Side by side fridge/freezer warm only on top

[cwilde]

Model Number

GSS25WGSBBB

Brand

GE

Age

6-10 years

Hello,

I have GSS25WGSBBB GE Fridge that is warm at the top. Items on the bottom 50% of the fridge and freezer stay cold, but anything above that is almost as warm as room temperature. Also, the very bottom of the fridge gets frozen.

Right before it started getting war, there was a fan type sound in the freezer behind the back wall (see photo) that kept knocking against the plastic covering it. I could push against it from the inside and it would stop knocking (like it was cutting away ice or something?), but then it would start up again a day or two later.



Any idea what this could be?



Thank you!

 

[Jake]

Yes, if the evaporator coil is all frosted up, then that will happen, and from that photo it looks like the evaporator coil is all frosted up behind that panel inside your freezer.

3 parts control the defrost cycle, the motherboard, the evaporator thermistor, and the defrost heater.

I'd first test your freezer evaporator thermistor. You will need a multimeter.

Here's the freezer evaporator thermistor for your model:
Thermistor WR55X10025 Order now for same day shipping. 365 day return policy. RepairClinic.com

Watch this video, Shawn explains how to test/replace the thermistor:


<iframe height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/7lxOqMjFtr4?rel=0" frameBorder="0" width="480" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>



If the evaporator thermistor checks good, then test your defrost heater next.

Watch this video, it shows how to test your defrost heater:

<iframe title="YouTube video player" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/311BiD76iYg?rel=0" frameBorder="0" width="640" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>

Make sure you unplug your refrigerator first before ohm testing.

Here's the defrost heater for your model, you can order it here if its bad:
Manufacturer part#WR51X10055 is RepairClinic item#914088


Here's the video that shows how to access test/replace it:

<iframe id="yui-gen63" class="restrain" title="YouTube video player" height="390" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/xJL2duVNYKA" frameBorder="0" width="640"></iframe>

If your defrost heater tests good, then its your motherboard you will need to replace.

Here's the motherboard for your model you can order here:
Manufacturer part number WR55X10942 is RepairClinic item number 1531075
WR55X10942

Jake

 

[cwilde]

Could it be the heater?

Thanks so much for the detailed post, Jake..

I tested the Thermisters right after I turned off the fridge by pulling the plug. They were still frosted over so I figured I did not need to put the in the ice water. I hope my test was valid.

Here is what I discovered:

With black in the 5 pin of the J1 and Connector and red in each of the corresponding:

4 pin: 11.98 OHMs resistance
3 pin: 18.66 OHMs resistance
2 pin: 13.62 OHMs resistance
1 pin: 7.06 OHMs resistance

I noticed these numbers are all lower then in the video, but could that be because the fridge was not cold enough yet when I tested them?

So I then took off the defrost heater. Last night I checked it, and it was 21.5 ohms, but I just tested it again and it was only .01, when set on the 20K setting. It does look a little burned out to me.




Does this point in any direction where the problem could be?

Thanks again!
Clint

 

[Jake]

Yup Clint, that's what you need to order, the heater assembly, Its in bad shape, and that's why its not ohming properly every time.

Jake