Refrigerator Repair

[MrSquished]

Got a 3 year old 18 cu ft Whirlpool fridge already acting up. POS. It's freezing food in the refrigerator at any setting. The freezer is doing just fine, no frost, it's in perfect running order.

This is the fridge: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Whirlpo...hromatic-Stainless-Steel-WRT318FZDM/205730331

From my research it's most likely the Thermistor or the Control panel, so I got a new Thermistor since that was $8, and installed that but that didn't fix it. So I ordered a control panel that will be getting here tomorrow and I'll install it and see what happens. However if that doesn't work, my research doesn't really give me any more ideas. Any takers?

 

[herm0016]

could be the damper control stuck open. these kind only cool the freezer and let the cold air sink into the fridge to cool it, there is a damper that opens/closes to regulate the temp.

 

[MrSquished]

could be the damper control stuck open. these kind only cool the freezer and let the cold air sink into the fridge to cool it, there is a damper that opens/closes to regulate the temp.

I read about dampers on one website, but when I looked at the websites that sold parts for this fridge, none had a damper related part in them. Plus I couldn't find pictures of what to look for. Any suggestions on where to look? Is the damper in the freezer or the fridge section most likely?

 

[jmagg]

Got a 3 year old 18 cu ft Whirlpool fridge already acting up. POS. It's freezing food in the refrigerator at any setting. The freezer is doing just fine, no frost, it's in perfect running order.

This is the fridge: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Whirlpo...hromatic-Stainless-Steel-WRT318FZDM/205730331

From my research it's most likely the Thermistor or the Control panel, so I got a new Thermistor since that was $8, and installed that but that didn't fix it. So I ordered a control panel that will be getting here tomorrow and I'll install it and see what happens. However if that doesn't work, my research doesn't really give me any more ideas. Any takers?

I have Whirlpool bottom freezer that shortly after 3 years, the main control went bad and had to replace, so i think your chances are good.

 

[herm0016]

I read about dampers on one website, but when I looked at the websites that sold parts for this fridge, none had a damper related part in them. Plus I couldn't find pictures of what to look for. Any suggestions on where to look? Is the damper in the freezer or the fridge section most likely?

usually in the back of the freezer.

 

[MrSquished]

usually in the back of the freezer.

Thanks. I'll have to see if I can find anything on how to replace any damper parts if the control panel doesn't fix it. I haven't seen anything on how to do that on the web so that makes me nervous.

 

[MrSquished]

Just threw in the new control panel. Had no instructions but it was super easy on this model. Unscrew the light bulb, couple 1/4 inch nuts, unplug a few things, plug in the new control panel, pop in the light fixture. Easy peasy.

Cost me $75 vs the $300 a local well recommended repair shop told me it would cost to replace that specific part on my specific fridge. I should know by tomorrow if it worked if I wake up and the water in my brita is not freezing or partially freezing.

 

[MrSquished]

I have Whirlpool bottom freezer that shortly after 3 years, the main control went bad and had to replace, so i think your chances are good.

Seems that was it. Water and milk today had zero signs of being too cold which was the case every day since this started. Saved $215 overall but probably added a few days to the repair time waiting for the parts.

 

[MrSquished]

Well I spoke too soon. Even though the fridge stayed fine until early this afternoon from last evening, at 6pm today the water was freezing up. So I took apart the panel on the back and top of the fridge and I could see the ventilation hole (basically just a hole through styrofoam) coming from the freezer. To access it I started taking apart the panel on the back of the freezer so I could take that off and see wtf was going on. Of course I just stripped a single nut out of the 6 total, so I have to go get a bolt extractor bit tomorrow to finish that job up. In the meantime though I looked at every part available for this fridge, and there is no damper related part that has any moving parts in it. Here are all the parts for this fridge:

Whirlpool Refrigerator Model WRT318FZDM02 Parts: Fast Shipping

Whirlpool Refrigerator Model WRT318FZDM02 Parts - Shop online or call 844-200-5436. Fast shipping. Open 7 days a week. 365 day return policy.

www.whirlpoolparts.com

there is only one single part with the word damper in it or looks like anything controlling air flow:

Control Knob W11026417 | Whirlpool Replacement Parts

Buy Control Knob,part #W11026417 and ship it today!

www.whirlpoolparts.com

This looks like something that would be easily seen to adjust manually. It does not look like a part that internally allows air to and from the freezer/fridge areas through the area I saw.

