FIXED WRF736SDAM14 Whirlpool Refrigerator way too cold!

[altenbach]

Model Number

WRF736SDAM14

Brand

Whirlpool

Age

1-5 years

For the last few days, the food in the fridge started freezing including a gallon of milk and a watermelon! I placed a glass of water on to top shelf and it froze too.
(~ 20F near the air vents as measured with my IR thermometer).

Unit was bought in Dec 2016.

Freezer is fine, ice maker works, everything else is great. Duty cycle did not really change over the last weeks as monitored by my Sense electricity monitor.

I follower the tests 1..3 here and all check out.

1. FC Thermistor OK (01=pass)
2. RC Thermistor OK (01=pass)
3. Fan and baffle OK (Display cycles between 01 and 02 and results are as follows)
   • While 01 is displayed, I feel cold air coming out of the outlets in the top back of the fridge
   • While 02 is displayed, I that air flow stops
   • While 01 is displayed, I feel cold air coming out again
   • While 02 is displayed, I that air flow stops again
   • repeating cycle.... Always OK
   • Conclusion: This means the baffle and the fan are both working fine!

So all seems to check out. What else could be wrong?

 

[altenbach]

Solved!!

Like in the running computer tech support joke, all it needed was a reboot!!

We did have a power failure last week and my best guess is that due to a power brownout/spike or similar, some of the bits in the fridge controller got scrambled, subtly corrupting the system. I unplugged it for 30 seconds and everything has been running perfectly again. This morning, the fridge measured at 37F and the freezer at 0F. Looking good!

 

[Jake]

Excellent, good job.

Thanks for the update!

Jake

 

[altenbach]

Well, almost a year later I have an update. Unfortunately, the fix was only temporary. months later it again keep getting a little bit too cold and I plugged some of the air outlets to keep the temperature OK. Then, about a month ago it was getting a bit too warm, then a few days later too cold again. Curiously, the test #3 kept passing! I replace the damper but it made no difference. This week I did test#3 again and now it actually stuck on open or closed and no longer toggled between the two states. It seems that the relay controlling the damper motor finally died completely while it was intermittent before, mostly working (e.g. when testing), but occasionally not when I wasn't looking. I now replaced the main board and everything is working again like new. Gremlins!