[gstead]

Have an Amana BX22 refridge that was not defrosting. Opened it up and tested and found the heating coil w/ ~30 OHMs resistance as expected.

Manually turned defrost on and would get 110VAC going into thermostat but only 20VAC coming out (this was w/ the heating element disconnected), so figured it was thermostat since I expected 110 to pass through the termostat when activated.

Ordered thermostat and heating element (just to be safe and not that expensive). New heating element also was around ~30 Ohms so replaced just thermostat and w/ the heating element unplugged, the new thermostat passed 110V when defrost timer manually activated. Success! Not, hooked up element (new and old) and nothing no heat. Checked voltages w/ element in place and nothing, unplug element and get 110 (on both sides of thermostat). Am I missing something here as what could be going on? Something else that could be limiting current with the element load? Drawing I have does not indicate anything else in the circuit that looks current limiting.

[richappy]

You must have a defrost thermostat in series with the defrost heater, not a thermister.

[gstead]

Sorry, got to love word processors..... it is a thermostat not a thermistor.

[richappy]

You thermostat will not close till it gets below around 30 degrees.