Refrigerator Repair - Replacing the Evaporator Fan Motor (GE Part # WR60X10185) 

my husband and I watched this video last week. We had the noise problem, followed your advise and FIXED the problem. Thank you!. Can we make a donation to say thank-you?

Thanks a bunch dude. Mine just went out not sure how much this video saved me just that the motor was 70 and I was able to do it myself thanks to this video.

I just wanted to thank you for this video, I was sure I had a bad evaporator motor. After watching this video, I pulled the fan motor out, and found it had been replaced before. One of the spliced wires had pulled out of the butt connector. Simply repairing the splice fixed my fridge. Thanks again for posting a video that gave me the confidence to repair my own appliance.

So glad to hear! Thanks for the feedback and great job on the repair. :)

Thank you very much for the video, this applies to all refrigerators, just make sure the motor is the same as the one you are changing.

I was trying my damndest to unplug the wiring harness from the motor because it looked to be different colors than the motor assembly, when I tried to use pliers the whole thing crumbled and I discovered it was hard wired..so I found this video to see what my next move was. Great video! I was able to find a motor for $42. I was about to replace a $1500 fridge!

Yes you have it was the defrost heater that needed changing thanks for the vid! I would have been responded but youtube is just now letting me check my messages! Thanks again for your response & your video that made my day! :D :)

Great video... I was able to repair the broken evap fan bracket screws in no time (or expense) at all!

Hello great video! Just a quick question.... When this evaporator fan motor should be running? A) When the door is close fan motor working all the time B) When the door is open should stop spinning but if we press manual with my hand the door switch will start spinning again C) When the refrigerator is on defrost mod, fan motor should working or not? thanks fro your answer will be very helpful for me!

Hello technical colleague, according to the general electric manual the fans between the red and white wire measure between 1.5K ohms and 3k ohms, that replacement measures how much it measures between the red and white wire 1.k ohms at 3k ohms or measures 9k ohms

Could we please have a similar video for replacing the fan motor on a Daewoo frs-20ucb?

I think the fan placement is important. I put it low and it made noise. I think it has to be up on the shaft where the blades actually stick through the fan cover. I agree with the guy who said GE should give every owner free anger management classes.

Do all evaporator fans have a universal size? How to I check which to buy

do you replace grommets?

thanks for your videos

Hi - good video but I think you cheated a little. On some shots the ice-maker has been removed. On my model it is secured to the side wall by 3 screws two of which are BEHIND the ice maker. How on earth do you get these out, and if you do, how do you replace them? Also I have a GCE23LGTBFSS and the fan cover does not have any visible screws at the bottom and the lamps are attached to the cover. How do I remove this? Any help appreciated.

Hi Steve, I have a KitchenAid Model ZIS480NM Refrigerator that seems to be cooling fine, except that the wall between the frig compartment and the freezer is warm all the time on the front face, top to bottom. The front plastic has discolored a bit. Is this a problem? If so, do you have any Ideas?

Thank you for saving me a couple hundred dollars on a service call!

No thank you for the vid!!!! :D

I noticed that the new/replacement motor already comes with a socket connector. Isn't there any way to connect it using that instead of wire splicing? It's like they purposely designed it to be more difficult than it had to be. EDIT: You actually CAN just plug in the socket connector of the new motor to the refrigerator/freezer directly -- there is no need to splice wires!

Replaced fan motor and it's still not working. Any ideas on what else it could be?

This morning I finally got around to changing that fan motor in my GE 2 door Profile. Bought the motor 6 months ago and was a bit frightened to change it. My model was a lot more complicated, with a lot more pieces to remove to get to the fan motor but I can certainly say that the video helped. So thank you very much for that, it's running so nice and quiet now.

Sorry to hear about this problem with your refrigerator, and thanks for the question. Even though we generally notice a problem with one (either fridge or freezer) first, the issue will eventually become apparent in both, as the whole unit is controlled by the same system. Is your evaporator fan working? You can check this by increasing the temp, which will kick start the compressor. You should then feel cold air blowing into the freezer section, and from the air inlet into the fridge section.

