I found this website about 2 weeks ago. I and read the postings about replacing the control panel. I own the GSS22SGRF SS. This thing was driving me and my wife absolutely insane. We live in a smaller house and the howling noise was so bad we could hear it over the TV at normal volumes. I would have to crank the surround sound to not hear it. They are not kidding when they say it just gets louder. Anyway a year after it has been doing it or about 10 days ago when I ordered the control board the refrigerator stopped dispensing water and ice along with making a clicking sound. When I opened the door the digital temperature setting displays would turn off and on in succession with the clicking noise. I was like great, I just dropped $100 dollars on this control panel and 2 other things are now going wrong with my fridge.
Anyway I get the part on Wednesday and waited for my dad to come over and help me out just in case. We pull out the fridge and I am not kidding but it only took about 10-15 minutes to swap out the panels. All of the wires on this model come with connectors so we didn't have to cut 1 wire, all you had to do was plug them in and set the ground. I could have done it myself, too easy. We plug the thing back in, put it into position and BAM!!! everything is fixed. The water and ice machine are back to normal, not one howling or clicking sound for over 24 hours now. Best $100 I have spent in a while. Would have costed me a $100 just to have someone come out and look at it. I will never buy a GE refrigerator again based on the customer service I got when I called in but if it wasn't for this post I guess I would be out of pocket another $1900 because I was about a day away from throwing this thing in the trash!!!! GE NEEDS TO REALIZE THAT IF THIS PROBLEM IS HAPPENING THIS OFTEN TO STEP UP AND AT LEAST SUPPLY THE REPLACEMENT PART. I GUESS THEY HAVEN'T FIGURED OUT THAT THIS MIGHT NOT COST THEM RIGHT NOW BUT IT WILL COST THEM AT LEAST ONE PURCHASE IN THE FUTURE.
I called GE and they are standing behind this one. If your fridge is 3 years or newer they will send a rep to fix the part. Beyond 3 years only the part is covered. They wanted $100 for labor to replace the board. I asked to have the board sent to me and i'll do it and they said "OK, but you don't get the 5 year warranty on that part if you do it yourself". I'll take my chances on fixing it myself. My model is PSS26SGRB-SS
After reading other posts I reached the same conclusion as Guest and went ahead and ordered the control board from GE (GE's part description: BOARD ASM MAIN CONTROL). The cost of the part is $124.75, and I was able to get a 40% discount after I explained that many other owners of GE refrigerators were having the same problem and that GE should bear some of the responsibility. I’m going to attempt to install it myself, so hopefully it won’t be too much trouble. If you decide to go this route, I recommend that you be nice when you call GE so that you can get a 40% discount, or maybe even more. Good luck.
I had GE come out. I talked to the technician and he said that the
control module controls the amount of air. If the module fails, it does not regulate the speed correctly thus causing the howling noise. He replaced mine and the unit is back to normal.
The tech would not offer any more info, so I assume it is a design
or premature part failure. GE should in good faith, offer free service for this issue at least for the first 5 years. ( My last refrigerator worked for 20 years other than higher utility cost)
I have a GE side by side model GSS22 purchased in June of 2005. I've had that horrible howling noise for awhile now. It sounds like a kid blowing over the top of a half-filled coke bottle! Drives ya crazy! I just had a repairman here. He didn't hear the sound for the 15 minutes that he was here. GE told him over the phone that they had "no known similar issues" !!!!! (You know GE's lying! CYA!!! I see "hundreds of complaints on blogs like this.) I got the repairman's cell phone # and told him I'd call him when it started up again and he could rush over and hear it himself. He was back in 15 minutes. "Mysteriously" (lol) this time GE was able to guide him to the problem..."replace the main circuit board"! Gee, how did they know that? Was it under warranty? Of course not...gee...it's not GE's fault. I had an extended warranty...they had to fix it at their expense anyway...course it cost me the $105 for the warranty but it just paid for itself and more...and something tells me it will become a good investment in the near future. That noise is real...it's irritating...it's GE's fault (bad circuit boards)...they know it and are trying to cover it up so they don't have to bare the expense of ALL of your complaints. I think that's criminal.
