He used the wrong heater, he should have never cut and spliced the wires. You must use the correct heater for your model refer or it will burn out the first time the heater comes on. I have been a GE tech for 8 years now and know from experiance you cannot use a heater other than the one for your refer.

Hi,
Thanks much for the fast reply. Using the wrong heater definitely makes sense, and jibes with my observation that this guy didn't know what he was doing at all (did not have a multimeter, didn't check anything besides the heater, did not use any silicone tape for the splice, etc). The serial number on my unit is RA22107. Should I assume that this new heater will fail the same way? Do you think I can demand that the repair company purchases the correct part and installs it for free, or should I just cut my losses with them, and do it myself (as I should have done in the first place)?
-Steve

Just checked the new heater...blown! Ordering the part from you now!

Hi, I just received the new defrost heater. Since the bogus repair man cut out the original one, I'll need to splice the new one in. Any suggestions for how to splice it? Weather-proof wire nuts? Butt splices? Use liquid or regular electrical tape with either of the above? Are there special connectors for inside of a freezer?

Thanks for your help!

this is my first post on this thread... (instead of starting a new one.)

I picked up a replacement defrost heater for my GE TFX22PRDA (side by side frig.)

It's a dual element heater that is called for as a replacement for the previous single element design. (GE has had numerous recalls over this and other issues... so I've discovered.)



The new heater element has 4 connection terminals and a jumper on one side (on the right in the pic.)

The two wires to the old heater run down either side of the coils where they easily connected with the old single element unit.

The new instructions say to splice the existing heater wire that previously connected on the right and bring it to the left side of this new heater. (so both leads are connected on the left side.)

** I ask... why can't I just use the extra piece of wire provided and make a longer jumper to connect across the terminals on either side of this heater in a "Z" configuration, and connect the wires on the sides (like before) and save myself the trouble of splicing the wire inside the freezer? (and avoid the step of waterproofing the splice?)

Looking at the dual unit, I can't see how it matters which way the current runs through the elements. The frigin' thing does have the 4 terminals and obviously isn't a custom design replacement for my model only.

Anyone seen a few of these?? Is GE tryin' to trick me into contortions of carrying out this splice job by their odd instructions in some cruel twist of industrial manipulation? (or is it just technical indifference to those of us with the wiring set up for the old single element?)