For people who have a digital version of the defrost control board (the version that does not have a screw to advance the defrost timer), I have found the procedure to put it into the defrost test mode. My refrigerator is a Whirlpool G6SHA and looks exactly like the one in the video but with a digital defrost timer. The instructions were found folded into the bottom grill panel where the water filter is located. Step 1: Rotate the refrigerator thermostat knob to the off position for 15 seconds. Step 2: Turn the knob back on for 5 seconds. Repeat these steps 2 more times and end with the control in the off position. You will hear a click that will start the defrost test mode which runs the defroster for 21 minutes. To stop the defrost test mode, un plug the refrigerator and plug it back in. All other steps here have been very helpful. Since my thermostat readings on the multimeter were kind of weird, (using a cheap multimeter and me not being very technical) I just bought a new thermostat (which are cheap) and a control board (shop around, you can find cheaper versions on Amazon). I replaced the control board first since this did not require any wire splicing. After replacing my control board, and performing this test, my defrost heating coils have finally kicked in. I did not have to replace the thermostat at this point, but I will be continuing to watch the refrigerator for the next few weeks to ensure I'm 100% fixed. Hope this helps.
Thank You, Thank You, Thank You. I couldn't find that defrost timer info anywhere. I was able to put the frig into defrost confirming the defrost worked. I had already changed the board (Amazon:$7, local $160). I have pulled everything apart, the only thing I found was the drain had frozen over below the evaporator. Maybe the old board wasn't working but since I didn't know how to test it, I don't really know. I couldn't find my instructions anywhere on the frig. My controls are sliders. Whirlpool Model:ED5LVAXWQ00 The only thing is it seems like there should be more air coming from the freezer side, but the damper works and the fan works, no obstructions. I guess that's just the way it is.
In reference to the public comment below, the Model No. of the Whirlpool refrigerator is: GD5SHAXLT02...This is an old fridge, built in 2002. If the timer does NOT have a spin dial to advance the defrost clock, what else can be done to verify the system works...continuity test across the heater coil but that doesn't test the timer. Thank you Bill for the public service you provide. I am amazed at how useful your videos are in taking the fear out of analyzing small refrigeration issues. Thank you and Happy Holidays.
You rock, Bill. I was hiperventilating over the thought of calling in a technician and being overcharged for something you are teaching me to do myself. Thank you.
I have a updated whirlpool side by side and I wasn't getting the refrigerator to cool but my freezer was working but thought it was working too hard because it had ice all on the bottom. After watching this video, I took the back panel off and sure enough, ICE. Ice on the coils, ice on the vents. I grabbed a heat gun and melted all that off and cleaned dry. Plugged the fridge back on and voila....cool air flowing through all the vents and my refrigerator is working agin, Thank you Bill.
iF I was your father...I would BE VERY Proud! But I am not and I am still impressed a woman would troubleshoot a refrigerator. Usually they just go out and buy a new (JUNKY) one or call in a $200/ estimate repair looser. Good Job!
Hello,Bill.!! Great video , after watching your video and I have replaced the defrost thermostat in freezer compartment due to the refigerator section not cold enough and got snow in freezer . After replaced the defrost thermostat and it works like a brand new machine. Thank you very much sir.. good job.
Sooooo Coooool! I just found this and I got the back panel off and sure enough it's covered with ice! OMG This 70 year old WOMAN is not gonna give up! Now I'll let it defrost! And be back! lol
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you~ Great help sorting out our problems today with our FABULOUS Whirlpool Side by Side 16 year old Refrigerator over the Easter Break whilst in Isolation COVID-19 Style! Much appreciated!
Great videos! I have a Amana SDZ23VL side-by-side. I've tested the compressor and found my overload relay was not working. It has been replaced by a RCO410 3 in 1start capacitor and all seems to be running. Basically, neither my fridge or freezer are getting cold. The compressor and it's fan are running. I've checked the thermostat behind the controls and it's working. The defrost thermostat doesn't show physical signs of the cap starting to come apart as you've demonstrated in one of your videos. I've created a jump to replace this thermostat to see how it will work. The small fan above the coils now runs (it wasn't before I created the jump). I have air coming out of the vent in the freezer and the fridge...but it's not cold. After 45 minutes of running, still no cold air and the coils are at room temp and compressor is getting pretty hot to the touch (even with constant compressor fan air flow). What now?
OMG, thank you SO much! We were planning on charging $1400.00 for a new fridge. Thanks to you, I did exactly what you said and it worked perfectly. Thank you, thank you!
thanks Bill, my SxS is 30 degrees higher than normal both fridge and freezer, i cleaned the condenser coils under the front on monday and by tuesday it was warm and not working as well, any ideas?