I have a similar GE refrigerator that had the exact same problem. Howling drove us crazy. Read here that the solution was the ASM control circuit board, ordered one online for around $100 and replaced it myself. (Very easy if you have even moderate mechanical skills). Its worked perfectly ever since - for over a year now. If your unit is still under warranty, make them replace that board.
FINALLY fixed this problem.
It's NOT the fan motor. Tried that.
It's NOT the control board.
It's NOT how full you load the freezer or fridge. Mine is full.
The problem is this: When they ship the units from the factory, there are two pieces of rubber trim that seal the left and right side of the fan box at the back of the freezer. During shipping, the trim slides down, exposing a 1" to 1/2" gap where air can get sucked in. This turns the fan box into a musical instrument.
FIX: I simply put some electrical tape over the open spaces, and the howling stopped. It's been a week with no sound at all. Previously it howled all day, every day.
The proper fix is to loosen the fan box and slide the trim back up into place, but putting tape over the gap will do the same thing and is easier.
Enjoy your quiet kitchen!
P.S. to GE: Please put some sealant on these gaskets before you ship them from the factory, so that they do not slide out of place during shipping. I'm sure they were silent when they left the factory, but you need to account for shipping. And inform your telephone staff of this fix.
Thanks.
What model number do you have? Can you access the fan box from inside the freezer? Thanks.
Model is HSS25GFPD WW
Yes, the fan box is insdie the freezer. You'll need to remove the icemaker tray and top plastic shelf, then the fan box is immediately below. But for my fix, you don't need to go there. Just remove the top wire metal shelf and the plastic light bulb shield. With the lightbulb shield removed, you'll be able to see the gap in the rubber seal on both sides, and apply electrical tape. I used regular electrical tape, but I notice there is low temperature electrical tape made by GB Electrical and others, that may last longer. So far mine is holding..
Hi I have a kuche 97L fridge and seems to have the exact problem here just got it 1 day ago. How do I fix this?
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The haunted house howling just started on my GE side by side fridge and I have had it for around 5 years. I found this discussion I was about to get online to buy the new motherboard when I thought to adjust the temperature, because I figured if it has something to do with how the fan is blowing, maybe changing the temperature will interrupt the howling. Next to the digital temperature readouts is a Turbo Cool button I had never noticed before. I hit that, too, in case it could interrupt the howling. WHAADDAYKNOW?? The howling STOPPED! (as soon as I pushed the Turbo Cool-it seemed to change the blower) Let's see if it lasts, but just wanted to post this in case others have that Turbo Cool button.
I just replaced the main ASM for my model side-by-side and while it DID fix the annoying howling from the one board we still hear a howling from that fan but it's not as loud now (more constant and lower sounding) and does actually stop after normal time periods.
Still a crappy design and we also took the ice tray out (with it full the water line kept freezing even with their little "heater fix" on the water line) to help the air flow.
I'm not sure if replacing the fan motor will do anything especially if the control board is running the cycles of the fan and causing it to howl or resonate or whatever...the main ASM replacement DID fix it to a degree and it's much more tolerable now. Don't bother with calling anyone...it's right behind the metal panel on the back of the unit and it's just 3 screws for the panel and some cables to unplug. At most, you'll need some needle nose pliers to pinch the small plastic standoffs that are just like the ones used on computer motherboards. Then just plug in everything and put the panel back on...done! The part did say some cutting was involved depending on whether there was a varistor wire but mine didn't have this so I didn't have to cut any wires. The instructions for this process still seemed clear but I'm glad I didn't have to do any cutting...I didn't need the problems that might be caused if I cut the wrong one....you know how that goes ;-) Hope this helps...
http://www.appliancepartspros.com/part_details.aspx?part_id=4436216
We have ordered the control unit. GE customer service was surly and denied any problem. For $100 plus shipping, we'll install it and hope the "haunted house" sounds go away.
No acknowledgement from GE about this being a known problem, but interestingly, the surly customer support person seemed to know exactly the part needed to solve the problem.
We inherited the problem when we bought the house. We are unlikely to purchase any GE appliances in the future based on the lack of honesty and helpfulness of GE service.
This is well explained on another forum, here's the link
http://www.applianceblog.com/mainforums/showthread.php?t=7068
it's a very common problem with the GE side by sides.
