it at the inside some semi-secret compartment.
Some other manufacturers include tech sheets with their refrigerators. Samsung typically doesn't include tech sheets with their models. We didn't find information for the model number you posted. You may try contacting Samsung for the tech information.
Hi Thanks for being here :). I just put in a defrost heater. It read 26 ohms before I put it in. When it came on the the defrost cycle. I could see through the vents it was glowing red. Then a few minutes later it turned off. Should I expect to see a "Glow". Thank you
Thanks for watching! Some of the controls will pulse the heater on and off during the defrost cycle so the element may not glow constantly.
THIS WAS VERY HELPFUL
Kool tips. This gentleman speaks sort of like Butters in south park lol
how long should the coils take to defrost in the manual defrost mode around 30 min? I cant tell if its working as I have my door off and its warm in my kitchen so the coils are dripping now but not sure its from the unit heating up in defrost mode? The door says its in DF mode as I have a newer side by side with freezer on the bottom. Thanks for a great video.......
The evaporator coils should defrost in about 20 to 30 minutes for most refrigerator models. If you need more help, let us know (and give us the model number of your refrigerator so we can provide specific troubleshooting help for your model if necessary).
Would force defrost work, if the refrigerator is at room temperature? Above 46
Froze all up in the coils. Tried defrost mode, bit heating coil not working. Thermostat or heating coil?
I pressed the door switch 5 times but did not hear a beep. Checked twice. Can you please advise?
Thank you very much for this great helpful video from Quebec canada
I'm buying a Thermostat and a Heater as I'm not great with a Multi Meter.... And I believe my timer is just fine ... it did come back on after approximately 30 minutes of forced defrost cycle
WONDERFUL 👏
I have a Frigidaire Gallery LFHB2741PF4 that keeps freezing up making refrigeratorarea hot. I have already replaced the defrost thermostat switch and just ordered a defrost heater. My existing heater ohms out about 26.5 ohms, so not shorted. Is there even a defrost timer on this unit? I don't see one on the parts diagram. Is 26.5 ohms too low to make it get hot? Any ideas here? I have also looked at replacing the main board if necessary, but that is not cheap.
This dude is awesome.
Ok done all this and even used the extra adapter into drain line and it still freezes over . So is their a hole in drain line allowing hot air to mix with cold causing it to freeze up ?
In some refrigerator models, a hole in the drain line could cause frost buildup to plug the drain hole. Let us know the model number of your refrigerator and we'll try to provide you with some additional troubleshooting tips specific to your refrigerator.
Good Video.
I have a Maytag MFI2569VEB2 ....replaced control board in Jan. and noticed at the end of April that coil vents were frozen...removed cover and the entire coils and left and right sides were frozen. Manually thawed, don't know whether it's defrost,heater, bimetal thermometer, defrost sensor (in round white housing ) or please no the just replaced ECB. Please help. Thanks.
Can someone please help. I replaced the thermostat, heater, timer twice, wiring harness, fan motor unit. So it seems to work after I see a spark while connecting the heater wires temporarily (yeah I know it should be unplugged). It defrosts for a while then I can't get it to work? Why would it work for a while after sparking? Thanks for any help I've been messing with this thing for a while now, years. Its a whirpool with the freezer on the top from 2004.
Very nice explanation
Nice video. I have been researching my problem for awhile now. At first water was in fridge and it was not cooling. This caused us to replace the defrost timer and the thermastat. The thing is, frost continually builds up. Turning the, uh, technical word here, the thingy till it clicks will send it into defrost. ONE TIME. Also he thinks he can hear a clicking from that area. Once it has been completely defrosted it runs just dandy. Nice and frozen up in the freezer and nice and chilled in the fresh food part. It will not defrost on its own. I keep it going by scraping the ice off the back freezer wall. After a few weeks the ice builds up in the air passageways and the fridge warms up and the freezer gets testy about freezing stuff. The freezer fan was replaced also. The freezer seems to run CONSTANTLY. The fan is always on. Where should we be looking? It is a Kenmore Coldspot 106. Bought it mid 80's. Thank you. Aslo the defrost timer had a jumper that wasn't on the original part.
, part num ER482493,
Because the defrost system works when you manually advance the defrost timer to initiate the defrost and the defrost cycle ends properly (according to your details), a wiring failure is likely preventing the defrost timer to advance after the defrost cycle ends. Unplug the refrigerator and check the wiring connections on the defrost timer. The timer terminals should be marked with numbers 1-4. According to the wiring diagram for a typical 106 series Kenmore Coldspot refrigerator, the black wires should connect to terminal 1, the pink wires to 2, the red wires to 3 and the orange wire to terminal 4. Reconnect any loose wires and make sure the wires are connected to the timer properly. If wires are connected to the timer properly, check the red wire connected between the thermostat and the defrost timer. Make sure that red wire is properly connected to the thermostat. Reconnect the wire if it was loose. If that red wire is properly connected, use a multimeter to check continuity through that red wire. Here’s a video that shows how to check continuity through a wire using a multimeter: www.searspartsdirect.com/article/how-to-test-continuity-on-wire-and-electrical-parts-video.html Replace the red wire if you don’t measure continuity. If the colors of the wires connected to your timer don’t match the troubleshooting tips, let us know the full model number of your refrigerator. If the wire colors match but you need more help, let us know (and let us know the model number of your refrigerator).
