GE Profile refrigerator trouble shooting help
by
Holly Prim
+18
The bottom freezer is very cold, the fridge is warm like 65 degrees. We did research and realize the defrost is not working. We took the freezer apart and thawed it. In the meantime we checked the continuity between the defrost heater and defrost therm, it was fine. So online advice says replace control board. We did that, it did not fix the problem. Now the digital temp gauge reads -22 in freezer and 54 in fridge. Not sure what to check next? I've thought the defrost timer or maybe temperature sensor. Apparently these refrigerators are infamous for failing.
13 answers
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first question is, do you know how to read a schematic? do you even know what one is? If the answer to either of these Q's is 'No', then hire a repair man. If you know what a schematic is but not how to read them, Hire a repair man. OK, so you know what a schematic is, & you know how to read them.... on the back of the fridge somewhere, will be a schematic. you know the problem is with the fridge & not the freezer, so look at the fridge part of the schematic & find the piece that regulates the temperature in the fridge. Here is where it gets confusing... on most refrigerators there are 2 sometimes 3 different pieces that regulate the temp...what's confusing is, 1 piece will be temperature regulation PLUS 1 or 2 other things; another will regulate the temp PLUS something else; what you need to find is the one piece that regulates the temp AND ONLY the temp.... now, once you find it on the schematic, you now have to find it in the appliance. like I said, it gets very confusing. if you pull the plug on the wrong one, you get to buy yourself a new fridge/freezer, weather you want to or not....so be very careful on which plug you pull. Once you find the part on the schematic, AND in the appliance, replacing it is usually easy....2 screws & 1 wire....unhook the old & hook up the new. piece of cake right? yeah right. :)
Capernius
on Apr 24, 2015
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They can check the part for you! Take it in and let them check it. Also GE had a problem with their compressors. since I have no idea how old yours is they would stay cool enough to make you think it was something else. But take your part in and let them check it.
Sherrie
on Apr 25, 2015
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Not sure, but since cold tends to settle, there may be a circulator fan that keeps the refrigerator at the right temp - worth looking for, anyway. I have had issues before with top-freezer models, but that was a water drain problem when the defrost cycles and the water freezes.
Kerry
on Apr 25, 2015
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Thanks @Sherrie good idea! @Kerry we started looking at buying a new one, they aren't as expensive as I though we may just replace it. Appreciate you taking the time to help.
Holly Prim
on Apr 25, 2015
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You are welcome! I bought my last one from an outlet that specializes in scratch and dent merchandise and saved quite a bit over new in box.....Good luck, whichever way you go....
Kerry
on Apr 25, 2015
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one of three things wrong. Freezer heater coil , Thermostat, or damper door has gone bad . I just replaced my heater coil on mine. go to www.repairclinic.com and you can find what you need there. they are very helpful
Carol Fredette
on Apr 25, 2015
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My GE fridge had same problem & I ordered a "motherboard" and my son replaced it on a visit. Well my fridge still didn't get cold enough! Was about to replace thermostat when I took the motherboard off the back of fridge and read the installation instructions and it turned out my son did not follow instructions and cut a wire. Once I cut the wire and reinstalled my fridge now works fine.
Marie Johnson
on Apr 25, 2015
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Your problem may not be that complicated nor confusing as, the two most common problems are: 1. Thermostat not working and 2. Defrost timer not working. Both of these problem can be solved simply by pulling the old part out and plugging in the new part. There are several good YouTube videos you can watch that will guide you through the process and more importantly, help you troubleshoot your problem. Start with a search of "troubleshooting refrigerator problems" to narrow down what is going on and take it from there. I have no affiliation with this company but have found their Youtude videos very helpful, Appliance Parts Pros. What I like about them is, their videos are very straight forward to help you find the solution without making things complicated and to get you the correct part needed.
Terry Sparks
on Apr 25, 2015
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I know that with a fridge with the freezer on top the hose that drains water out of the freezer and fridge will plug with debris (eg. peas or corn that fall out of their freezer bags). My father showed me how to unplug the hose by blowing air up from the end of it with a bicycle pump. I have also poured vinegar and water down the hose to clean it also. I'm not sure if your fridge even has this line. Good luck.
Taina Nieminen
on Apr 25, 2015
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Your best bet is to get a new top freezer fridge. Cold air sinks and if freezer is on bottom that presents a problem. If the fridge is over 10 years old it's best to buy a new one and save yourself some time and aggravation.
Mama Rose
on Apr 25, 2015
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I had a similar problem on two different refridgerators; I have home warranty so both times I had professional repairman. In both cases it was a "failed heater" which is kind of funny. If the heater doesn't work, the auto defrost doesn't happen and it goes downhill from there. When this is the problem, doing a manual defrost will restart it and it will work fine for at least a month....
Shirley Midgett
on Apr 25, 2015
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Just went through this, after resets and defrosts and loosing food we said skip it and just got a new fridge.
Lee Cunningham Green
on Apr 26, 2015
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i had a GE that had the same problem. After two repair house calls, the last repairman said if it happens again, the part and installation would be around $800. The fridge was only 4 years old! For some reason, the hose leaked and the water froze the fan. I now have a Maytag and no problems.
Deborah
on Apr 28, 2015
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