GE Fridge Ice box side by side Test question for a Panasonic fan UDQT26GE3 9.75V DC.3.25W in nom. 197D2039P006 Evap. WR60X10043 73002 in the freezer side… GE fridge Model No. PSS25SSNA SS Compressor working Cooling coils clean compressor working fan working for cooling coil works. The Freezer coil evaporator starts to frost up I have bypassed the cutout switch Hooked together (Temporary)… Fan hanging in Freezer compartment Evaporator coil frost up to top still not spinning. How do I test fan, if fan has failed or not working because of something else? What other areas should I look at.

I was able to fix my non cooling refrigerator by watching your video! Thanks for this informative video!

Final report. Your instructions were right on the money. I ordered an original equipment part by Panasonic. Everything came apart as shown in your film. The new evaporator fan motor and attached thermister slid into their places like fingers into a glove. When I saw how much more freezer space I had with the ice maker removed I left it out. I added a clip on freezer thermometer. My GE now effortlessly maintains a freezer temperature of minus 10 degrees F and I have increased my storage space by about 20%. many thanks and kudos to you. Frank

Great video, thank you for the instruction! Was able to get the repair done and everything cooling properly!

The bottom of my freezer keeps filling up with water and freezing. Is it because my evaporator fan is bad? If so, can I test it with a multimeter?

How I could find out my fan is out o order, I got a Liebherr fridge combined. When I open the door the fan is not working.

what size crimp are you using to connect the wires....is the color what I need to look for(red)?

Hi Terry, Sorry to hear about this problem with your freezer! Is the ice maker still functioning? It sounds like the ice maker door may not be closing properly/all the way - you should inspect the brackets and door hinge on that, if you haven't already. Hope that helps!

Nice Video, I have a GE side by side with ice maker. The evaporator fan does not run sometimes. It runs again after I push on the fan. Should I replace the motor ? the fan ? both? Thanks

If you can provide your model number and any more details, I can be a better help at troubleshooting with you. Thanks!

Thanks, Steve. My 2006 side-by-side Hotpoint wasn't exactly like this, but close enough that I was able to do the job. It would have been a lot tougher to do if I hadn't been able to watch this and had to figure out everything as I went along. Excellent video.

Very good instruction, easy to follow. My evap motor quit working and the freezer was not cooling. Fortunately, I heard the fan in the freezer surging and ordered a new evap fan in the nick of time. This video saved me a lot of time and potential mistakes, allowing me to fix it myself during the COVID19 pandemic. Thank you - saved me from getting a repairman coming into the home or ordering a new refrigerator for delivery. PS - heat shrink butt connectors are better than electrical tape. I just happened to have some stored on the boat in my yard.

Our Evaporator Fan was making terrible noises with the temperature fluctuating in the fridge section. I removed the unit and found the grommet on the shaft side had partly disintegrated with bits falling into the fan shaft dome that rubbed on the shaft collar inside. I used a safety pin, a wire brush for car detailing and an X-acto knife to remove dozens of bits from inside the dome. That took 20 minutes. The rear grommet was OK, so I swapped front to rear grommets & reassembled everything. The fridge is now back to running without much perceptible noise of any kind and the temperature is stable again/

thanks for the video,,, i bought new one, still not working😒

Hi, it's important to note that the motor mount might not be holding the motor securely in the fan assembly. This will allow it to vibrate and make noise and wear out quickly. The motor mount apparently deforms over time, pressure and vibratory forces. It is simple to detect and fix by carefully bending it back into shape. You'll see the reinforced ridges on the mount intended to keep its shape. Basically, cheap consumer crap but easily fixed.

Because I didn't trust my splicing skills and also because I didn't want to go out in -3 degree weather to buy the connectors, I decided I could do without the light. Now, though, my ice maker is not working. Another video leads me to believe the switch for the light also affects the ice maker. Do I need to reinstall properly by splicing into the existing plug that splits off to the light to make my ice maker work?

Thank you so much for posting this. The video was well produced, had great visual angles, and the topic was explained succinctly. Even a dumb guy like me did it fairly easily. This saved me at least a $100 on a repairman visit and, at most, $2,000 for a new refrigerator.

Thank you so much for the instructional video. I was able to repair my refrigerator for less than $50 based on the instructions.