@@searspartsdirectI have a fridiare brand refrigerator that is building lot of frost in the freezer.i move the defrost timer with a school driver to defrost mode.the heater seem to work I use a hair dryer to melt all that frost on the condenser then I turn again the defrost timer to the cool position and the freezer fan came on.but later the fan stop and it began to buildup frost once again I thought maybe the defrost timer was bad when out and purchase one and took off the top panel of the freezer to melt all that ice buildup put the new timer but the fan is not spinning and as I would touch the heater it would not get hot like before and it was shooting sparks.i don’t know what is wrong now.i think I might have to purchase a new fridge instead.any ideas?
Do all refrigerators have a thermistor?
How do I find a thermister for Whirlpool LFHT1831QP0...no one has it! And thanks for your video, great help.
The refrigerator compartment thermistor includes the light wire harness. Here's a link for that part (242298701):www.searspartsdirect.com/product/670uhzttd0-0046-253/id-242298701 Unplug the refrigerator before replacing that part.
Very informative 👏🏿 👌🏿thank you for sharing 👍🏿
I had Ice that was all around that bronze pipe or whatever that is that’s behind the defrost sensor. And when i was trying to remove all the ice , i started hearing a hissing noise that sounded like an air compressor and it won’t stop making that noise. Please help! Is this noise bad??
30 sec into the vid at the bottom left it shows a green wire with a clip attached, where does it connect? Great vid, ty.
That green ground wire attaches to the back of the evaporator cover as shown at :44 in this video: th-cam.com/video/deomA0CGAZw/w-d-xo.html
what is the difference in purpose between the thermistor and the defrost bimetal? they both are looking for temperature changes right? why does the control board care to read the value of the thermistor if the defrost bimetal is mechanically opening and closing on its own based on temperature?
The defrost bi-metal is a simple thermal switch that protects the evaporator from overheating and getting damaged. The defrost thermistor feeds the electronic control board temperature data to help the control board accurately time the automatic defrost session intervals. If the defrost bi-metal fails and doesn't shut off the defrost heater, the defrost thermistor will detect the failure and shut off the heater as a back-up.
@@searspartsdirect ohh so its a multi step safety backup. that makes sense. thanks for answering!
I love Sears.
>Sears
Wow, this belongs in a museum.
I have a few questions can you please answer them for me? Thanks
1. When the freezer gets very cool does the bimetal circuit breaks or connects?
2. Can a bimetal used in a 220v fridge be used in a 110 v fridge ???
3. What happens if we use a wire and connect just like in the bimetal, but this time without the bimetal, will the thermostat get hot?
1. When the freezer gets cold (at its normal operating temperature), the bi-metal thermostat should reset so that power can reach the defrost heater to melt frost of the evaporator during the automatic defrost cycle. 2. Only the parts designed by the manufacturer should be used in a refrigerator. Parts typically aren't interchangeable. If the bi-metal from the 220v fridge is exactly the same and has the same part number, then you can use it in the 110v fridge. Otherwise, you'll need to replace the bi-metal with the right part in the 110v fridge. 3. If you unplug the fridge and use a wire to bypass the bi-metal so the defrost heater gets power, it should heat. If you try that, be sure that you tape the ends of the wire connections with electrical tape to prevent electrical shorts before powering up the fridge. Don't leave the bi-metal bypassed after checking to see if the defrost heater works with the bi-metal bypassed. Unplug the fridge and restore wiring to its original condition. If you aren't confident that you can safely perform that test, have a service technician diagnose and repair the fridge.
Yes but the fridge can catch fire without that thing you're talking about
Thanks for the help. I have replaced my bi-metal thermostat and my control board. I have continuity through my heater. I am unable to put it into manual defrost mode according to the procedures on my tech sheet. What do I need to do now?
Watch the video section beginning at 2:05 that shows you what to do if the heater doesn’t turn on in the forced defrost mode. If the tips in that video section don’t help, reply with the model number of your refrigerator and additional details for more help.
Hello,can you help me ?I bought used viking VCFF036SS fridge for repair.
I opened the back panel and I saw the smoke pipe left side of compressor have small hole and the right side of the compressor the tiny pipe it's broken, when I contacted the fridge the fan turn on ,the light turn on and that it.
I think the fridge have another problem...
What I have to do?
Or it's better to sale for parts etc..
What I have to do?
Thank you!
You're awesome bro. It worked
Great video
very good video. ty
What a wonderful video!
My Liebherr CBes4056 refrigerator compressor and fan is running (can hear the sound) but the thermostat even though it's set to 39F, it goes up to 53F for hours which spoils the food. Again, if you open the door the fan stops and if you close the door the fan starts running but the temperature doesn't drop.
The 'SuperCool' forcefully brings the temp down to 39F but it turns off automatically after some time. Then it again starts going up. There's snow-like buildup behind a drawer where the temp sensor sits. I manually defrosted it then plugged it back, it worked for a week well then it started again to raise the temp and to buildup ice. What could be the problem, possibly defrost heater?
A bad defrost heater, failed defrost termination thermostat--also called a defrost bi-metal thermostat (if your model has one) or a defrost timer failure could prevent the refrigerator from defrosting.