Hi Bill...good video getting to the point..defrost timer motor does not run all the time, it only runs when the main thermostat calls for cooling and during defrost cycle?????
suddenly refrigerator is not longer cooling. but freezer works. noticed divider wall started getting too hot. Did feel a little bit of air from the upper and middle (return). I will try to work on it tomorrow following your directions... hopefully I can fix it. so my husband won't hit the roof...because I just had it move to the house. yes, wanted my old basic model. refrigerator did work well when I plugged in and then turned off from the control on top in order to clean it and then surprise: only freezer working properly.
Rox,Did you ever get a reply? I'm having the same issue. Freezer working; Fridge cool, but not as it should be. Divider wall, and rubber gasket on door, very warm on fridge side only.
+Great Lakes Cruiser left message in site. finally figured how to reply. and by the way clean underneath the refrigerator. my was pretty bad. the former owner was not too domestic.
Bill, thank you for the video. My freezer and the refrigerator side is not cooling at all. I replaced the capacitor ( Supco RCO410 Start Kit , BLACK) thermostat, and defrost sensor? Still not cooling. I had it running at first when I replaced the capacitor. Then I stopped cooling after 2 days later. What else can I do to fix the problem. Thanks.....
Excellent video! Thanks. I have a Whirlpool refrigerator model GS6SHAMB00, the controller box is at the top left side,. Where can I find the timer hole to turn it around?
Your videos are very helpful. My whirlpool side by side look similar but my defrost timer is electronic. no way to turn a knob with a screw driver. my coils are freezing up. How do I check my defrost timer?
What other issues with the whirlpool unit would cause the not so cold fridge side? I’m a new home owner and am having this issue with my fridge. I’m going to follow these steps Tomorrow.
What’s up Bill. Fridge comes down to temp then warms back up and stays there. I can manually start it cooling again by turning thermostat dial to 0 then back up again?
So what does it mean when you put it in defrost most but the fan turns back on after a couple minutes ?? Is the heater still going to get hot after a while or not ? And if it does how long do I need to wait ? I'd appreciate a quick reply
because I needed to be out. I left it unplug, for a couple of days, plug it backbut , it took a couple of hours to get cold again. I was ready with the screwdriver. so far so good. I guess the thermostat reset itself. before that fan, etc. etc. we're working. hope this help. yes, was checking for prices's just in case.
You should have mentioned the electronic defrost timer. I should have known something was not right when I could not find that hole you mentioned to advance the timer. It keeps freezing up. I am working on a Frigidaire looks a lot like the one your working on. I took that cover off inside the refrigerator and I see a box with a bunch of wires going into it. Not sure what it is but I think it is a electronic defrost timer. So far I have checked the thermostat that clips on to the coil. It seems to be working. I unplugged both ends of the heater and checked it and It has resistance. Any suggestions ?
Can the defrost heater element show resistance within 5% of spec. limit and still be bad, meaning it is just not getting hot enough to melt all the frost and after many defrost cycles the icing accumulates. I checked just about everything and this seems to be the probable cause. However I didn’t have a thermostat gun like yours to test it out.
I just got a used 2007 Kenmore side by side. Clean inside and out. Both fans, underneath and inside are running. The coils and fan underneath have been cleaned too. I plugged it in and everything works. The compressor is warm to the touch after running for an hour. There is no cooling happening in the freezer compartment, no change in temperature at all. Is this a refrigerant issue or something else? Any advice would help. Thanks
where is the best place online to get a thermostat for my whirlpool gold series side by side refrigerator? thank you for the helpful video, i believe this will solve the problem.
Hello. Is there any reason that one of the defrost heater wires would not be hooked up? I’ve had a whirlpool fridge for a few years now. The fridge side just recently hasn’t been getting as cold as normal but the freezer side works good. I just took the back panel off and the coils are totally frosted/froze over. The right side black wire to white wire connector was not connected. Should it be like that or could that be my problem? Again this fridge is only about 3 years old and has never been worked on and the back cover hasn’t been removed before. Could it have somehow got disconnected? I don’t want to buy a heater or heater thermostat if I don’t really need to. Thank you
Thanks One Q I did complete procedure and it was working good for few hours but freezer is working fine but fridge is not getting cold. I do not see too much ice behind the panel when I open the first time. any idea or help please?
Bom dia, amigo estou assisti do seus vídeos e gostando muito. Tenho um refrigerador desse modelo e está apresentando problema de formação de gelo na descida do gelo, conseguiria fazer um vídeo sobre esse assunto pra me ajudar por favor?! Muito obrigado.
