GE Refrigerator GSS20IEPHWW Runs but stopped Cooling

[browndwz]

Model: GSS20IEPHWW, Serial: MG283464, 5 years old.

History:

1. Problem started with the light going dim and the water would not dispense. Forums said to replace the main board. So I had the main control board (WR55X10552) replaced by GE a few months ago. Worked fine (should have done it my self to save money).

2. Then the water dispenser stopped. Reading the repair forums they say that moisture in the door foam may cause dispenser tube to freeze and that GE had a repair for it by installing the dispenser heater service kit (WR49X10173). I first tried adjusting the thermostats to a warmer setting to see where the water was freezing (I have some tubing for the water dispenser in the refrigerator side and it felt frozen). Then I unpluged the refrigerator and let it defrost manually (all day). There was a lite build up of frost on the rear panel inside the freezer and I did need to soak up some water as it defrosted. Worked fine for about a month.

3. It froze again (there was a build up of frost on the rear panel, I did not check the evaporator coil at that time). I let the refrigerator defrost again (unpluged all day) and it seemed like I had to soak up a few pints of water from the floor (drip pan was also full) as it was defrosting. Did some dust cleaning around the condenser/coil and fan under the refrigerator and checked the water tubes that I could see for leeks, none found.

I turned the refrigerator back on and set the thermostats, but the next morning it was still warm inside the refrigerator. Not having done anything to the refrigerator but cleaning I hit the forums to see what could be wrong. I checked the condenser fan under the refrigerator, it runs, checked the circulating fan in the freezer, it runs, but I do not hear the compressor motor running anymore. The refrigerator just stopped cooling. Testing to see if the main board was the problem I reinstalled my old board to see if it would start to cool again, but it does the same as the new main board. I opened the refrigerator panels and could not see anything visually wrong.

I did find a wire with a connector thats not connected to anything. Its coming out of the bottom of the refrigerator just above the condenser. Is it suppose to be connected to something (I can't find it) or is it a test lead?

What would cause the refrigerator to stop cooling after a manual defrost?

Can anyone help (foods getting warm), thank you.

[browndwz]

Update to - GE Refrigerator GSS20IEPHWW Runs but stopped Cooling

After having the refrigerator set unpluged for a day I did some looking. I removed the defrost heater (single tube). it is greyest-black and the ceramic connectors were a tan color (looked like they got hot). The tube is very loose in the connectors and a black colored dust comes out of the opening beside the wire connector. Reinstalled the heater and turned the refrigerator back on. To my surprise the compressor came back on and it started cooling.

Is the the defrost heater the problem why the water line freezes and why the compressor did not work?

Thank you

[Yuri B.]

Hello.
I am glad the compressor seems to be fine, but if the defrost heater or its connectors are bad, the freezer wont work normally. Bring somebody who may have more experience in the matters of electricity to check on it urgently. (and I suspect the original PCB was blameless).

[browndwz]

Thanks for the reply Yuri B.

After a few hours the refrigerator seems to be running fine, restocked it to help control the temperature.

Is it premature to just go ahead and replace the defrost heater since thats the only thing I removed/disconnected?

What's a PCB?

[Yuri B.]

Without the heater the refrigerator will not work properly (I dont know how often defrosts take place there, but without them compressor may get damaged). The main control board you referred earlier might have been replaced for vain.

[browndwz]

Without the heater the refrigerator will not work properly

I found this out, it seems that the refrigerator don't like to cool and defrost at the same time and the heater must turn off the compressor.



(I dont know how often defrosts take place there, but without them compressor may get damaged).

In reading I found around four times a day.



The main control board you referred earlier might have been replaced for vain.

The main board was replaced due to the "GE Side-by-Side Refrigerator - Will not Dispense Ice or Water and The Light Goes Dim" problem.

Thanks for your replies

[Yuri B.]

"Light goes dim" means controller's indicator loses brightness?

Googling shown a heap of info - many have the heater problem (someone called it N1 for this model), spares seems also to be easy procurable, perfectly! But I have not found a drawing diagram so am not aware of the temp-s cotrol there - and I do not know what the exact problem is.

Heater does not work simultaneously with the compressor, of course - when the heater melts the ice (defrost), compressor should not run.

[browndwz]

The light going dim and not dispenseing water was/is a problem with the main control board for this GE model (and maybe others). GE has several letters out for the repair (going back to 2004). Had GE fix it after tons of complaining.

I did find a diagram in another fourm, but not to much into the electrical side of things.

Seems to be working fine so far, I did need to turn down the thermostat several numbers from where I usually have it. I guess disconnecting the heater reset it or something and allowed the compressor to turn back on.

I am just waiting to see if it freezes again and where. I'll post what happens.

Thanks for the replies

[JT1080]

If your heater is black like you said, it is out. They are known to go out. It should be clear with a spring like wire running through it. I would replace it WR51X10053. Most of the new ones have dual glass tubes, so if you see that it's normal and will fit.

[browndwz]

Thanks JT1080 for the reply,

When I took the heater off the tube was black and had a blackest power coming out of the connectors. I figured it was bad so I am in the process of replacing it.

I let the freezer frost/freeze up again so I could see where the water line is freezing, which is the original problem I have.