Excellent video Thank you Sears Parts Direct!
I'm planning to check continuity (simultaneously) for my defrost heater and the bi-metal thermostat of my Kenmore model# 106.64952400, and from looking at the Service & Wiring Sheet No. 2225762 A that I have, it looks like I might want to check across the Pink and Brown wires. Can you confirm if this is correct?
I also see in the diagram a small box labeled "TEST TERM" with both PK and BR going to it. Is that a second way to skin this cat?
To check the continuity through the defrost bi-metal and defrost heater at the same time, you would need to unplug the refrigerator and disconnect the white and pink wires from the control board and check continuity through those wires. Keep in mind that the defrost bi-metal thermostat will only be "closed" and measuring continuity when its temperature is below 15 degrees. If the bi-metal is too warm, it will open and your meter won't measure continuity. You can measure continuity of the defrost bi-metal thermostat through the pink and brown wires (either from the board or through the test terminals) as long as the bi-metal is cold enough not to be tripped. Measuring continuity through the brown and pink wires won't tell you whether the defrost heater is okay because that component isn't in the circuit connected through the brown and pink wires.
@@searspartsdirect Thank you for your response and the correct wire colors! Unfortunately, since my freezer is not cold enough now to test the bi-metal (it's in low 20's F), I gather there's no way to test it without somehow getting it to below 15 F. So, before even bothering with the control panel in the ceiling of the lower refrigerator compartment, I first need to take down the freezer back panel and directly check for continuity on the heater alone. Would you agree?
And can you say why the Evaporator Fan is not discussed in this video? Shouldn't it be included in the list of potential problem causes?
One more thing! IF I eventually got to the point where I needed to check the thermistor continuity, can you tell me how I can get the appropriate Temp/Ohms chart to work off of? The "Service & Wiring Sheet" I have which I mentioned in my original post does not include the chart. The one we see in the video isn't universal, is it?
An Update: I defrosted today and opened up/removed the freezer back panel and got these readings:
Heater alone: 25 Ohms (is this an issue? too low?)
Evaporator Fan: 70 Ohms (is this alright?)
Tomorrow, once the refrigerator is running again and at approx 0 degrees F, I'll check the Bi-metal/Heater in series from the control panel. Assuming the Heater and Evaporator results above are not issues, I'm guessing this next step should decide whether I replace the Bi-metal or the control board. Does this sound right?
Ok... with the freezer back down to 0 degrees F, having unplugged the big control board plug from the ceiling of the lower compartment, checking continuity across the Pink and White contacts in the jack in the ceiling of the refrigerator I get 25 Ohms, which is the same I got earlier for the heater by itself.
Is 25 Ohms enough? Should I replace the control board?
I have a fridgedaire side by side refrigerator freezer
Model number FRS26R2AW8. The refrigerator side only gets to 45° . The freezer works normal but the evaporator coils are frozen. I have changed the defrost thermostat and that didn't work. The dampers seems to be clear... Could I have the wrong thermostat? If I click the light switch 5 times, it goes into defrost mode and melts the coils.. what do you think else? Bought the thermostat from a parts shop and it doesn't fit well on the tubing and had to use a tie wrap to keep it attached to the coil tubing... Thanks for am answer.!
There is a possibility that the thermostat you used is causing the problems that you're describing if it has different specifications from the original defrost thermostat designed for the refrigerator. The adaptive defrost control board initiates the defrost cycle based on run time and the tripping of the defrost thermostat. If the thermostat you used trips at a different temperature than the original thermostat or the way that you attached it to the evaporator tubing is causing it to trip differently, then the adaptive defrost control board may not be starting the defrost cycle frequently enough which may be causing the excessive frost on the evaporator. The part number for the exact replacement for the defrost thermostat is 5303918214 ( www.searspartsdirect.com/product/5119entt70-0046-253/id-5303918214 ). We recommend that you use that thermostat and attach it in the same place and manner as the original thermostat. That may fix the cooling problem. If not, then the adaptive defrost control board may be defective.
Thanks for your input 👍 it looks like the defrost control board is the problem
Would you have the part number for me and I'll order a new one. Thanks
@@keithrodriguez1397 The original defrost control board was part 241508001. That original part is no longer manufactured by Frigidaire and I didn't find any available. That original part subs to replacement kit 5303918476. Sears PartsDirect no longer has either of those parts available but you can likely find a valid replacement part through a web search. Be sure to unplug the refrigerator before replacing parts.
Checking the heater element the meter just has a 1, when I test the leads the meter reads 0.01
I have no idea what that means.
Do all refrigerators conform to a universal standard for color coding wires (for checking continuity) or is this video relevant for a specific refrigerator model?
Very interesting question! The tech expert who can answer that is on vacation. He'll get back to you next week. Sorry for the wait.
This video is relevant for most Frigidaire top-freezer refrigerators and Kenmore 253 series top-freezer refrigerators. Wire colors on other models can vary.
What exactly do you set the meter on ?
To measure resistance, we set the meter to measure ohms of resistance.
@@searspartsdirect What number ?
