Hi all!

I just discovered my old fridge is not defrosting. I've tested the thermostat, heating element, and thermistor. The first two check out fine ohm-wise, but the thermistor is quite a bit off so will try replacing it to see if that will help.

My question... The heating element (WR51X10038) had a shield or deflector over it that broke off (held in by tension, and one of the sides just broke). I can't seem to find a part number for it, or perhaps it is included with the entire element? Failing that, how important is the deflector?

Thank you!