Author Topic: GE Side by side Refrigerator/Freezer model GSS25JFPDCC s/n LG213183 (Read 18630 times)

robpmorrison · « **on:** September 05, 2012, 10:12:07 PM »

To all,

I found this forum very helpful in solving my Maytag dryer problem a couple of months ago. Now I have a problem with my GE Side by Side Refrigerator/Freezer. This was probably 2 weeks ago that I started to notice the refrigerator part was getting warmer and warmer. The compressor was running. The flap from the freezer to the refrigerator was opening properly but no air was blowing through. Then it was clear that the freezer was warming up as well. I noticed that the evaporator fan was slowing down and then speeding up. With out going into the story I had a brand new one that was given to me by a repair guy when the unit was still under warranty since he was not sure if that was causing a problem. The real problem seemed to be that the ice maker was leaking so he replaced that and then things started to run properly. However he left me the evaporator fan motor. So I took everything apart and replaced the evaporator fan motor. I also noticed that the coils were all frozen up and that there was frost on the cover over the coils. I took a hair dryer to it and thawed everything out. Replaced the motor and put it all back together again and it started to run great. The air was blowing into the refrigerator and the temp went down to about 40 and the freezer went down to about 20. Then the freezer started to get colder and dropped almost to below zero and the fridge started going towards 32. We turned it up a little and then the same problem started to happen. The air stopped blowing into the refrigerator even with the flap open. The fan was running properly in the freezer. Now the freezer stays just at 40 and the whole back wall is frosted over and my guess is that the coils are frozen solid once again.

I have looked around the forum and I am guessing that the problem could be a heater http://www.appliancepartspros.com/Appliance-Parts/ge-heater---bracket-asm-item-number-ap3183311.aspx. could it also be something else like one of the thermistors or the temp sensor or the defrost limiter thermostat etc...

Thanks for the help. I am guessing that if I defrost the coils once again that it will be up and running again for a few days and then it will start to do the same thing over again.

I have added a picture of when I replaced the fan and you can see the coils were all ice. The other pictures are from tonight. The back cover is all covered in frost and the the temp is at 40 deg in the freezer.

Rob

robpmorrison · « **Reply #1 on:** September 06, 2012, 11:06:16 AM »

OK I have pulled the freezer apart once again. I have defrosted it with the hair dryer. see the picture before defrosting.

I pulled the heater and checked the continuity on it at room temperature and it measured 21.1 ohms. What should it be?

I have also put it into the freezer to see if it will be different once it is cold. It ohmed out at 20.5 but it was jumping all over the place.

Thanks for the help.

Please let me know if you have any other thoughts.

robpmorrison · « **Reply #2 on:** September 06, 2012, 11:12:56 AM »

I ohmed out the temperature sensor and it is 3.8kohms. This is at room temp. Is this correct or should I replace it?

dab147315 · « **Reply #3 on:** September 06, 2012, 12:40:19 PM »

Heater checks out ohm wise gut looks dark in the glass.Rapid changes in evaporator fan motor is not normal .This means mother board is bad causing this and the board puts it in defrost.

dab147315 · « **Reply #4 on:** September 06, 2012, 12:52:19 PM »

You can check thermistor in a cup of ice water with ohm meter and leave thermistor in cup about 5 min. to take a ohm reading .Should get 16.3 k you do have safety thermostat on evaporator and you should get 0 ohms.Safety is in series with heater.so if saftey is open then heater will not come on.But is rare.Mother board is common .

dab147315 · « **Reply #5 on:** September 06, 2012, 12:54:04 PM »

This is thermistor chart.

robpmorrison · « **Reply #6 on:** September 06, 2012, 12:56:52 PM »

Thanks for your response.

You wrote:

Quote from: dab147315 on September 06, 2012, 12:40:19 PM

Heater checks out ohm wise gut looks dark in the glass.Rapid changes in evaporator fan motor is not normal .This means mother board is bad causing this and the board puts it in defrost.

This is what the old motor was doing. The new motor I put in is staying at the same speed constantly. In addition the freezer is not thawing it is icing up and not defrosting and as it ices up the temp in my refrigerator side goes down and then the freezer temp drops as well. I have ordered a mother board just in case but I figured I would like to verify on all the other possible components first.

So 21 ohms is normal for the heater? And yes it is pretty black. How about for the resistance on the thermostat which was 3800 ohms at room temp, is that normal as well?

Again thanks.

