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No need to send money.
Your thank you is more than enough payment for me.
The real heroes here is AppliancePartsPros. They host the site and do not require anything from those looking for help.
I just volunteer a few hours of my time.
So it would be nice if the next time you need a part and can wait a couple days that you give them your business.
And thanks for getting back to us. Now when others search for a similar problem they will see what actually worked instead of just suggestions about what could be the cause
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Thanks for that info. I got the new thermostat installed and turned the timer off defrost mode. Fan kicked to start it up and I and went to bed.
Things looked good this morning with temps in fridge and freezer. A few minutes ago I heard the fan kick on so I went and turned the timer to put it in defrost mode and pow.....I was never so happy to catch a little burn as the heating element kicked on. It's amazing!
Denman, I don't know how the forum works in the manner if you pros rotate to help us beginners or if you were the only one that was going to offer advice, but thanks again. I paid $9 more to get the thermostat locally ($4 more if you subtract tax and add shipping) but you helped save me from my guess at least $100 and maybe more and I learned a bit in the process.
Can I paypal you some funds for all your help? If so, PM me an email address.
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Sounds like you found the culprit.
My recommendation to remove one side of a part you are checking for resistance is just a general recommendation so that you do not read an alternate/parallel circuit path.
In many cases you cannot get contact onto the part so you have to unplug both sides.
To check items that are hard wired in I take a stick pin. Stick it into the wire to make contact with the copper wire inside and then take a measurement. I only do this when there is no other way.
After getting a reading I use electrical tape to seal the wire back up.
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After running the freezer for 5 hours I forced a defrost cycle with the timer but the heating element didn't heat up.
I unplugged the fridge and then both sides of the heating element and got a beep, I was getting a reading of around .35 so I'm guessing that means continuity is there. I'm curious how continuity would be checked by only removing one connection of the heating element. It may be a dumb question but what would I touch the other meter connector to?
I didn't seem to be getting a reading from the defrost thermostat and I would say it was still frozen although I didn't have much of the actual wire to test with. More of it needed to be stripped as removing it broke off the stripped part of the wire. I unplugged it again because I didn't know how to check continuity by only unplugging one of the wires.
Hopefully that makes sense...
Anyways, I was looking at this thermostat more closely and it looks like it popped or ruptured so I'm guessing that is the culprit.
Unless any of that doesn't add up I'll get the replacement thermostat tomorrow.
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[COLOR="Blue"]The defrost cycle or timer, not sure how it's controlled stopped and the freezer kicked back on.[/COLOR]
It is just a timer with a motor that turns a cam with a couple contacts on it.
So every 8 hours or so it runs a defrost cycle for about half an hour.
If the ice/frost melts off before the half hour is up then the defrost thermostat opens and shuts power off to the defrost heater so that the freezer does not over heat.
[COLOR="Blue"] Figuring it wasn't going to defrost with the freezer running I unplugged it.[/COLOR]
Plug it back in and let it run for at least 4 hours and then do the defrost system check in my earlier post.
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Well, what caused everything to thaw out was I unplugged the fridge. Sorry for the confusion leaving that piece of info out. The defrost cycle or timer, not sure how it's controlled stopped and the freezer kicked back on. Figuring it wasn't going to defrost with the freezer running I unplugged it.
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[COLOR="Blue"] Would that be normal even with a giant block of ice or should of whatever collects the water been able to hold it all?[/COLOR]
It does sound like ther was just too much ice/water and you had an overflow.
If you had a blocked drain you would have water on the floor of the freezer.
Is this in the same compartment up front or in the back of the fridge?
It is behind the evaporator cover. It is Item43 in section 06 of the parts)
FYI: The defrost thermostat is item 23 in section 06
The defrost timer is item 342 in section 10.
[COLOR="Blue"]
Everything de-iced and thawed out.[/COLOR]
A manual defrost would have taken several hours so it sounds like the unit did do a defrost cycle when you forced it. Also you do not necessarily have to hear sizzling to have a defrost cycle. All depends if any water hits the heater. Best way is to feel it just be careful you do not burn your fingers as they get very hot.
So the defrost thermostat and the defrost heater would be OK.
Therefore I would replace the defrost timer.
[COLOR="Blue"]Is there a way to check the defrost thermostat when it's not frozen?[/COLOR]
No. But you can hold it's face onto an ice cube for a while to simulate a frozen state.
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Thanks Denman for the reply! Much appreciated.
Everything de-iced and thawed out. Some water leaked out on to the kitchen floor. Would that be normal even with a giant block of ice or should of whatever collects the water been able to hold it all? I'm curious if there could be a block or if it was just too much water.
Looking at the replacement parts on the site I can see where the defrost thermostat is located but I have no idea where the heating element is to "remove the wire for one side of the heating element from the wiring and measure it for continuity, usually around 20 ohms or so." Is this in the same compartment up front or in the back of the fridge?
"If the heater is OK Remove one wire to the defrost thermostat and measure it, should be 0 ohms when frozen."
Is there a way to check the defrost thermostat when it's not frozen?
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Here are your parts Parts for Amana BR18VW - AppliancePartsPros.comI leave the evaporator cover off when checking/forcing a defrost so that I can confirm that the defrost element is turning on. Below is my standard blub about defrost problems. First remove the evaporator cover in the freezer so you can see the coils. Do not let them de-ice. If yes. Manually force a defrost cycle by turning the defrost timer cam 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 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. 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.
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My favorite fridge of all time is in trouble and I need some assistance! Freezer is ice cold but the fridge is not keeping up.
I read the two very well written stickies on this page and have a question. I took the back panel off the freezer and found a wall of ice. I plugged the fridge back in and I didn't need a screw driver to turn the defrost timer knob but turned it with my fingers until I heard the click. Fan went off but I'm not sure if I'm hearing the sizzling sound mentioned in the sticky. I do hear the defrost timer churning like a timer counting down.
Does that mean the defrost timer is good and I can move down the line in troubleshooting or should I definitely hear some sizzle and be able to verify the wall of ice is melting?
Any advice is appreciated.
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