I'll finish taking the freezer apart tomorrow so I can get a better look at what it is. Maybe the part is discontinued. After that not sure I should call a repair man or just get a new fridge.

 

[Meghan54]

Whirlpool Refrigerator Damper Control Assembly W10861170
(Found this on your main parts page under "Thermostat", near the bottom of the expanded parts category list...)

Whirlpool Refrigerator Model WRT318FZDM02 Thermostat Parts

Whirlpool Refrigerator Model WRT318FZDM02 Thermostat Parts - Shop online or call 844-200-5436. Fast shipping. Open 7 days a week. 365 day return policy.

www.whirlpoolparts.com

 

[MrSquished]

I opened up the back of the freezer so I could see what was going on with getting the cool air into the fridge. Nothing looked out of wack there. But there was some frozen ice on some of the coils and some wiring on the right half of the back of the freezer wall. I chipped all that away.

The fridge has now been on for over 24 hours and nothing is freezing. That's the longest stretch yet. Who knows maybe that was it.

 

[herm0016]

ohm out the defrost heater, could be an issue with that.

 

[MrSquished]

48 hours later and the fridge is humming along perfectly. Before after every repair attempt, my brita water would be frozen around 18-22 hours later. Fingers crossed.

 

[halleyyy]

Hey MrSquished, I came across your thread here because I am having the exact same issue with the exact same fridge you posted about. Mine is also 3 years old, and it's freezing everything in the fridge section even on the lowest cold setting. I also have ice built up behind the freezer panel on the tube that enters the evaporator coils. I'm wondering if your fridge has still been functioning properly for you a few months after replacing your control board?

 

[MrSquished]

Hey MrSquished, I came across your thread here because I am having the exact same issue with the exact same fridge you posted about. Mine is also 3 years old, and it's freezing everything in the fridge section even on the lowest cold setting. I also have ice built up behind the freezer panel on the tube that enters the evaporator coils. I'm wondering if your fridge has still been functioning properly for you a few months after replacing your control board?

After breaking off that ice from the freezer coils the fridge worked normally. It was still freezing with the new control panel, just taking apart the whole back freezer wall and chipping off all the ice fixed it.

It's still working fine. Well except for one part of one shelf that still gets a little too cold sometimes. But the rest is fine - my milk and brita and eggs have been dandy since my last post. They were all freezing before. Never since.

 

[MrSquished]

So the fix lasted 3 months. Stuff started to freeze in the fridge again. I went right back into the freezer expecting ice on the rear coils and of course there it was. Chipped it off and expect the fridge to work again.

This time I took a pic and will try a local repair shop, tell them what I did do, show them the photo, and see if they have a clue

 

[Lost_in_the_HTTP]

I just posted about my SwirlingPool 'fridge. As I was reading the first few posts here, they sounded awfully familiar. Then I got to the last posts and the picture.

Same problem as mine. Ice buildup in that area indicates low freon according to the last tech that looked at mine Once he charged it, the problem went away for quite some time.

Ice blocks the cold sensor that tells it when to turn off. Sort of insulates it and holds it at 32 degrees instead of letting it fall to 0 or so. Same principle as survival if you get caught out in the cold ... tunnel under the snow.

 

[MrSquished]

The saga of this fridge continued. Chipping this frost away just kept providing a temporary fix. So I changed the one last thing I could change, the freezer thermistor sensor. That worked for 3 days. I got a thermometer for my fridge, within 3 days it was chilling at just over 20 degrees. I called another repair company. The guy looked at everything and said I had pretty much done everything he could think of. I mentioned freon - he said usually a lack of freon would mean it would be too warm. But I mentioned reading about it on this forum (meaning here) - so for another 40 bucks he measured my freon levels.