In a nutshell the common consensus is that the control board is setting the evap motor to a speed causing the howling. My thoughts is it is likely setting a speed that creates a natural frequency for the setup, and the result in the very irritating noise. Bottom line is a BAD DESIGN by GE. Not that they mind, they're making money coming out to 'fix' the problem for all the people out of the warranty.
Changing the control board should fix the problem at a do it yourself cost of around 90 bucks. For me, I'm going to keep on complaining to GE since I'm upset ....
I just called GE at 1-800-626-2000 to get help. If you don't press an option and listen through the options you will be directed to a service person. They advised that GE freezers are designed to run 2/3 full. They told me to fill my freezer 2/3 full and the sound should stop. Has anyone tried this??
Can anyone that is having this issue email me at [email protected]? Could you include your name, city and state and make and model of your fridge? I am going to compile a list of us all and write a complaint to consumer reports and the BBB to see if we can get this resolved. Maybe we can all get reimbursed if we can get a big enough response. I will email the letter to all that help me with this matter when I gather enough people to make an impact. I will do all the leg work to try and get GE to fix this issue once and for all!
Laura
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COULD BE EVAPARTOR FAN MOTOR
not Cooling or Fridge not Cooling17,224 views
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Same howling sound behind ice maker
I have a GE Side by Side Ref 2 years old and have this howling noise coming out of my freezer It is driving us crazy can not find out what it is
i have the same problem. The howling starts when you open the freezer and sometimes goes for a day or two. i have also seen a run up in my electricity bill. What causes it to run non stop?
My GE refrigerator also makes a howling sound ,not continuously but off and on throughout the day or night and is extremely annoying. We have tried moving the items in the freezer around to no avail.
I'm experiencing the same intermittent howling noise problem with my 2 1/2 year old GE refrigerator. The model is PSW26MSRBSS.
I have the same problem. My model # is gss25jsrfss and serial AH250226. The howling just wont stop. It is driving me crazy.
Wow seems like GE really has some great products. We purchased our side by side DSR23USTGS in June 07 and one week after we received it, it started making this noise coming from the freezer fan. It sounded like the fan was running out of balance. I gave the shield over the light housing a quick tap and it went away. Next day it was back again. It happens two to three times a week. Sometimes its so loud that it is hard to sleep at night. Now, just after 4 months the freezer shows excessive signs of frost building up on everything in the freezer. Oh and the ice crusher has not worked for 2 months as well as the ice dispenser. The auger is stripped on the motor and needs to be replaced. This is absolutely ridiculous from a product less than a year old. Thanks for the previous ideas on it being a circuit board problem. I am demanding another fridge or my money back.
We have the exact same problem - intermittent howling coming from behind the ice-maker of a GE GSS20IEPH side-by-side that's around 2 years old. It drives us crazy and nothing I've tried works for long.
I have a GSS22IBPH side by side that after approximately 2 years developed a cooling problem. No cooling in the refrigerator and frost buildup in the freezer. Fortunately, I got the extended warranty. The problem was isolated to a faulty defrost heating element. The tech came out and replaced it and the refrigerator was back on track, unfortunately like most of you it developed this annoying howling. I been trying to pinpoint it and realized that the noise is present when the evaporator fan is ON. If you listen, it sounds like someone blowing across a bottle or jug ( kinda of like those old jug bands). I haven't gotten around to have them come out again but if the motherboard does not fix the problem, it may be as mentioned a design issue. If it is as I believe, air running cross an open tube aka inlet ( like the jug sound I mentioned), a baffle or diverter may easily correct the the problem. (determining where should be GE's R&D problem). I will wait and see if the motherboard is the answer first.
I have the same problem with the howling noise. What I find interesting is all of these howling problems occur after the refrigerators are about two years old. We purchased our side by side model PSC23SGRC SSin December 2005. On yesterday we started having problems with the door seal on the refrigerator side not holding the door closed. I'll be calling GE today.
GE GSS25SGRE SS also makes howling noise intermittently.
I have the same problem! ugh. So it sounds like I'll need to have the control board changed. I need to look into my warranty info...
