Brand: Whirlpool Model Number: WRX735SDBM00 Main Symptom: Fridge doesn’t keep consistent temp, ice maker not getting cold enough to make ice What happens & when: Recently had an issue where freezer was cold but fridge was not. Replaced the Evaporator Fan Motor W/Harness after a full 24hour defrost. That worked for a couple days and then we started getting melted ice/dripping water and the fridge was around 50. Then I replaced on the damper in the ice maker. Same thing, normal operation for a couple days and then the fridge is back up to 50 and the ice was melting and dripping water out of the dispenser. If I remove the ice maker tray that catches the ice, the fridge returns to normal temps… I am stumped
Error Code (if any):
Parts or tests already tried: OEM20677383, OEM18050448
Photos / video link:
If you unplug the power supply cord and remove the ice box harness, the thermistor can be tested for resistance when it is placed in a cup of ice water. Does it measure around 7964 Ohms? If it does, it can also be tested at a room temperature of 77 degrees and it should measure around 2700 Ohms. Does the thermistor measure too much differently than this?
I just replaced the thermistor in the freezer compartment since it is part of the Evaporator Fan wiring harness. Is there also one in the fridge where the ice-maker is?
Got it, I’ll give that a try. I was thinking there is an airflow issue because if I removed the ice tray, them temp is at normal. When I re-insert it, the temp goes back up to around 50-52.
This could be a control board issue, but ruling out the ice box thermistor and the fresh food thermistor would be a good approach since the freezer thermistor and the damper have already been replaced.
UPDATE: I went ahead and replaced the ice-maker and the harness. Did full 24 hour defrost before installing the new part because the coils in the freezer were completed iced up.
Fridge temp was good but ice making was slow for about 5-6 days and then the fridge shot up again to 60 degrees.
I pulled the rear panel in the freezer to have a look and make sure the fan was running (it was). Does this look like good frost? Wondering if the freezer is getting too cold and creating an airflow problem.
At my wits end here as I don’t have money for a new fridge but I can’t keep throwing parts at it.
It looks like the evaporator is not going through a proper defrost cycle since the appliance is able to reach the proper temperature before it ices up. The defrost heater can be tested for resistance to identify if it is able to heat properly. It should measure around 21 Ohms when tested with the power cord unplugged and the defrost heater wires disconnected. If the heater passes, the control can be set to a standard 8 hour defrost time instead of the adaptive defrost by using the service test 7 in the tech sheet. This will force the main control to engage the defrost cycle more reliably for testing purposes. If this corrects the issue, the main control has a failure. If it continues, it is likely that the defrost thermostat is opening too soon. Here are links to each part and the tech sheet file for this model.
