GE Refrigerator not cooling

by Joe
(Medina, OH)

Hi,
I have a 2005 GE side-by-side (GSH22JFRE WW) that frosted over, just like the pictures you've posted, three weeks ago. I performed all the tests on the J2 connector (great videos, by the way!) and everything checked out fine. I hit the frost with a hair dryer, plugged it back in and seven days later the fridge wasn't cooling, again.

I got out the hair dryer, again, and this time replaced the evaporator thermistor (great video) too.

Seven days later and I've got a block of frost again.

The defrost thermostat looks fine; the blue cap is flat and not "popped out." Should I go ahead and replace it anyhow?

Besides keeping an extra hair dryer in the kitchen, do you have any other ideas?

Many thanks!

-Joe

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Answer
Replacement parts in General Electric GSH22JFREBB Refrigerator


There are four things that will cause a defrost problem on this refrigerator, the defrost heater (most common), the evaporator thermistor, the defrost thermostat and the main board.
You didn’t mention checking the defrost heater, that is the first thing to check. You can check the defrost heater by removing it and testing for continuity across the terminals. If it is open or very high resistance replace it.

The thermistor is the second most common thing to cause this but we can assume it is ok since you just replaced it.

If the heater checks ok test the defrost thermostat. You can do this by cutting it out and testing ohms across it or you can test it from the main board. Unplug the refrigerator and disconnect the blue plug at the bottom of the main board along with the white plug. Test for continuity from the center (J9) wire on the blue plug to the orange wire on the white plug (the one closes to the blue plug). There should be continuity and if not the thermostat is bad. Note that the heater has got to be plugged in for this test.

If the thermistors are good, the heater is good and the thermostat is good replace the main board. It is very rare for the main board to cause this but the thermistor and the heater often fail causing this problem.

I am glad to hear you like my videos. I am working on a video that is about diagnosing defrosting problems with these refrigerators. But it will be at least a week before it is up and it basically shows what I just said.

An air leak can also cause this but on these models the main board is supposed to compensate for an air leak so it will have to be a bad one such as the door being left open but since it done it more than once it is highly unlikely.

Thank you,
Shawn/administrator