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paul999  
#1 Posted : Wednesday, August 7, 2013 4:57:54 PM(UTC)
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paul999

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Bottom refrigerator is warm, freezer is cold. No cold air coming from vents from top of fridge section. Freezer had white fuzzy ice built up along rear bottom. Fan does run in freezer, I hear it and feel it moving air. I turned knob on defrost timer until I heard a click. Plugged in fridge and waited 5+ minutes, no water in drip pan.
I removed the cover at the back wall of the freezer and the coils are iced over, there was ice in the duct from the fan and at the the openings to the fridge compartment. Once the ice is gone I'll check the heating element for continuity.
I'm guessing it'll be the heating element from what I've been reading. If it is, is there anything else I should also replace?
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denman  
#2 Posted : Thursday, August 8, 2013 6:07:43 AM(UTC)
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denman

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Here are your parts
Parts for Roper RT14DKXKQ00 Refrigerator - AppliancePartsPros.com

I would not have let the unit defrost.

Below is the procedure on how to check defrost components.

First remove the evaporator cover in the freezer so you can see the coils.
If they are heavily iced/frosted over then it is a defrost problem.
Do not let them de-ice.

If yes.
Manually force a defrost cycle by turning the defrost timer cam (Item 4 in Liner Parts section ) till the fans and compressor turn off.
There is usually a hole in the cover to let you do this without taking anything apart.
Now check the defrost heater to see if it is on.
Be careful you do not want to burn your fingers.
If the heater is on then the timer needs replacing, re: it is probably stalling during it's rotation so is never getting into a defrost cycle.

If not on.
Unplug the unit.
Remove the wire for one side of the heating element (Item 4 in Unit Parts section ) from the wiring and measure it for continuity, usually around 20 ohms or so.

If the heater is OK
Remove one wire to the defrost thermostat and measure it, should be 0 ohms when frozen. Note that it opens just above freezing so must be frozen to check it. Also inspect it, if it is bulged at all replace it even if it measures OK.
I could not find the defrost thermostat in the parts but it will be clipped to the top of the evaporator coils.

If both the above are OK then odds are the defrost timer contacts are toast.
Best way to test this is a live test to see if you have 120 volts across the heater/defrost thermostat combo.
THIS FORUM IS DEAD!!!!!!!
paul999  
#3 Posted : Thursday, August 8, 2013 1:41:37 PM(UTC)
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paul999

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Not able to remove one wire from the heating element, both wires on one plug. Unplugged it and got 31 ohms, spec sheet says 28-32. Will check the timer by forcing a defrost cycle later today, as I'm not at home, and the defrost thermostat for bulges. I did force the defrost cycle when it was iced a couple of times but no dripping occurred.
paul999  
#4 Posted : Friday, August 9, 2013 8:40:21 AM(UTC)
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paul999

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Forced a defrost cycle. Heating element didn't get hot but if not iced, should the defrost thermostat power the heating element? Anyway, the defrost thermostat's plastic top is pushed up on one side. There is 120V coming into the defrost thermostat. The defrost timer is clicking away and the cam is moving. The defrost thermostat is clipped to the evap coils
and is part of the wiring/freezer harness, Whirlpool 2192096 Wiring, Freezer - AppliancePartsPros.com. I'll replace the wiring that contains the defrost thermostat.Is that all that is necessary?
denman  
#5 Posted : Friday, August 9, 2013 1:28:35 PM(UTC)
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denman

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[COLOR="Blue"]Forced a defrost cycle. Heating element didn't get hot but if not iced, should the defrost thermostat power the heating element? [/COLOR]
No it will not.
The defrost thermostat opens just above freezing killing power to the defrost heater.
But since it is bulged it is toast.
[COLOR="Blue"]
and is part of the wiring/freezer harness, Whirlpool 2192096 Wiring, Freezer - AppliancePartsPros.com. I'll replace the wiring that contains the defrost thermostat.Is that all that is necessary?[/COLOR]
Yes that should do it.
It does sound like you have found the culprit.
THIS FORUM IS DEAD!!!!!!!
paul999  
#6 Posted : Tuesday, August 13, 2013 5:55:59 AM(UTC)
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paul999

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I bought the defrost thermostat only, for less than half the cost of the wiring harness, http://www.********************...hermostat/4387490/586200 . It's in and the fridge is cold. Thank you for your help.
paul999  
#7 Posted : Tuesday, August 13, 2013 5:58:25 AM(UTC)
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paul999

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I picked it up locally after the store confirmed it was the correct replacement part.
bambooismurder  
#8 Posted : Tuesday, August 13, 2013 10:27:29 AM(UTC)
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bambooismurder

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What a weird coincidence--I finally found the time to fix our "eternally-frosty" freezer today, and find an extremely relevant current thread with the same problem!

Like you, Paul999, I suspect my defrost thermostat is the problem, its plastic cap seems to be pushed up and off. I tried to test for continuity using the change in temperature test but couldn't get anything out of it.

This led me to the same wiring harness that you posted, but I don't want to buy the whole harness, just the thermostat. I'm having a hard time finding what model defrost thermostat is included in that harness though -- I'm curious what kind did you end up getting? The link you posted didn't seem to go through. Just want to make sure I buy the right kind of thermostat. Thanks!

[edit] Ah, I spoke to soon. Some deeper forum digging leads me to believe that this Defrost Timer Model 4387490 is the same one that my Whirlpool fridge (Model ET14JKXGW00) uses. Just wanted to post this here in case anyone had the same problem, sorry to clutter this thread.
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