⚠️ Safety Warning: Appliance repair involves electricity, gas, and moving parts. Always disconnect power before working on any appliance.
Error Code: Refrigerator Difficulty: Moderate
Problem: Defrost termination thermostat fault causing incomplete defrost cycles
How to Fix Refrigerator Error
- UNPLUG unit and initiate manual defrost until all ice melts.
- Remove evaporator cover panel in freezer.
- Locate defrost thermostat clipped to top of evaporator coil (small cylindrical device with 2 wires).
- Test thermostat when cold/frozen – should read closed (<1 ohm).
- Warm thermostat to room temperature with hair dryer – should open (OL) at approximately 50-60°F.
- Replace if fails to open when warm or remains open when cold.
- Install new thermostat in EXACT same location as original – critical for proper defrost cycle timing.
- Monitor for 3 complete defrost cycles to verify heater shuts off when evaporator reaches proper temperature.
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Recommended Replacement Part
Still Not Working?
If the replacement part didn’t fix the issue, you may have a wiring problem or main board failure.
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Expert: Mike Sullivan
EPA Section 608 Certified Technician with 18+ years experience.
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