Turns out my fridge had WAY too much freon in it. Him and his boss he was speaking to on the phone were surprised my compressor hadn't blown up. Anyways, he released a bunch of freon out the window so it's at the right pressure now. If that doesn't work, it's going to be a new fridge. Found one at Costco, same size, but GE and it's $829. I wasn't planning on getting an LG or a Samsung, or another Whirlpool - but the repair guy said stay far away from LG and Samsung.

 

[herm0016]

interesting. I wonder if its a systemic issue? certainly at least with that batch of fridges. I am surprised there are service ports on them, most consumer appliances do not have them at all.

releasing out the window is totally illegal by the way.

 

[Scarpozzi]

The saga of this fridge continued. Chipping this frost away just kept providing a temporary fix. So I changed the one last thing I could change, the freezer thermistor sensor. That worked for 3 days. I got a thermometer for my fridge, within 3 days it was chilling at just over 20 degrees. I called another repair company. The guy looked at everything and said I had pretty much done everything he could think of. I mentioned freon - he said usually a lack of freon would mean it would be too warm. But I mentioned reading about it on this forum (meaning here) - so for another 40 bucks he measured my freon levels.

Turns out my fridge had WAY too much freon in it. Him and his boss he was speaking to on the phone were surprised my compressor hadn't blown up. Anyways, he released a bunch of freon out the window so it's at the right pressure now. If that doesn't work, it's going to be a new fridge. Found one at Costco, same size, but GE and it's $829. I wasn't planning on getting an LG or a Samsung, or another Whirlpool - but the repair guy said stay far away from LG and Samsung.

I agree with their assessment. Don't trust a nation to make a fridge if one of their staples is fermented cabbage.....they're obviously compensating for having crappy refrigerators...otherwise, I'm not sure why anyone would even bother making/eating kimchi.

 

[MrSquished]

interesting. I wonder if its a systemic issue? certainly at least with that batch of fridges. I am surprised there are service ports on them, most consumer appliances do not have them at all.

releasing out the window is totally illegal by the way.

It didn't seem too legit but I had no idea.

Here I am 10 hours later and the fridge is now at like 41 degrees which is just a bit over what it should be but doable. But the freezer is too warm, it's like 34 and my ice cubes are kinda melting. Freezers should be close to 0 degrees.

What a shit show.

Gonna order a new fridge.

Fuck our disposable culture that can't make shit that lasts anymore.

 

[jmagg]

Just threw in the new control panel. Had no instructions but it was super easy on this model. Unscrew the light bulb, couple 1/4 inch nuts, unplug a few things, plug in the new control panel, pop in the light fixture. Easy peasy.

Cost me $75 vs the $300 a local well recommended repair shop told me it would cost to replace that specific part on my specific fridge. I should know by tomorrow if it worked if I wake up and the water in my brita is not freezing or partially freezing.

I believe the control board needs to be programmed.

 

[Lost_in_the_HTTP]

I believe the control board needs to be programmed.

Why would you think that?

It's a simple temperature sensor that turns a contact on or off ... basically a thermostat. Old style thermostat, so smart junk. Temperature trigger is set by a rheostat.


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This whole topic though is where the corporatocracy has usurped consumer rights. Companies should be more responsible for maintaining product quality and reliability. An $800 appliance should not be expected to die in 5 years.

 

[lxskllr]

Everything sucks. It's tedious to even research buying stuff. There's so many models even within a brand, and they, or the internal parts change so frequently, you can't even say "Well, I know model X is good". Engineers shit something out on a piece of paper, and it gets built by the cheapest overseas labor.

Refrigerators for example. Five models would be a reasonable catalog, and have addon packages to extend them with fancier stuff. Change should be glacial. It's a box that keeps stuff cold. If you're "innovating", you're probably doing it wrong. Do a refresh every 5-10 years, build them right, and you've got a solid business for decades to come.

 

[herm0016]

This is why we buy broken sub zeros and fix them. Only reason for multiple is moving several times.