I have a samsung side by side refridgerator model #RS2556SH. The freezer side works fine and fridge side not cool enough. I took off inside rear panel to freezer and thawed it out for 24 hours. I also cleaned all dust on back of unit on bottom....coils. Then the noise stopped. The freezer works fine and maintains -10. The fridge shows 34 on digital read on freezer door. It is actually 60 degree on fridge side based on portable temp gauge placed in fridge. The fridge side is not cooling..???
That model of Samsung refrigerator has a refrigerator evaporator in addition to the freezer evaporator. There's a chance that a clog in the refrigerant tubing is preventing the refrigerator evaporator from getting refrigerant. Check the refrigerator evaporator for a frost pattern. If the refrigerator evaporator doesn't have any frost, then you'll likely need to have a service technician repair the refrigerator because the repair will involve recovery and recharging of the refrigerant. If the refrigerator evaporator has excessive frost, then a failed refrigerator evaporator heater, blown thermal fuse, wiring failure or bad electronic control board could be preventing the refrigerator evaporator from defrosting (which would cause refrigerator compartment cooling problems). Unplug the refrigerator and check the wiring connections on the refrigerator evaporator's defrost heater. Reconnect any loose wires. Check for continuity through the thermal fuse and replace the thermal fuse if it's blown. If you replace the thermal fuse and it blows again shortly after replacing it, then a bad defrost heater, short in the defrost heater circuit or a stuck heater relay on the electronic control board could be causing the thermal fuse to blow. We hope these troubleshooting tips help. If you need further assistance, let us know.
Does the thermostat always show resistance regardless the temperature ? Doesn’t it open on warm temperature as the bimetal?
The defrost bi-metal thermostat will show either 0 resistance (less than 46-degrees F) or infinite resistance (indicating it tripped). The defrost bi-metal thermostat does trip (or open) when its temperature reaches 46-degrees F so you'll need to check the defrost bi-metal thermostat when it's less than that temperature. Our video indicates that temperature needs to be below 46-degrees F to check the defrost circuit that includes the bi-metal thermostat at 2:13 in the video. We hope this information helps. If you need further assistance, let us know.
My freezer heater tests show 23ohms ,I noticed most of the tests on you tube show around 35ohms ,is 23ohms reading mean it's ok?
Yes. That resistance reading means that the defrost heater is likely okay.
Thanks alot
Which part causes intermittent defrost problems?
The defrost timer or electronic control board is often the component that causes intermittent defrost problems. All other components are likely working if the defrost system works intermittently. Although it's possible for another component to cause intermittent defrost problems, it's very rare for a component such as defrost bi-metal thermostat or a defrost heater to intermittently fail. Non-control components typically fail completely.
Great basic guidelines. Do all Kenmore freezers and refrigerators use the same wire color codes? I'm really surprised that Sears is offing this advice. This in the right hands can hurt Sears Service , but on the flip side I can only image how many people watching this are totally lost within the first 30 seconds, making this video a good tool to steer those to Sears for a service call.
No. Not all Kenmore refrigerators and freezers use the same wire color codes. Use the tech sheet for your model to identify wire colors for the defrost system if the wires don’t match the colors shown in this video.
Great vid
Please make video for the timer it is important for the cycle.
Nice video. Have a question. It's possible to disconnect the resistance that run through the fridge door? I would like to do that in order to drain less my solar battery bank. Thanks for your response.
My fridge model is an Kenmore 795 69972903
Let us know the model number of your refrigerator and we’ll look at the wires that go through the refrigerator door.
We don’t see wires running through the refrigerator door on that model. All others wires in that refrigerator connect to essential components and shouldn’t be disconnected.
Thanks a lot for your replay.
On my Frigidaire the right aluminum strap holding up the heater element up broke or melted and caused the right side of the element to fall down, melt through a plastic support and then fall onto the drain tray an melt that up. I think I'll put a few extra aluminum straps this time.
Jason Thurston Jason, my Frigidaire has had same issue however I don't know if that's my root problem as I bought the fridge used.
Thank you I will be working on mine to see what I come up with.
Keith Kuhn
My Maytag refrigerator will not defrost, yet all checks run in Service Test Mode indicate normal operation. This does not compute.
thanks
We have a Kenmore Refrigerator 253.7419240B that won't defrost. We replaced defrost timer, defrost thermostat & heater measures 35ohms. Everything has continuity but the heater still wont come on even in manual defrost. This model doesn't have a control board. Any ideas?
A wiring break in the defrost heater circuit could prevent the defrost heater from working. Check for a wiring break by unplugging the refrigerator and disconnecting the wires from the defrost timer then measuring resistance through the brown and light blue wires. If the meter measures infinite resistance, find and repair the wiring break in the defrost heater circuit (keep in mind that the defrost bi-metal thermostat will open if evaporator temperature is above 50 degrees when measuring resistance through the defrost heater circuit). Use the wiring diagram for your refrigerator to check the wiring in the defrost heater circuit. The wiring diagram is often attached to the back panel of the refrigerator or it may be inside the machine compartment. If you can’t find the wiring diagram, you can find an online version of the wiring diagram on this page: www.frigidaire.com/Owner-Center/Product-Support--Manuals/?ProductCode=CRT21HSBMW0. The refrigerator model shown on that page uses the same wiring as your Kenmore model. Here’s a brief video that shows how to trace a circuit on a wiring diagram in case you need it: www.searspartsdirect.com/article/using-a-wiring-schematic-to-trace-a-current-video.html. If the meter measures 35 ohms through the brown and light blue wires, then the circuit through the defrost heater is okay. You indicated that the heater won’t come on in the manual defrost mode. To enter the manual defrost mode, you should have advanced the defrost timer manually with the compressor running until the compressor shut off (indicating the timer entered the defrost mode). If the defrost heater doesn’t come on when the compressor stops, then the defrost timer is likely bad. We hope this information helps. If you need further assistance, let us know.
