GE LSS25XSTB SS, Ice melts in the freezer, yet veggies in the fridge freeze

by Lee
(Fort Collins, CO)

I ran the Evaporator Fan test (The fan inside the freezer) (located here: GE Refrigerator Fan Motor Diagnostics ) and it pointed to my evaporator fan as being the problem.

I left the doors (fridge and freezer) open for approximately five minutes and the evaporator fan DID NOT come on. I measured voltage as described in the article and got @ 13.5 volts both times.

My main concern is this... the fan did come on after a considerable amount of time (15 minutes or more) with the doors open. However, it only ran for a few minutes. As a matter of fact, this is how it has acted for the last few months...my ice melts and veggie/meats drawers freeze in a vicious cycle over and over. Does this still sound like a Fan issue? I mean, the fan DOES come on from time to time but does not come on when the fridge should be in the liner protection mode as described in the above article.

Thanks,

Lee





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Answer

Hi Lee,

The problem you are experiencing is caused by poor airflow, which sounds like the fan isn’t running as much as it should.
The fact that it runs at all indicates to me that this is a main board problem. However the fact that you are getting voltage to the motor but it will not run indicates that it is a fan motor problem.

GE side-by-side refrigerators are known for bad fan motors causing the main board to fail. This doesn’t happen often (I have only seen it twice in 10 years in the field) but can happen and it sounds like what may have happened in your case.

Thank you,
Shawn/administrator

Comments for GE LSS25XSTB SS, Ice melts in the freezer, yet veggies in the fridge freeze

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Jan 10, 2011
 Confused...
by: Lee

My original encounter with this problem led me to call in a refrigerator repair man (the day before Thanksgiving) who explained many of the same things I have learned on this site (regarding the problems associated with the industry shift towards energy efficiency)...his diagnosis was that the thermistor positioned above the coils in the freezer was bad. $175 later, he was obviously incorrect.

Now, after this thread's initial posting and subsequent answer...I was still a little apprehensive about spending another $200 on a new mother board and evap fan when I wasn't positive that was going to fix it, so I inexplicably just did nothing. For the past 4 days my refrigerator problems have vanished and it seems to be working perfectly. Does this add anymore light to my problem? Does it definitively point towards the original answer? Does it single out the fan or mother board? Thanks in advance...

"Confused" Lee
Jan 11, 2011
 RE
by: Shawn

If it were working fine now I wouldn't do anything to it. Who knows it may not give you any more trouble. With that being said I wouldn't recommend putting $200 worth of food in it until you are satisfied the problem isn?t going to return.

Anytime airflow is blocked the bottom shelf of a side-by-side refrigerator is subject to freeze. At the same time the rest of the refrigerator will not get as cold as it should. This sounds odd but let me explain. The fan keeps air moving in a constant flow from the freezer into the fresh food then back into the freezer. If air isn?t flowing properly freezing air will have a tendency to seep back into the fresh food section from the bottom airflow vents. Whereas if the fan were forcing airflow air would never come back from those vents it will be flowing in the other direction.

A bad fan can cause this, ice could be blocking airflow or in your case the main board could be bad. What I think you need to do if it fails again is to run the entire test described on my fan motor page under then evaporator fan section. Do this if and only if the fan isn't running. If the fan is running remove the back cover off the evaporator and check to see if you have ice-blocking airflow. You initial question led me to believe you have a bad board, fan or both but we need to confirm before you go throwing more money at this refrigerator.

I hope this helps!
Feb 04, 2011
 So Frustrating!
by: Anonymous

WE have the same fridge and have been dealing with this for a while. Another site said pull the back panel off the freezer wall and see if the coil is all frosty. If so, then the defrost "heater" lamp is burned out and is the problem. I just pulled mt back wall and yes my coil is frosty top to bottom and the light at the bottom is not on, but is making odd humming/zzzz noises. I will take a shot at the $39 light bulb.
Feb 05, 2011
 Defrost
by: Shawn/admin

Yes this is more than likely the heater (bulb) you can check it if you have an ohmmeter, but if not you are just guessing. Yes it is a very good guess but there are three other things that can cause this. The evaporator thermistor (second most common behind the heater) defrosts thermostat and the main board. If you have an ohmmeter this page will help you pinpoint the problem.