Thank you for this video. This evening I heard the evaporator fan (to a side by side GE GSS25JF MB WW) starting to bang around. After checking to make sure it wasn't ice build up I watched your video and went in to see if I could diagnose the problem. It seems that over the years the heads to the screws holding the bottom bracket of the evaporator motor rusted away enough it dropped off - presumably down behind the rear panel. Looking at a total of about $10 to $12 dollars in parts if there are no other issues. Much cheaper than a service call or a new fridge/freezer. Thanks.

Friend, the Video was Excellent, although I do not understand English, It was very Didactic, the Step by Step was very Methodical, I found it Very Easy to Learn, I Thank You Very Much, You are Very Kind for Sharing your Knowledge, Greetings.

Great Video, while my refrigerator is different ( freezer on top) and the fan is a different part number, the same principal applies. We noticed on Saturday a very loud noise coming from the freezer unit ( sounded like a fan grinding). I unplug the frig, and the sound went away. On Sunday we noticed that while the food in the freezer was cold, the ice was starting to melt and the food was thawing. Hopefully the fan I ordered will arrive today and will fix the problem. Thanks for explaining everything!

OK MILTON! I want to add a tip ~ GRAB the CONNECTOR NYLON BODIES when DISCONNECTING... DO NOT pull on the wires. GOOD WORK on the Video ~ Thumbs UP! Anthony

Great video, thx. Tips: a magnetic 1/4" driver would be really handy. You can't get both hands to the back of the compartment at once... if you drop a screw, it's a pain finding it, especially if you didn't empty the food from the bottom freezer shelves. Also, note that in addition to a 1/4" driver and ratchet, you also MAY need wire strippers and wire butt joiners as explained at 7:01. I watched just shy of that part and got to the job (my rental property) without them. Ugg.

Hi Terry, No problem at all! Please let me know if you need further help in diagnosing this issue. Cheers.

Do I detect a Canadian accent? Does PartSelect serve all areas of the U.S.? Also, my Hotpoint 'fridge makes a revving noise, sometimes continuously. It is the evap motor. How do I determine whether it is the motor, or a sensor or thermostat that needs replacement?

I just did my GE side by side which is a 2008 model. Everything works great except we get a chattering noise when we close freezer door. It appears to be the fan blades hitting the housing. I reached in an jiggled some stuff around but looks like I have to take it all apart again to expose the fan. There is very little clearance between the fan blades and the housing. How far down on the shaft does the fan go?

thank you for an enlightening presentation. fortunately my lamp has an entirely separate harness so I will have no splicing to do. I found I have 13+ volts dc between the white & red wires on the harness on the mother board (said to be a J2 connector? I don't know the meaning of "J2"). I understand this means there is power to the fan and is evidence that it is indeed the fan motor that is the problem. replacement fan motor prices range from under $30 to over $100. Is there any one maker in particular that you recommend? many thanks, Frank Kirwin Hall

Hi Steven, Thanks for your question. Sorry to hear about this frustrating issue after you've replaced your fan. What kind of a sound is it making?

frigidaire refrigerator ffpt12f3mw apartment size was plugged in the wrong voltage and is smell like is burn anyways i plug the fridge and it the bottom part is working even the light came on the freezer is cool but not like before the fan is not spinning and still smell like is burning i mean what is the issue right now, i want someone to check it out but before that i would really like to know my options thank you

Hint: Plug the unit back in and test the fan before you screw all the panels back on.

Our refrigerator's functioning has been gradually degrading for a few weeks. We spoke with someone at Sears Parts and decided it could be the evaporator fan motor. We ordered the part and, when it came, we began taking apart the freezer per this video. Aside from the fact that our fridge did not exactly match the video, (which can certainly happen) we could not dislodge the evaporator cover. We ended up taking out the racks and anything else we thought might be holding it in. Turned out, everything behind the freezer wall was frozen into a solid block of ice. Nothing was going to move until we got that block defrosted. If you attempt replacing this part yourself, be sure to let the whole thing defrost first.

Hi, with your Video, it gave me the know how to attempt the repair. just want you too know it was successful. it was a GE Cafe, some difference, solid video. Thank you.

Very Helpful for its detailed step by step instruction. Thanks a lot.

if you have correct motor assembly you don't need to cut and splice connectors and get a much better connection

Very helpful 👍🏾. Just changed ours last night and working like brand new.

excellent video, but on my GE PSS26SGRE side-by-side there are no screws at the bottom of the evaporator fan cover. It looks like there are some screws holding the fan cover to the back wall of the freezer but they are underneath the cover itself and almost impossible to get to. Has anyone successfully taken the cover off on this model?