Excellent, best #1 thanks for sharing great tips
Great video. I need help with a LG Refrigerator LSC27931ST. It trips GFI. Tried another circuit still trips. I unplugged a plug on main circuit board with 4 wires (Black, Blue, Brown and Purple) . It stopped tripping. The plug is marked "DISP HEATER" on Bl(N) wire. DEF HEATER and FUSE on BN wire on one side and PR wire coming out fuse side.
When I unpluigged this fridge stayed on. I believe the PR wire feeds water solenoids because water stopped working. I dis connected the water solenoids but it still trips.
What could it be? What is a DISP Heater? where do I find it? Is it heatyer that is sghorted or thermostat
The circuits that connect to the main circuit board through the 4 wires that you unplugged likely have a short in the wiring or a component.
The dispenser heater is a small device attached to the ice chute cover that drives out moisture in the dispenser housing near the ice chute. The heater helps prevent frost build-up in the freezer and the dispenser chute area. Because that small heater is no longer part of the replacement part for the ice chute cover, you can unplug the heater and tape the end of the harness that goes to the control board with electrical tape to keep the harness plug from shorting out. If you plug the refrigerator back in and it doesn’t trip the GFI breaker then you’ve likely fixed the problem.
If the breaker still trips, then you’ll need to find the short circuit that’s causing the GFI breaker to trip.
To find which circuit is tripping the GFI breaker, unplug the refrigerator and measure the resistance through the circuits using a multimeter. To do that, unplug the connector with the 4 wires that you described above from the control board. If you unplugged the dispenser heater and taped the end of the harness that goes to the control board, then check for resistance between the black wire and bare metal on the refrigerator cabinet. Here’s a video that shows how to check resistance through components and how to check for a short to the metal cabinet: th-cam.com/video/R6DgIA_ikQQ/w-d-xo.html. You should measure infinite resistance between the black wire and the metal cabinet. If you do measure resistance between the black wire and the metal cabinet, then the black wire is damaged and is shorting to the metal cabinet. To eliminate the short, cut the black wire near the plug that connects to the control board and tape the end of the cut wire with electrical tape to keep the end from shorting to metal. Because the dispenser heater isn’t needed, eliminating that back wire won’t affect refrigerator performance.
Repeat the test on the blue wire. If you measure resistance between the blue wire and the metal cabinet, have a service technician examine and repair the refrigerator because that blue wire is a common neutral connection for many components inside the refrigerator. The service technician will find the damage in the blue wire and fix it to prevent the short circuit. You can schedule service here: www.searshomeservices.com/repair/refrigerator-repair-service.
To check the defrost heater circuit, measure the resistance between the brown and purple wires. You should measure about 15 ohms of resistance through that circuit. If you measure near 0 ohms of resistance, the defrost heater or the wiring in that circuit shorted. Check the resistance directly at the heater and replace the heater if it doesn’t measure around 15 ohms of resistance. If the heater is okay, find the damage to the heater wiring that’s causing the short and repair the damaged wire.
If you measured about 15 ohms through the brown and purple wires of the defrost heater circuit at the control board, then check the brown wire for resistance to the metal cabinet. If you measure resistance between the brown wire and the metal cabinet then the brown wire shorted to the cabinet. Find and repair the short in the brown wire. Repeat the process to check for a short in the purple wire. Find a repair the short in the purple wire if you measure resistance between the purple wire and the metal cabinet.
These tips should help you resolve the problem that you’re having with your refrigerator. Let us know if you need more help.
Sir very nice video
Hi how are you..sir my refrigerator not automatic off I did change timer and biometal..but not automatic off..what problem sir guide me I'm very upset about refrigerator
A loose defrost timer wiring connection or broken wire could be preventing the defrost timer from advancing. Unplug the refrigerator and check the wires that are connected the defrost timer. Reconnect any loose wires and repair any broken wires. If that doesn’t help, let us know the model number of your refrigerator. Using the model number, we’ll look up technical information for your model and try to give you more troubleshooting tips to fix the problem that you’re describing.
great video!
Thank you. We're glad to hear that you liked the video.
I have a Kenmore model 111.73025711 with a bottom freezer. I tried the procedure in this video to force defrost, but it didn't work. Do you know the procedure to force defrost for this model? Thanks!
To enter forced defrost mode on that model, press and hold the Refrigerator Temp button and press the Door Alarm button 5 times. The defrost heater will turn on. The defrost cycle will end when the defrost sensor terminates the process. If you need more help, let us know.
@@searspartsdirect Wow!!! You're awesome! I searched everywhere and couldn't find the answer. The freezer evaporator is fine, but the refrigerator (fresh foods) evaporator is frozen solid. I'll try to force defrost to narrow down the problem. Thanks so much!
