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Hi, I'm really not sure about the age of the fridge, but I just replaced the defrost timer due to the evaporator freezing up. Before I changed it I put a current meter on the electrical cord from the wall to make sure the heating element was working. When I rotated the defrost timer into the defrost cycle, current shot up to about 7 amps, but only stayed there for almost 10 seconds. I replaced the timer since I had it in hand and it ran the heater (7 amps) for about the same amount of time (< 10 seconds). Is that normal or does it sound like the defrost thermostat may be bad or ? Also, are all t-stats basically the same except for the connector ends because the one I may need is no longer available ( AP4071978). Thanks in advance! Pat P.S. Great site!
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Originally Posted by: Poodlehead  Hi, I'm really not sure about the age of the fridge, but I just replaced the defrost timer due to the evaporator freezing up. Before I changed it I put a current meter on the electrical cord from the wall to make sure the heating element was working. When I rotated the defrost timer into the defrost cycle, current shot up to about 7 amps, but only stayed there for almost 10 seconds. I replaced the timer since I had it in hand and it ran the heater (7 amps) for about the same amount of time (< 10 seconds). Is that normal or does it sound like the defrost thermostat may be bad or ? Also, are all t-stats basically the same except for the connector ends because the one I may need is no longer available ( AP4071978). Thanks in advance! Pat P.S. Great site! Pat, The heater run time is dependant on the amount of frost on the evaporator, and the heat produced to open the thermostat on the top of the coil. In most cases under normal operation, the defrost heater will take 10 to 12 minutes to produce enough heat to open the thermostat. then the cycle will continue to run the remaining 14 to 16 minutes with no heat, and allows the defrost water to drip off the evaporator coil and drain. The important part about a thermostat is the temperature rating, not the connectors. :) :) :)
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OK, that makes sense why ran for < 10 seconds; I had already thawed out the coils and t-stat so everything was at room temp. Since I'm already back in town, I'm going to go pull the back panel and make sure there is no frost buildup... so I can rest easier tonight. :) Thank you very much for the info Joe.
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Well, now I'm in a bind... Went back over and put the current loop meter on the electrical cord, put it on defrost and it was pulling about 6 amps and it stayed on longer, but not much longer; maybe 30 seconds. I removed the back panel just to verify it was freezing up and sure enough, lots of frost building back up in about a 24 hr time period.
I pulled the defrost t-stat. It is in a plastic case with 3 wires and filled with an epoxy type of stuff. Two wires (white and orange) go to one connector that plugs on to the back of the cabinet. The other wire (brown) goes to another wire that seems to be laying loose next to the coil (I think it was white). I've already checked and the defroster t-stat part is no longer available . The only numbers on this part are "16.2/-5.4" and "052705" just below it. I'm thinking the first number is the temp range and the second number is the date code?
Oh yeah, when I turn the timer to put it in defrost mode, it makes one click and nothing happens. Then I turn it a little farther and another click when the heater kicks on. Then another click when it cuts off... That was the same operation on the old/original timer.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I'm about to throw in the towel and get another fridge, but I hate to if it's an easy fix... Thanks in advance! Pat
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Originally Posted by: Poodlehead
Oh yeah, when I turn the timer to put it in defrost mode, it makes one click and nothing happens. Then I turn it a little farther and another click when the heater kicks on. Then another click when it cuts off... That was the same operation on the old/original timer. The quote above is not exactly right concerning the heater kicking on. That second click, when I thought the heater came on because the current spiked, was actually due to bringing it out of defrost mode. I guess I brought it out of defrost mode to quick and pressures hadn't stabilized causing an overload on the compressor, so the current spiked. The last/third click when the current stopped must have been due to the overload protector opening the circuit. Anyway, time to replace the glass defrost heater tube because it is open... Thanks for the help!
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Originally Posted by: Poodlehead The quote above is not exactly right concerning the heater kicking on. That second click, when I thought the heater came on because the current spiked, was actually due to bringing it out of defrost mode. I guess I brought it out of defrost mode to quick and pressures hadn't stabilized causing an overload on the compressor, so the current spiked. The last/third click when the current stopped must have been due to the overload protector opening the circuit. Anyway, time to replace the glass defrost heater tube because it is open... Thanks for the help! Great, We're glad you were able to get it figured out. You'll be up and running in no time. One word of caution, be careful when you replace that heater assembly, The cooling fins on the evaporator are very sharp. Let us know how it goes, Good Luck, :) :) :)
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