Rank: Advanced Member
Groups: Senior Expert
Joined: 9/10/2007(UTC)
Posts: 9,586
Was thanked: 2 time(s) in 2 post(s)
|
It is clipped to the top of the evaporator coils, just pull it off, clip the wires and strip them and temporarily short them together, then force defrost as before, if heater now works, you have a bad defrost thermostat.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Member
Groups: Registered
Joined: 7/25/2011(UTC)
Posts: 10
|
Thanks,
Thought I'd investigate the motherboard and found what appears to be a short on the back side (printed circuit side) behind a black box on the front of the board. The box is marked "832 A -IC-S, 12VDC". There is a corresponding burn mark on the refrigerator case.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Advanced Member
Groups: Senior Expert
Joined: 9/10/2007(UTC)
Posts: 9,586
Was thanked: 2 time(s) in 2 post(s)
|
That is not a short, the solder at the power relay has fused off due to insufficient solder. Carefully re-solder, it should then work.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Member
Groups: Registered
Joined: 7/25/2011(UTC)
Posts: 10
|
OK, so it seems time to try a thermostat as fixing the burn on the board did not remedy the frost buildup.
The parts schematic call the part a limiter thermostat.
Does that control turning on the defroster heater?
The replacement has bare ended wires where the original has plugs at the ends away from the little thermostat can.
Any suggestions on making the splices since they could be in a wet environment?
I can see where one wire from the thermostat attaches to the end of the heater coil but not where the second wire goes as it seems to be in the back. Where would that be headed?
Also, is the bent light gage metal drip tray over the heater tube supposed to be V up to catch water or V down to cover the glass heater tube? I assumed V down when I put it back in.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Advanced Member
Groups: Senior Expert
Joined: 9/10/2007(UTC)
Posts: 9,586
Was thanked: 2 time(s) in 2 post(s)
|
When the fridg is running, unplug it and locate the3 pin power plug. Unplug the plug and put a wire jumper between the mating pins to the pc board terminals marked line and def. Plug in fridg, if you get defrost action, your motherboard is bad, if not, probably either a bad heater, or defrost limiter.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Member
Groups: Registered
Joined: 7/25/2011(UTC)
Posts: 10
|
The test you are describing to eliminate the MB is to jump the wiring pins, not the MB pins, right? Those are the wide blade type pins I presume.
The heater was swapped for a new one when it got damaged.
So that leaves the thermostat and the questions previously noted above your post about the wiring and drip pan.
I have a new thermostat ordered when the heater got broken and replaced and I thought of splicing in the new thermostat wires into the existing snipped wires using soldering and heat shrink wrapping as an insulator. Maybe a bit of electrical tape over the heat shrink. The original wires are wrapped in a foil faced adhesive tape that I am guessing is for insulation. I don't have any of that stuff to treat the new portions of wires though.
I'm not sure that the connections will be water resistant as described and don't want to create a safety issue.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Advanced Member
Groups: Senior Expert
Joined: 9/10/2007(UTC)
Posts: 9,586
Was thanked: 2 time(s) in 2 post(s)
|
Yes, you put the jumper on the removed 3 pin socket, not the motherboard.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Member
Groups: Registered
Joined: 7/25/2011(UTC)
Posts: 10
|
Here is an interesting observation that I've made after all this fiddling with the works.
Sometimes when I open the freezer door I see white mist, like morning tailpipe condensation, coming from the fan vent.
Would that mean that the defroster heater is working?
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Advanced Member
Groups: Senior Expert
Joined: 9/10/2007(UTC)
Posts: 9,586
Was thanked: 2 time(s) in 2 post(s)
|
Seems like defrost action, but the evaporator motor should not work during defrost.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Forum Jump
You can post new topics in this forum.
You can reply to topics in this forum.
You can delete your posts in this forum.
You can edit your posts in this forum.
You cannot create polls in this forum.
You can vote in polls in this forum.
Important Information:
The AppliancePartsPros.com uses cookies. By continuing to browse this site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies.
More Details
Close