Good job on checking it out yourself first. Good luck today!

This video was posted 8 years ago and now in 2020 I saw and I was able to fix my refrigerator! Thanks!

I have a GE model # GSL25JFRFBS side by side with icemaker ... The fan to the radiator & the fan to the freezer act like the want to turn but just sit and bounce. Is there some rely switch or do both fans need replaced or...? Pease help! I did notice a similar question but am unable to view the answer.

I have replaced my evaporator fan motor and it seemed to work fine .It still keeps everything frozen and turns on and off as it should when at temp but seems to run fast and loud .

I have a Frigidaire model # FGHB2846LF5 refrigerator. The code SY EF came up on my display. I replaced the mother board and the same code came up within an hour. Do you think I need to replace the evaporator fan motor and the mother board? I can still return the mother board.

Great video, I hope it can help me with my following problem: I have a GE PCG23SHMHFBS fridge and the freezer doesn't freeze. We have had someone from GE look at it and said that the fan motor WR60X10185 is old and doesn't work so we need a new one. Their service and the motor is quite expensive so we want to do it ourselves. We have found the part online and want to order it. Where in the fridge do we change this part. I looked inside the freezer from the front and there is nowhere to change it. So I'm suspecting it is at the back bottom. Could you give any tips or insight about my specific issue and fridge model number? Would greatly appreciate any infos! Thanks in advance!

My Evaporator fan is running all the time on my Frigidaire FRS6HR5JSB4. Occasionally it will turn off for a second or two, but will start straight back up again. The Freezer & refrigerator all seems to be working okay. I noticed the constant fan operation the other day. What would you advise I check first ?

the fan blade on the older motors is held on by a clip and does not just pull out by hand

Could the temperature sensors keep the evap fan from running??? I have aGE SIDE BY SIDE

Hi Steve, excellent video, hats off to you for making it so simple so that anybody can do it. I am going to fix mine now.

Thanks for making it is EASY! Your instructions were spot on! 😀

My fan seems to be working okay, but I'm getting frost buildup on the front of the ice maker bin and at the opening to the ice chute on the inside of the freezer door. Everything is cold and there isn't frost anywhere else. This just started about a month ago on a 7-year old GE. Any ideas? Thanks!

I have a GE GSR23VSWA SS - the freezer and fridge work fine however the freezer makes a howling noise. How can I fix this?

Hi, Our Hotpoint HSM25GFRE has a very warm (50-55F) upper part of both the fridge and freezer - but the crisper section of the fridge as well as the bottom of the freezer is frozen. We replaced the defrost heater last year, and I can see it working (although there seems to be a large amount of frost buildup before it starts working). I don't hear or feel the fan blowing any cold air in either section - would this mean we should replace the evaporator fan?

Hello and thank you for the great video. I have a GE model # GSS23SGSBSS. I am attempting to replace the fan motor as described, however the light bulb socket has wiring going elsewhere which isn't allowing me to lift the motor housing out the way you described. My question is, once I remove the back panel of the freezer so I can disconnect to wiring of the light and remove the motor housing to replace the motor, do I still need to do any splicing or can I just replace it as is. I also see the wires pass through a blue grommet that connects to the housing which does not seem to be removable in order to attach to the new motor and wires, is that a necessary component. Thanks for any advice.

Replaced motor exactly as your video says. My freezer does not get real cold and no ice cubes are being made. What am I doing wrong?

Hi, My GE Eterna series (ESF25LGRC BB) side-by-side is having some issues. It alternates between always running and making a gasping sound which can be heard very clearly when the freezer door is open. It sounds almost like it is ready to cycle into defrost but then thinks better of it. The unit does this over and over again. The unit itself is very warm to the touch though the food on the inside is either chilled or frozen appropriately. I did a search on this online and one of the ideas was that the evap fan motor is not working. This is the second time that I have had this issue. The first time I called a repairman and he replaced the computer. That worked for awhile, but the wheezing/always running is back. I realize that it could be the computer but something tells me that there is another issue as well. At some point, the ice maker gave up the ghost as well. When it went, there was a stalagmite on a little shelf at the back of the freezer. I do not know if that is related to this or not, but thought I would mention it. I would appreciate if you could help. I love your videos! Adam

I have gsc23lsrcss ( GE) brand. I was unable to take out FAN Assembly out from Freezer section. I have taken out most of assembly out like ICE maker etc. It looks like Plastic Box where FAN motor is hiding inside in, It looks upper part of plastic pannel is kind of Glued. I am calling Mechanic tomorrow to replace FAN.