Does high humidity affects refrigerator defrost system
Yes. High humidity typically causes more frost to form on the evaporator fins between defrost cycles. Sometimes the excessive frost can affect cooling performance in the refrigerator.
@@searspartsdirect Thanks for replying. Another thing I have a 2017 model LG refrigerator double door with Smart inverter compressor technology. Does my refrigerator have a ADAPTIVE DEFROST SYSTEM? Plus reply
@@samratchakraborty1325 Yes. That type of refrigerator has an electronic control board that initiates the defrost cycle based on compressor run time and other factors. A thermistor (temperature sensor) on the evaporator helps the electronic control board know when to end the defrost cycle and when to initiate the next cycle. If components such as the defrost thermistor or the defrost heater have completely failed, the electronic control board typically detects the failure and displays an error code. If you're seeing an error code, noticing defrost problems or the refrigerator has cooling problems and you need help, let us know (and provide the model number of your LG refrigerator so we can give you help that's specifically for your model).
@@searspartsdirect Thanks for your kind reply. By God grace my refrigerator is working absolutely fine. Observed one thing before humidity in our city, the defrost system in my refrigerator used to defrost 4times a day 9AM, 12 PM, 6 PM & 11 PM. From few days the humidity is extreme in our city & now my refrigerator is defrosting 1 time only in one day. Is just because of humidity or due to the ADAPTIVE DEFROST SYSTEM?
@@samratchakraborty1325 The high humidity is likely affecting the sensors and duration of the defrost cycle so the electronic control board is only initiating the defrost cycle once per day instead of 4 times a day.
So if the force defrost mode works and melts the frost, does that mean the problem is either the defrost thermostat or circuit board?. What about the heater itself?.
We’ll need to know the model number of your refrigerator to provide an accurate answer. Here is some general information about defrost systems that may help you: If your defrost system has a bad defrost bi-metal thermostat, the heater won’t defrost the evaporator fins in the forced defrost mode. Because the defrost system works in the forced defrost mode, the likely failure is in the electronic circuit board. All other components work except the circuit board if the circuit board doesn’t initiate the defrost cycle during normal operation.
Sears PartsDirect the model number is wrb 322dmbm00
Thanks for posting that model number. The circuit board on that refrigerator monitors the defrost bi-metal thermostat and adjusts defrost time based on how long it takes for the defrost bi-metal thermostat to trip after the defrost heater turns on during the defrost cycle. When the control initiates the defrost cycle, the compressor shuts off (or stays off) for a 4 minute waiting period. The defrost heater then turns on for up to 25 minutes. Under normal operating conditions, the control expects to sense that the defrost bi-metal trips open to shut off the defrost heater 15 minutes after the heater turns on. The defrost bi-metal (attached to the evaporator) trips open when evaporator temperature reaches 42-degrees F +/- 5-degrees. If the evaporator reaches 42-degrees and trips the bi-metal thermostat before or after the heater has been on for 15 minutes, the control adjusts the interval until the next defrost by 1 hour for each minute of tripping variance. The control then uses compressor run time in addition to the variance in the timing of the defrost bi-metal trip to determine the interval between defrost cycles. Because the time between defrost cycles varies based on these factors, it’s difficult to tell whether the circuit board processor is timing the defrost cycles properly. In the situation that you’re describing, we suspect that the control should initiate the defrost process at least once a day. If excessive frost builds up on the evaporator fins because the circuit board isn’t initiating defrost cycles in proper time intervals (never or only once every few days), then you’ll likely need to replace the electronic control board ( www.searspartsdirect.com/part-number/WPW10503278/0046/106.html ). If the control initiates the defrost process daily but the defrost heater isn’t heating the evaporator fins enough to raise evaporator temperature to 42-degrees within 25 minutes to trip the defrost bi-metal thermostat, then you’ll need to replace the defrost heater ( www.searspartsdirect.com/part-number/WP12729128/0046/106.html ). We hope that this information will help you determine the cause of the defrost failure in your refrigerator so you can fix the problem. Diagnosing the defrost system failure in your refrigerator is somewhat complicated so you may need to have a service technician examine the refrigerator and fix the problem. You can schedule service here if you need to have a service technician repair the refrigerator: www.searshomeservices.com/
Sears PartsDirect,. Thanks for the detailed explanation. So you don't think it's possible that the defrost thermostat is bad, if the force defrost works?. Should I try replacing the heater and or thermostat first and seeing if that fixes the problem before replacing the circuit board?