GE Refrigerator Not Cooling
Feb 05, 2011
 Ran the tests
by: Jeff

The Blue/White plug test, I got 21.6 ohms
The J1 test was 16.8 ohms
The heater was 22.6 ohms, even though both ends of the bulb were black, just like a normal bulb would be bad. Since I did get 22.6 ohms, does that mean the heater is okay?
I think all this means the main board is faulty? Would you agree?
Feb 06, 2011
 RE
by: Shawn

Yes assuming the frost was top to bottom such as the one in the picture above. (I added a picture to the top of the page.
Feb 06, 2011
 Tests
by: Jeff

Shawn-

Based on the pic above, it wasn't even close to that. I did take a picture before I defrosted it and can send it to you, if needed.

The only thing I haven't done is the remaining thermistor tests, due to no ice(I haven't had my ice maker on for months due the massive icicle it makes. Currently the temps on the door have said Freezer 1 and Fridge 38 + or - 2 degrees. I have nothing in my bottom drawer except a digital thermometer and it reads 38, earlier today it read 32. I already but everything back together, so unless my thermistor test fails, I will let it go for a while and monitor.

I did go ahead and replace the heater, based on the black ends and corrosion inside the bulb.

Thanks,

Jeff
Feb 06, 2011
 RE
by: Shawn

Yes, monitor it for while and see what it does, I would hate to see you replace the board for no reason.

Thank you

P.S I will send you a private e-mail that you can send the picture to and I can add it to the top of this page if necessary.
Feb 07, 2011
 Not A Defrost Problem
by: Shawn

I took a look at your picture and you do not have a defrost problem. The picture I posted was of a refrigerator with a defrost problem. Your problem is most likely a fan motor problem. Either the fan is not getting to speed or it is not running as much as it should.
Feb 11, 2011
 update to problem....
by: Lee

First I would like to say thank you for the advice and resources provided by this site...it has been incredible...so, thank you.

Short version of the update is that my problem is fixed. The long version is that I learned a very valuable lesson (and expensive) lesson when replacing the evap fan motor.

I decided to replace the motor AND control board but only one at a time. (Earlier advice had suggested that replacing one without the other COULD cause a problem...one could continue to "break" the other if I chose the wrong one) So, I switched out the motor, put everything back together, and let the doors stand open for 5 minutes...and wouldn't you know it? Nothing! Nothing but the sound of a brand new evap motor "trying" to turn. The blades were barely moving and the motor had a slight, straining whine. I immediately thought that the problem HAD to be the board and that it was not supplying enough voltage to turn the motor. I then ordered a new control board, installed it, let the doors stand open for 5 minutes, and again...nothing! Nothing but the same sound and minimal blade movement. On a hunch, I went back over how I reassembled the new motor/old bracket, blades, gaskets, etc...and bingo! I realized that when I put them together, I had squeezed the gasket onto the top of the motor to tightly...it was restricting the shafts ability to properly turn the blades. Turns out I really didn't need a new control board. But, on the bright side, my problem is now fixed! Thanks again.

Lee
Feb 11, 2011
 Fixed!
by: Shawn/admin

I am sorry you had the problem but I am glad to hear you got if fixed.
May 20, 2014
 Unit not cooling properly
by: Harry

I have the LSS25XSTB-SS unit, it was purchaced used with the display blank yet the unit seemed to default to max cool and the only problem is products in the bottom of the refrigerator side would tend to freeze slightly. Two weeks ago I noticed the freezer was not cooling properly and the evap fan was not on. since it was a sat night and the parts suppliers would not be open until mon. I put an auxiliary fan (squirrel cage) in the freezer to promote circulation. This worked quite well. Sometime between putting the fan in and mon morning the evap fan began to work. cant fix it if it isn't broke :-( A week went by and the same thing but the next morning the fan is working again :-( I am an electronic/electro-mechanical diagnostic technician repairing devices since 1975 What I need is a schematic of preferably both the main wiring diagram and the printed circuits with component locations/Numbers and values. With this information I would be able to study and preform a proper diagnostic at the next failure. Please let me know If you are able to provide this information or links to it. harrytapp@gmail.com
Thanks,
Harry

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