You're very welcome!

If this part is out, it won't blow air to the otherside, causing it to be warmish?? yes or no Thanks

Hi would this repair help my fridge that hot and my freezer side is cold like nothing is wrong with it?

You're very welcome! :)

Hi I just installed the new fan in today but I was wondering is it suppose to make a loud sound for a while or at all?

Hi, the Fan was not running so I replaced it... but it still is not running... is there a relay or a sensor that needs to be checked...? The GE is cooling but just at the bottom of the freezer... Wondering if you can help..? Living in Costa Rica... not to many good service persons out this way..! Thanks a million, Ken

Thanks for the suggestion. The ice maker works great. With just my wife and me here, it is full most of the time. We had suspected the door flap might have a gap in it, so I'd checked it visually and with a flashlight to see if I could detect any light penetration. I didn't detect a gap. As a precaution, I just wiped it out really well with a paper towel to make sure something isn't adhered to the rim. I'll let you know if I see a change. Thanks, again!

Great video. It very closely matched my GE refrig . One difference was that, when removing the evaporator fan assembly, there were two wires that were part of the harness and these two wires were each connected on one end to the evaporate coil. I'm guessing these were thermistors. In order to remove them, I removed the panel that evaporator cover. The other difference is that there were another two wires, again part of the harness, that came from the very bottom of the evaporator coils. One long wire from each side of the coils. I did not attempt to remove these from the evaporator coils for fear of damaging them. So, it meant that I could not take the evaporator fan assembly or the cover (4:13) completely out of the freezer compartment. I was able to position them on the kitchen floor next to the freezer, and this allowed me to replace the evaporator fan. My original problem was that the evap fan was for about 2 days making a very loud noise, but the freezer and refrig were working. Then, the evaporator fan stopped, and no more cooling. After replacing the fan, the freezer is cold but not as cold as it should be. And the refrigerator portion (this is a side-by-side GE model) is barely above room temperature. I put a thermometer in the freezer compartment and it shows 16 deg C. (our room temp outside the refrig is 23 deg C). I have not heard the compressor kick in, and the refrig has been running for 24+ hours. Any suggestions? Thanks

i love this video

“You have to tilt that a bit to get the shaft through” #😳

Are most of these motors universal? or model specific each time?

Or thermostat?

Hi Steve, thank you so much for posting this very helpful video. One quick question: My fridge doesn't have the deflector cover over the fan area and wondering what role that plays and if it's really necessary. I noticed another similar video doesn't have one either. Thanks again.

Thought I had killed my fridge after following this video because the new fan hardly turned at all. So I disassembled everything and realized the little spacer bushing was too tight against the motor so it couldn't rotate. Whew! Loosened it a bit and put it all back together. I soldered the wires just to be sure and put shrink wrap around them. Also, it is easier to just take out the ice maker, it is only one screw on the front and then pull forward. Awesome video!

Hi Steve - I find your video helpful but can't determine how to remove the fan motor on my GE profile that has the freezer on the bottom. Can you help me sort that out?

I have a GE Side by Side Refridgerator (#GSS20IEPH BB). The refridgerator and freezer keep getting warm. A week ago I took the back panel off of the freezer and found the coils completely frozen over. I unthawed them and everything went back to normal. A few days ago I realized that the fridge was getting warm again but items in the freezer were fine. I took the back panel off of the fridge and tested the J2 Plug as noted in this video GE Refrigerator Fan Motor Diagnostics - RU-vid and everything checked out fine. Before I went to check out the defrost heater and defrost thermostat I noticed that the compressor fan was not spinning on the back. When I take my hand and manually spin it, it gets going a little bit but then stops. How can I further test if it is the fan motor or do you have any other thoughts?