The defrost thermostat is just a switch that shuts off power to the defrost heater when evaporator temperature reaches 47 degrees (to end the defrost cycle and keep the evaporator from overheating). Because the defrost heater melted the frost off the evaporator fins during the forced defrost mode, the defrost thermostat appears to be working properly. The forced defrost has long and short duration modes. You should have used the short mode because the long mode is for factory tests and isn’t recommended for use during diagnosis and troubleshooting of the defrost system. If you used the long-duration forced defrost mode, you may need to let the evaporator frost back up and then try using the short mode. If the defrost heater doesn’t melt the frost off the evaporator coils in the short mode then it may not be getting hot enough. If you used the short-duration forced defrost mode then the defrost heater is likely okay because it worked properly according to your details. You’ll likely need to replace the electronic control board if the short-duration forced defrost mode melts frost off the evaporator fins properly. I know that control board is expensive. You can try replacing the defrost heater and the defrost bi-metal thermostat before replacing the control board to see if that fixes the problem. There’s a chance that the defrost heater isn’t heating enough, or it’s heating too much and throwing off the timing of the defrost cycle. The same concept applies to replacing the defrost bi-metal thermostat. If that thermostat is tripping at the wrong temperature, it could be throwing off defrost cycle timing. If you replace the defrost heater and the defrost thermostat and the problem remains, then you’ll likely have to replace the electronic control board. One other cause of this problem could be loose wiring connections between the control board and the components. Unplug the refrigerator and check all wiring connections on the control board, defrost thermostat and defrost heater. A loose connection in the wire that connects between the defrost thermostat and the control board could prevent the control board from properly sensing when the defrost thermostat trips. I hope this additional information helps. Let us know if you need more assistance.
I have a Mabe refrigerator top and bottom door it freezes for a day and come off and stop freezes what is the problem
Thanks
Thx for the tips!!!
No problem. Glad we could help.
I've replaced my timer switch it still feeezes up and fridge gets warm after freezing up the vents. The metal rod don't get hot on defrost mode
A bad defrost heater, failed defrost termination (bi-metal) thermostat or wiring failure could be preventing the defrost heater from working.
Well my next step is change the thermostat, I guess it's process of elimination
Omg!........ i got lazy halfway through this video n even more discouraged as i kept on watching how complicated it got by the second..... dammit, im gonna have to pay for this one!
nice video &help ful
I have Kenmore Fridge 253.6888901C frost builds in freezer and cuts off cooling to fridge. tested all components in freezer fine with meter but defrost heater never melts the ice. When I drop down the fridge compartment looks it different than video..only has timer& thermostat . The light bulb no longer works. I notice blue wire goes from to light fixture to the timer then to connects to plug in fridge ceiling. There is where i see in the plug the copper inside is black and looks burned out where the blue wire goes into. Need assist as i think this can be why lite no longer works, but more importantly need help as to why defrost heater not working.
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REPLY
The light blue wire that connects to the plug in the ceiling sends current to the defrost heater through the bi-metal defrost thermostat. The defrost bi-metal thermostat shuts off current to the defrost heater to prevent the evaporator from overheating during the defrost process. Based on your details, we think that the defrost heater may be shorted and that’s why the light blue wire in the refrigerator ceiling plug is burnt. We recommend that you unplug the refrigerator and check the resistance of the defrost heater using a multimeter. Here’s a video that shows how to access the defrost heater: www.searspartsdirect.com/repair-guide/refrigerator/how-to-replace-the-defrost-heater-in-a-top-freezer-refrigerator.html. You should measure between 32 and 45 ohms of resistance through the defrost heater. Replace the defrost heater (www.searspartsdirect.com/part-number/242044020/0046/253.html) if you measure resistance outside that range. If you measure the proper resistance through the defrost heater, then the defrost bi-metal thermostat could have failed. Check the resistance through the defrost bi-metal thermostat when the thermostat is colder than 47 degrees. You should measure near 0 ohms of resistance through the bi-metal thermostat. If you measure infinite resistance through the bi-metal thermostat, replace it (www.searspartsdirect.com/part-number/5303918634/0046/253.html). Here’s a video that shows how:www.searspartsdirect.com/repair-guide/refrigerator/how-to-replace-the-defrost-bi-metal-thermostat-in-a-top-freezer-refrigerator.html. You’ll also need to repair the light blue wire so current flows to the defrost heater. If you’ve already replaced the light bulb in the refrigerator, then a bad door switch, a failed light socket or a wiring failure in the light circuit could be preventing the light bulb from working. If you get to a point where you need a service technician to diagnose and repair the refrigerator, you can schedule service here: www.searshomeservices.com/.
How to determined if the timer is not functioning properly,no frost refrigerator.
Greay video but im trying to make sure all refrigerators have a thermistor. I have a may tag M8RXEGMAS02 . The heater heats up when I do defrost mode, and melts the coils. So im guessing it could be my thermostat or electrical board. Dont think its the thermistor, if i even have one. I apologize for sounding like I dont know much.
Not all refrigerators use a defrost thermistor. Your Maytag refrigerator doesn’t have a thermistor. The defrost control board in the control box at the top of the refrigerator compartment controls the timing of the automatic defrost cycle. Here’s a link for that part with a photograph of the board: www.searspartsdirect.com/part-number/4388931/0046/106.html. The defrost bi-metal thermostat (www.searspartsdirect.com/part-number/WPW10225581/0046/106.html) should trip when evaporator temperature reaches about 50 degrees to prevent the evaporator from overheating. If the heater is overheating the evaporator, you’ll likely need to replace the defrost bi-metal thermostat because the thermostat isn’t tripping at 50 degrees to shut off the heater. Unplug the refrigerator before accessing internal components. We hope this information helps. If you need further assistance, let us know.
Sears PartsDirect thank you so much. Ill just order both parts to be safe and replace them.