Thanks to Jarom156 for starting this chain. :)
Lindsay
Call GE Consumer Affairs (at their main GE phone number) and they'll replace the control board free of charge if your refrigerator is on their list. My refrigerator is two years old and no longer under warranty; however, I called GE and asked if they would fix this howling noise. They sent a repairman who replaced the control board today at no charge and the noise finally stopped!!
I have a GE gsh25jftaww that was areplacement refrigerator provided by ge due to the previous freezer door sealing issue ; my problem now is the noise ive seen described doesnt match mine , if you open the freezer door and place your hand over the air circulation opening under the ice maker it sounds like a load hum from the fan - my concern is when the noise changes you can feel the fan speed drop somewhat : what do you think ;is it the control panel board or fan motor going out ?
My GE Side by Side Refrigerator howls so loudly, I had to unplug it for some peace. This, however, defeats the purpose of owning it because my food is thawing. HELP!
I have a GE Side By Side GSL25QGPBS that howls on the freezer side
My fridge is about 6 years old and it began howling shortly after we moved into our new house. NOW, it has begun to "knock" on the refrigerator side (knocks about 22 times each half hour or so)...It's drivng me insane! I'm looking for a GE repair manual but can't find one. Anyone out there know how to take the refrigerator "roof" off, above the light? My hubby's quite handy so we think he can fix it if he can take that off without cracking the plastic.
Just wanted to add ours to the list. GE SS model #GSH25JSRFSS and about 2 years old like everyone else. I will call GE tomorrow about the control board. I found this by Googling "GE refrigerator makes a howling noise". Isn't the internet great.
Yes, I have the same problem. It is a GE #GSH25JFRF that has been howling on and off for almost 8 months. I can't stand it any longer. I am going to look into replacing the panel that was mentioned above.
And as others have mentioned, I will not buy GE in the future.
I have the same problem. Min is with the GE Profile model number PSC23SGRB purchased in 2004. I had a Sears technician come to my home in August 2008 and he told me the howling nosie was normal. I told himI disagreed with him bu he said it was normal and there was nothing he could do. Finally, today I read several blogs about the howling noise. Armed with the new information I called Sears and they will not send a technician to look over the refrigerator becasue one was sent in August and they (Sears) considered this the same issue and there was no problem. When I told the manager I had read many messages that said the control board was the problem he asked if I believed vrything I readon the internet and dismissed the issue. He said the next visit would coast me becasue there was no problem. I am so mad. I will never buy another product from Sears or GE. If only I knew where the control board was I would replace it myself. Can someone diect me to where the board is located and where I can find a place to purchase a new board?
Thanks
Ditto...GE makes howling noise from behind the icemaker!
We've named out GE fridge "Moaning Myrtle" after the character in the Harry Potter book. Anyway, thanks for the posts. I'm going to call GE and see if they'll fix it. It is so loud I put on my headphones and crank music to tolerate being in the kitchen.
Model GSH25JSRFSS - GE refrigerator - howling & seems to get the worst when the ice try is near capacity. Sure glad to get some tips from everyone else. We've had it 2 1/2 years. The howling is so irritating we have to deal with it somehow. Thanks everyone.
We have the same problem with ours. We've had ours now for about 3 years and it has been howling for the past year. At first it could be temporarily fixed by turning off the ice maker until it had emptied out some, but now even that doesn't work. I guess we'll end up spending $100 on a problem that shouldn't be there, also. You would think after spending that much money on something, they should fix it free of charge since it's obviously a defective product.
Same problem as described here. Model # GSH25JFTA WW. Serial # RL225341. Howls louder than the TV. Wakes the dog. $40 tech visit suggested BOARD ASM MAIN CONTROL board for $123.20 from partselect.com. I'll telephone GE tomorrow to see if we can $123 down to something more reasonable.
noise from fan and clicking on the mother board no water no ice
I have the same problem (3 year old unit), an irritating fan noise coming from behind the ice maker, that comes and goes. A GE service person has come out three times, once to replace the control board, them some seal, and the last time something else. The last two were out of pocket labor cost. Well about two weeks ago it started again.
I'm trying to continue to support US made products, but I'm at my wits end. After talking to the GE support person, "Brenda" no last name given telling me what she was not going to do etc, I will never purchase another GE product, LG or Samsung here we come.
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