I have a whirlpool WRS322FDAM04 side by side refrigerator. The freezer is cold but the fridge is not so cold. When I put my hand in front of the air damper I can't feel cold air blowing. I could hear the evaporator fan sound so I am assuming it's running. When I turn the refrigerator knob OFF, I could hear the fan stops. When I try to rotate the freezer knob, I can't as its stuck. What could be the problem? Can you please help? Also can you tell me where the defrost timer could be located in this model?
what happens when you change the defrost heater and thermostat and the refrig side still doesnt cool? This is on a maytag model # MSD2454GRW. Timer switch is working properly
Hi Bill, I'm learning from your shows. My Whirlpool side by side, Freezer works but not the Refrigerator. I replaced Air Damper, Thermostat Control Switch; I checked by DVM Defrost Thermostat. Latest, I replaced Adaptive Defrost Control board (Defrost Timer). Final, my Whirlpool is not improve. Can you any ideal about my Case. Thanks for your time, Tom
I just moved in a house and acquired a Kenmore Coldspot 106 that sort of works all fans work compressor comes on I just replaced the capacitor and the compressor switch... all the evaps are frost free water comes out the water dispenser air is coming into the freezer and the refrig section but the it doesn't get cold or make ice... Could it need charging...
How do you troubleshoot a whirlpool refrigerator with a dual evaporator? It is equipped with 3-way rotary refrigerant valve. Also, is it possible to repair a leak within the cabinet?
Hi Bill, you do the best videos! Can you have a heating element that (can ohm out ok but still have some continuity to ground in the high setting) is intermittently or barely shorted to ground causing breaker to pop? Also do defrost timer motors run hot to the touch? Thank you very much?
My freezer is not freezing. Watching your videos and it appears all cooling for the fridge comes from the freezer side. Cleaned the coils underneath. Turn thermostat from off to on and it sounds like its running but not very long. My Whirlpool model, ED2KVEXVLO1, doesn't have a "hole" to turn on defroster. What can I do?
I have whirlpool model ED5LHAXWS02. both freezer and refrigerator set at max cool. Freezer cold but refrigerator will not cool below 38 degrees. slight "breeze" felt in upper left of refrigertor baffle, does not increase with freezer door open. everything clean and defrosted. When I look up into the baffle area, two of the 4 slots are "closed". any suggestions?
My new defrost thermostat has black and red leads, not pink and brown like the original thermostat. I connected the red to pink and brown to black , is this correct or does it matter.?
I have a top freezer Whirlpool, not a s x s. freezer worx great, fridge not cooling. took panel off, no white frost clustered on, but did have ice build up on bottom of panel, and some in shoot going down to frifge, melted it w hair dryer. where exactly is defrost button on this?
So i worked on a whirlpool refrigerator sided by sided it was packed with roaches, i cleaned it out really good, went to the control box underneath and it was packed full of roaches cleaned the best i could for a elderly couple. There is still no water to ice maker and water in door, when i checked the voltage at the water and ice intake. The water intake volts was 95 volts without it engaged for water. I did have water to the water intake. The refrigerator was cold on freezer side but 60 degrees on refrigerator side and all iced up. Im thinking the board has shorted out for a gs5shaxsl01
hey I got a side by side Kenmore older stile that the freezer side get to be around 70 degrees when the defrost cycle is on,i replace the defrost thermostat but is doing the same thing what could be myproblem any help would be much appreciated thank you
I just got a used 2004 Add to dictionary side by side. Clean inside and out. Both fans, underneath and inside are running. The coils and fan underneath have been cleaned too. I plugged it in and everything works. The compressor is warm to the touch after running for days. There is no cooling happening in the freezer compartment, no change in temperature at all. The heater was on and the compressor was off. the compressor is running at .652 amps when it is on. why would the defrost turn on if it is 55% in the fridge? it has an electric circuit board defrost timer and I do not know how to test it to see if it is bad. I bypassed the thermostat switch just to check is it was that and still nothing. The fridge is outside in a 40-50 degree weather and covered so it never gets wet. Is this a refrigerant issue or something else? Any advice would help. Thanks
I have been watching your excellent videos now for about a year. Thank you for your attention to detail, for repeating yourself. However, I do appreciate that EXPERIENCE trumps all. I noticed water in front of my side by side Whirlpool Refrigerator freezer door. I followed your video on unclogging the drain hole with hot water. I plugged in the refrigerator and noticed the evap fan running so I wanted to verify that the heater coil functions. I COULD NOT LOCATE THE DEFROST TIMER SLOT IN THE REFRIG. WHERE THE FRIDGE AND FREEZER THERMOST KNOBS ARE. There was no hole to put a slotted screwdriver in. Do I have a way to advance the defrost cycle?? Happy Holidays to you and Family.
Your refrigerator uses an Adaptive Defrost Control Board # WPW10366605 instead of a typical timer. It's almost impossible to test the electronic board without schematics. However, your user-manual may have a "key dance" sequence on how to advance the control board to the defrost cycle. Also, have you checked your water filter and tube connections? The water may be leaking from there.
Key Point: the 30 minutes things turn OFF / the Heating unit that turns ON - BUT =Only= For a Few minutes __ and DO NOT TOUCH IT . Its 400 to 700 degrees there, ALL COVERRED IN Your Fine Video. T h a n k s..!!