For a Kenmore model 111.60615910. How would I enter into defrost mode? I lost the manual unfortunately and can't find a manual online.
We have the owner's manual available online on our Sears PartsDirect website. Here's a link for that page that has that owner's manual: www.searspartsdirect.com/manual/15ygx9h77x-000582/kenmore-11160615910-top-mount-refrigerator
The owner's manual doesn't describe how to enter the forced defrost mode. To enter forced defrost mode on that model, turn the temperature control dial all the way to the lowest possible setting (1). Hold the refrigerator door switch in while turning the dial to the highest setting (7). The compressor should shut off and the defrost mode should start.
If the defrost mode doesn't start, then the control likely detected a component problem. An LED light on the control board at the back of the refrigerator signals error codes to indicate what's wrong with the refrigerator. Follow the steps listed on this error code chart to safely view and decipher error codes for your refrigerator: www.searspartsdirect.com/diy/error-codes/refrigerator-repair/1234589-1235884/kenmore-111-model-top-freezer-refrigerator/0582 . If you see an error code flashing on the control board, follow the troubleshooting steps in the chart to diagnose and repair the problem.
If you don't see an error code flashing, then you may need to replace the electronic control board in the refrigerator. Here's a guide that shows how to replace the control board: www.searspartsdirect.com/diy/repair-guide/how-to-replace-a-refrigerator-electronic-control-board
We hope this advice helps. If you need further assistance, let us know.
@@searspartsdirect Thank you. If I need further assistance I'll be sure to comment back
1:49 magic trick
my froas proof samsung fridge T55K breaks it heater and trips electricity every 3 weeks.Pls suggest a reason.Is it defrost the Frig every # three weeks and due to falt in instruction the heater gets overheated?
A short circuit to metal ground or to adjacent wiring in the heater circuit could be causing that failure. A short in the electronic control board could also cause that problem. That type of short circuit may be difficult to find a repair. We recommend that you have a service technician examine and repair the refrigerator. Here's a link to schedule service: www.searshomeservices.com/repair . We hope this information helps. Let us know if you need further assistance. Note: We didn't find technical information for a Samsung refrigerator model T55K. Let us know the full model number of the refrigerator if you need more help.
Je voudrais savoir comment branché relais compresseur hermétique de frost
Wayne, I'm in my 40's and I wish you were my real dad.
😄
Thanks sir
What causes a scorched smell "inside" of the refrigerator and freezer. (Whirlpool bottom freezer.
Odors from food get absorbed by ice cubes and can cause a scorched smell. Empty your ice storage bucket and see if that trick eliminates the odor. If it does, wrap and seal foods airtight when storing them in the refrigerator and freezer to minimize odors. Keep an open box of baking soda in the refrigerator to absorb odors.
If the odor smells like burning wire insulation, have a service technician examine the refrigerator for safety because you could have a short circuit that’s burning the insulation. Here’s a link where you can schedule service: www.searshomeservices.com/repair/refrigerator-repair-service.
anson mew you
How we can see your troubleshooting when you are overwriting on the video
Awesome stuff thanks heaps
My defrost timer doesn't restart when it goes off. I have replaced it with a new one but I am experiencing the same problem. Please what could be the problem.
Let us know the model number of your refrigerator so we can look up the wiring schematic for the defrost system. We should be able to provide you with some troubleshooting tips as soon as we receive that model number.
frig is keeping things cold, but freezer not keeping thing froze. cleaned coils on bottom of frig. Amana sxd23vw side by side. what to check
Check to see if the compressor is running. You’ll hear the compressor buzzing if it’s running. If the compressor isn’t running, then look at the condenser fan to see if it’s running. If the condenser fan is running, but the compressor isn’t, then you may need to replace the compressor start relay (www.searspartsdirect.com/part-number/WPW10189190/0046/106.html). If the compressor is running, check to see if the condenser fan is running. If the condenser fan isn’t running, then you’ll likely need to replace the condenser fan motor (www.searspartsdirect.com/part-number/833697/0046/106.html). If the condenser fan and compressor are both running, unplug the refrigerator and remove the evaporator cover in the freezer compartment. Check for frost on the evaporator fins. If you don’t see frost on the evaporator, then you’ll need to have a service technician diagnose and repair the refrigerator because the compressor isn’t working or refrigerant leaked out of the sealed refrigerant system. The compressor or sealed system should only be repaired by a service technician because the repair involves the recovery and recharge of refrigerant. You can schedule service here: www.searshomeservices.com/. If neither the compressor nor condenser fan are running, then pull off the toe grill to access the defrost timer on the bottom, right corner of the refrigerator. Turn the red defrost timer knob clockwise a quarter turn to manually advance the defrost timer. If the compressor starts, then a stuck defrost timer was likely causing the cooling problem, so replace the defrost timer (www.searspartsdirect.com/part-number/R0131577/0046/464.html). Don’t forget to unplug the refrigerator before replacing internal parts. If the compressor doesn’t start after advancing the defrost timer, then you may need to replace the temperature control thermostat (www.searspartsdirect.com/part-number/R0161092/0046/464.html). Again, don’t forget to unplug the refrigerator before replacing internal parts. These tips may help solve the cooling problem in your refrigerator. Let us know if you need more help.
Deb Wiese A