[TRK]

The freezer was getting warm and then cooling back down sporadically. Ice cream was getting soft and the temp was 35deg. I unplugged it and took it apart. The coil was frosted up on the bottom half and the heater tube is black and broken on one end. The fridge was not getting cold enough either, down to 58deg. I plan on putting in a new heater assy and defrost limiter as well as a new temp sensor. Any other suggestions and how do I test other parts?

[Gene]

So far you are on the right track. The temperature sensor (thermistor), you may want to replace, is the evaporator thermistor which is located on top of the evaporator coils. It controls the defrost cycle.

Another part which can be bad too is the main control board but, you can not check it at this time. You will see if it's bad only after you will replace the defrost parts and run the refrigerator.

- The defrost heater assembly Part number: WR51X10055

- The thermistor Part number: WR55X10025

- The overtemperature thermostat Part number: WR50X10068

Here are the breakdown diagrams and Replacement parts for General Electric PSC23MGMBBB Refrigerator | AppliancePartsPros.com

Gene.

[TRK]

I notice the compressor bangs every so often. Is this normal? I also noticed when I unplugged the unit to inspect the defrost parts the compressor clunked. Any help appreciated.

[Gene]

Originally Posted by TRK

...I notice the compressor bangs every so often. Is this normal?...

No, this is not normal. It can be a sign of the compressor going bad. Check the warranty on the compressor.

Gene.

[TRK]

Gene, thank you for your help. I replaced the themistor at the evaporator as well as the defrost t stat and the heater assembly and it seems to be working fine. I have 35ish in the fridge and teens in the freezer. Does this sound correct to you?

[Gene]

The normal temperatures are: about 0°F in the freezer and 35°F to 40°F in the refrigerator.

Gene.

[TRK]

After letting it run overnight the freezer temp was 0 and the refer was 36. I thought if was fixed. It worked for 2 days and then warmed as before. I took the panel off and the coil was frozen on the bottom half again. I can feel the compressor running but it does not seem to shut off. Also the fan in the freezer seems to be running all the time too. I noticed one of the thermistors in the top of the fridge was black inside. Any suggestions?......Thanks

[Gene]

Originally Posted by TRK

...I noticed one of the thermistors in the top of the fridge was black inside...

If it's black then it's better to replace it. BTW, there is only one thermistor in the refrigerator.

If the defrost parts in the freezer all new and the coils is still freezing up then probably the main control board is bad too.

- The main control board Part number: WR55X10942

Gene.

[TRK]

When I look inside the fridge on the left side there is one thermistor on top and one on bottom under the plastic covers. Are these the same ones as in the freezer at the coil? Has there been an issue with these circuit boards that you know of? I am editing this because I removed the
new heater assy and noticed that the ends are burn and the plastic is black and scorched??
This was a brand new assy...Do you know what may have caused it to fail so quickly? and is there a way to test the heater assy to make sure it failed??...Thanks

[Gene]

Originally Posted by TRK

...When I look inside the fridge on the left side there is one thermistor on top and one on bottom under the plastic covers...

...Are these the same ones as in the freezer at the coil?...

...Has there been an issue with these circuit boards that you know of?...

...I removed the new heater assy and noticed that the ends are burn and the plastic is black and scorched??...

...Do you know what may have caused it to fail so quickly? and is there a way to test the heater assy to make sure it failed??...

Sorry, I missed the second thermistor in this model. Usually there is onle one.

All thermistors used by GE are identical.

It had been a lot of problems with the main control boards in such type of refrigerators since GE introduced them in 2001. GE had redesigned them a few times for last years and hopefully the last modification will work better.

Very likely the heater is burned. It can be tested for continuity to verify it is burned. In any way you have to call the place where you purchased it from to exchange it under the part warranty. It's hard to say what could cause it to burn out. It maybe a poor quality or a mistake during its installation.

Gene.