Thanks

dab147315 · « **Reply #7 on:** September 06, 2012, 01:05:46 PM »

You mean thermistor was 3.8 ohms at room temp. And looks like the picture in sent you?3.8 at room temp would be about right like on the chart i sent you.

robpmorrison · « **Reply #8 on:** September 06, 2012, 01:07:31 PM »

I will have to wait for the parts that I ordered to come tomorrow. I have hooked it all up again and it is running and there is nice cool air coming once again into the fridge side and the freezer is dropping in temp.

Thanks for the thermistor chart and the ohms. That would say that the temp sensor is working all right as well. So maybe it is the mother board after all. As I said I have one coming as well. I figured I would take the shot gun approach just in case and also save on the shipping.

robpmorrison · « **Reply #9 on:** September 06, 2012, 01:11:11 PM »

Quote from: dab147315 on September 06, 2012, 01:05:46 PM

You mean thermistor was 3.8 ohms at room temp. And looks like the picture in sent you?3.8 at room temp would be about right like on the chart i sent you.

Not 3.8 ohms but 3.8 kohms or 3800 ohms which I agree makes sense with the chart that you provided. So I would say that tests out as well. So as I am thinking and as you suggested it sounds like it could be the mother board. If anyone else has further thoughts that would be helpful as well.

Where did you get your online manual from?

dab147315 · « **Reply #10 on:** September 06, 2012, 01:12:25 PM »

Look at this.

dab147315 · « **Reply #11 on:** September 06, 2012, 01:15:19 PM »

Yes i am sorry 3.8K ohm,s

dab147315 · « **Reply #12 on:** September 06, 2012, 01:33:31 PM »

Normally with heater or not defrosting you would check out heater from the board itself while it is install.By using the attachment I just sent you.Also this checks out the heater and safety thermostat .That is in series with the heater .iIf the safety is open you will have a bad heater or thermostat with checking off the board.

dab147315 · « **Reply #13 on:** September 06, 2012, 01:38:22 PM »

This is the safety thermostat on the evaporator.This must have continuity.Good luck.

robpmorrison · « **Reply #14 on:** September 06, 2012, 01:54:14 PM »

Thanks for the help. I am going to check the board now. I also ordered one of the defrost controls as well so we will see. The shotgun approach sometimes works but I would really rather know exactly which component has gone.

dab147315 · « **Reply #15 on:** September 06, 2012, 01:54:29 PM »

You can download manual from appliance junk under manuals at top of page .

robpmorrison · « **Reply #16 on:** September 06, 2012, 04:28:12 PM »

Quote from: dab147315 on September 06, 2012, 01:33:31 PM

Normally with heater or not defrosting you would check out heater from the board itself while it is install.By using the attachment I just sent you.Also this checks out the heater and safety thermostat .That is in series with the heater .iIf the safety is open you will have a bad heater or thermostat with checking off the board.

I did the continuity test on the main board. It read 20.9 ohms. So from the document you posted this sounds normal. So does this point to the main board being the only problem?

dab147315 · « **Reply #17 on:** September 06, 2012, 05:17:44 PM »

Yes Just follow instruction with board when you get it.

robpmorrison · « **Reply #18 on:** September 12, 2012, 08:10:58 AM »

This is a follow up and a closure on my problem. I replaced the board and replaced the heater since it was black even though the resistance was within normal specifications and replaced the Temp thermistor and the defrosting thermistor. I did that on Saturday. The temperature was holding well and there was no frost build up on the back panel. The temp in the freezer would range from below 0 to around 20 deg F. This would make sense for the defrosting to be working right. I checked Monday night to see how it was doing and I could see water in the drain area and it was freezing over. Everything is working very well. I am not sure if I needed to replace all that I replaced but I figured it was the best and wisest thing to do and hopefully I will get another 7 or 8 years out of it before any of these parts go again. Of course there are other things that could go as well in the mean time but I think the cooling part should continue to operate.

Here is another question. Does anyone take the old boards and trouble shoot them and replace the failed parts?

Rob

dab147315 · « **Reply #19 on:** September 12, 2012, 05:50:50 PM »

You did everything the right way.That heater and safety or high limit thermostat is suppose to replace when one or the other goes bad.Meaning both should to be replace.Thermistor is a cheap part so you did that right also.There are companies that rebuild boards but with the G.E board better to buy a new one.

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Author Topic: GE Side by side Refrigerator/Freezer model GSS25JFPDCC s/n LG213183 (Read 18630 times)